Report: Bills interested in UFA TE Jesse James

[Shaw66]

19 minutes ago, Elite Poster said:

A lot of people seem to think he is way, way, way, better than he actually is. There is a reason old man Vance McDonald relegated this guy to the bench later in the season with Pittsburgh. 

The reason I like him is anecdotal.  It just seemed to me that there were a lot of times where James bailed Ben out of difficult spots by getting to the right spot and catching the ball.  That makes him better in my mind than Clay, who (1) never seemed to show the same ability to settle in the open spot and (2) seemed to drop some easy balls.  As others have said, Allen needs a reliable guy to bail him out, and James seems to me to be one of those guys.  

[GoBills808]

1 hour ago, Bangarang said:

Scott Chandler 2.0

My feelings on him too, maybe a slightly better blocker. 

[Alphadawg7]

30 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think you and Kirby and I all have the same vision for the offense, given Allen's greatest strengths.   Or at least a similar vision.

 

I think ideally the offense needs two deep threats.  Or at least one really good deep threats and a couple of guys with enough speed to get deep when the scheme creates the opportunity. Clearly, the first deep threat is a wideout (whether Foster is that guy remains to be seen - it isn't enough to have deep speed, you have to be able to run disciplined routes and catch the ball.  I'm hopeful, but let's wait and see).  Ideally, the second guy is also a wideout - a deep threat on either flank is what really tests the safeties and opens the middle as you describe.  The second guy who can "get deep" can be a tight end or even a versatile running back.    

 

I think you're correct that if the Bills had two good deep threat wideouts, James  may not have the foot speed to take advantage of the opportunities the wideouts would create.  He clearly would be good enough to get you 5 to 12 yard completions all day long against a stretched out defense, but he's not going to get the chunk plays that Kelce gets.  

 

But I'm squarely in the camp that says such a player, a premier tight end, is more a luxury than a necessity.   If you have one, fine, and he takes some pressure off the wideouts to produce and loosens up the defense in other areas, but he isn't a necessity.  And I think, but I don't know, that featuring the tight end tends to draw the defense toward the middle, which may help your wideouts but it doesn't do any favors for your running backs.  Just ask ThurmanThomas what it meant to play with two burners and a third receiver in the slot, each of whom was a headache for the defense.   I'm sure he'd tell you that Lofton, Beebe and Reed created those monster years for him by clearing defenders out of the middle.  

 

Kelce only averaged 10 ypc this year.  

Jesse averaged 14.1 ypc this year.  Only 4 TEs with at least 30 receptions averaged more ypc this year.  

 

Kelce didnt get as many chunk plays as people think.  He was just wide open constantly for non stop first downs.  

 

And we honestly don’t need chunk plays from the TE.  Getting 5 to 12 yards all day equals an unstoppable offense and constant first downs and Redzone dominance.  

 

Again my comments were about the desire for the TE, not saying Jesse is necessarily the guy.  However, I do like Jesse and his potential, but my comments weren’t specific to him.

[Shaw66]

3 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Kelce only averaged 10 ypc this year.  

Jesse averaged 14.1 ypc this year.  Only 4 TEs with at least 30 receptions averaged more ypc this year.  

 

Kelce didnt get as many chunk plays as people think.  He was just wide open constantly for non stop first downs.  

 

And we honestly don’t need chunk plays from the TE.  Getting 5 to 12 yards all day equals an unstoppable offense and constant first downs and Redzone dominance.  

 

Again my comments were about the desire for the TE, not saying Jesse is necessarily the guy.  However, I do like Jesse and his potential, but my comments weren’t specific to him.

I see it the same way.   I'm going to be very happy if Allen completes 30-40 simple catches to some tight end over middle this year.   That means other things are working the way they should.  

[BillsSB2020]

5 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

 

Belichick is definitely anti-Strengthfinders.   His philosophy is that he's going to beat you by stopping your greatest strength.  So against the Rams (and against a Josh -Allen-deep-ball offense), he's going to take away the deep ball and force the QB to find short passes in the seams.  He's going to force you to win using what you're not so good at.   His offense is also anti-Strengthfinders.   His offense rarely has been truly dominating in one aspect of the game, except perhaps the couple of years when Brady, with Moss's help one year, was throwing the ball all over the place.  Most years, Belichick beats you with the run until you stop iit, then he beats you with the short pass until you stop it, then he beats you with the long pass.  Belichick's teams have no weak links.   

 

 

 

 

Agree with much of your post, but take exception with this particular analysis.

 

Belichick's defensive philosophy is strenthfinder friendly in the sense that he's going to take away your STRENGTH and force you to beat them with your weakness. That does mean you need multiple ways to beat a BB defense, but I don't think it defies the notion of playing to your strength.

 

And as you point out, he will run the ball or throw underneath to Edelman until you stop it. That is playing to the strength in that specific matchup. A bit different than the macro view of playing to one's strengths, but not exactly diametrically opposed to it.

 

How many teams do we see run the ball/throw deep/throw underneath successfully only to "mix it up" for the sake of mixing it up? Belichick just keeps doing whatever happens to be working. Going to the well until your opponent stops it is also strengthfinder friendly.

Edited February 23, 2019 by BillsSB2020

[YoloinOhio]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

FWIW, strengthfinders 2.0 was one of the best books that we ever did in our group. We did it as a management team. There is a test that you take online (kind of a survey) to reveal your 5 best strengths. You get a report on how those strengths manifest themselves. We did it to learn how we need to approach different situations and communicate with one another in addition to our teams. Basically, we tried to quantify how we need to communicate to the staff. Certain people are wired to do different things and fill different roles. It really is an incredible concept and quite interesting. 

 

Not that you (or anyone else cares) but my top 5 strengths were: ideation, competition, strategic thinker, includer and futuristic. In a nutshell, I am an empathetic problem-solver. I am a big picture person, driven by people, that sucks at details. I’m not good in conflict because I don’t like to let people down. 

 

So, we had other people whose skills plugged those gaps and vice versa. We would try to loom at the task and decide the person best equipped to handle it. 

 

I know that’s a bit of a tangent but it something that I buy into. That’s part of the reason that I am so high on Josh (and I didn’t like the pick at the time). He has a few MASSIVE strengths. He’s not “pretty good at everything” like Alex Smith for example. Allen has a few elite talents. He needs to harness them and improve but he can be a great player because of it. Alex Smith can never be great because he doesn’t do anything to differentiate himself. He is just, good at a bunch of different things. 

I expected “Woo”. I’m disappointed.

Edited February 23, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[Kirby Jackson]

5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I expected “Woo”. I’m disappointed.

Ha ha, no woo. 

[Alphadawg7]

One thing not getting enough attention in the Jesse James interest is that he is also considered a very good run and pass blocker.  

 

Pros:  Huge target, soft hands, good receiver, very good blocker, and young and still developing

 

Cons:  Quick, but lacks top end speed.

 

Honestly, there are a lot more Pros than Cons about this kid and reason to like this signing if we get him.  Still love me some Hockenson, but of all the FA TE's, this is the one I prefer.  Cameron Brate jumps up there too if he is a cap casualty due to OJ Howard.

[JaCrispy]

4 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Scott Chandler 2.0

That exactly what I was thinking...even runs like him too.

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, BillsSB2020 said:

Agree with much of your post, but take exception with this particular analysis.

 

Belichick's defensive philosophy is strenthfinder friendly in the sense that he's going to take away your STRENGTH and beat you with your weakness. That does mean you need multiple ways to beat a BB defense, but I don't think it defies the notion of playing to your strength.

 

And as you point out, he will run the ball or throw underneath to Edelman until you stop it. That is playing to the strength in that specific matchup. A bit different than the macro view of playing to one's strengths, but not exactly diametrically opposed to it.

 

How many teams do we see run the ball/throw deep/throw underneath successfully only to "mix it up" for the sake of mixing it up? Going to the well until your opponent stops it is also strengthfinder friendly.

That's interesting.  Thanks.  

 

But I don't think if Edelman as a strength.   I think of that part of their offense as something almost any team COULD do, but they haven't spent the time and made the commitment to do.   That offense is the result of years of hard work, repetition and study.   I don't think that offense succeeds so much because of Edelman's physical strengths as his intelligence and determination, couple with Brady's.  

 

I'm not saying what they do isn't impressive.  I think what they do is fundamentals taken to the max.   I think that's how the Pats run the ball, also.  It's every man making a block, a good solid block, every man knowing his assignment, every man knowing how to adjust on the fly.  And it's Brady orchestrating.  

 

The Pats make more or less EVERYTHING their strength.  It's hard to beat them attacking a perceived weakness because they always know how to hurt you by adjusting to take what you're giving.  

 

The Pats have a brand new game plan every week.   They are a man team, but when the opponent calls for it, they're a zone team.  They attack with the run this week, with the short pass next week, or with screens or whatever.  Every week they learn to do something else, and the more they do it, the more versatile they get.  

 

We may already just be into semantics.  I've thought for a year that McD is a closet Belichick fan, and I think McD thinks he can have a team with a command of the game that can win consistently like the Pats.  I think McD would say that, yes, he will take advantage of the strengths he has, but the foundation of his winning will team principles that make the team strong everywhere, rather than individual talents whose strengths will determine outcomes.  

[JohnC]

5 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I have a truly warm spot in my heart for Canisius.  Not that it meant much to me as a kid - I went to public school in the suburbs, the Catholic schools didn't play in the public school leagues (I don't think they played in the Sectionals, either), so I never got into the Catholic High School scene.  Don't know if I even knew anyone who went there.   My lasting memory of Canisius College basketball (and how irrelevant it was), was going to a Canisius-St. Bonaventure doubleheader at the Aud.  It was sold out.  First game was the Bonnies (with Lanier) and somebody.  When the game ended, 2/3 of the fans got up and left and filled the bars in downtown Buffalo to watch Niagara (with Calvin) playing at the Palestra.  Nobody except you secret society members stayed for the Canisius game.

 

But as I've been away, and as I've seen resumes from different people in Buffalo and gotten to know people there through various connections, I've been impressed at how Canisius has built a significant part of the backbone of Buffalo.  Secret society or not, Canisius has for generations graduated people whose strength and character have been an important part, for all the right reasons, of the survival and rebirth of Buffalo.  It's pretty impressive.  

Your words are kind and generous. 

 

What was a sad cycle was the necessity of the local population of young people who had to leave the area in order to pursue their opportunities that weren't provided by the local economy. This diaspora is spread throughout the country. Fortunately, this dynamic of young people exiting the area has changed because there are now more opportunities. I mostly follow the Buffalo scene through the internet. Fortunately, compared to a decade or so ago and prior most of the news is positive. Now outside investors are coming in and investing in the area.  Buffalo is at the stage where it has become to an extent a renaissance city where there are opportunities to take advantage of. 

 

I, like you, remember the Bonnie, Canisius and Niagara era of Murphy, Lanier and the Aud. Murphy was one of the most dynamic players I have ever seen. There were stories that Bob Lanier, who went to Bennett HS, wanted to go to Canisius but couldn't get in. I'm not sure that story was true. If he would have gone to Canisius he could have been the dominant player who changed the program's course.  

[JohnC]

5 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I think that he and Reggie are on different pages. I’m not sure what the exact issue was but they better get it figured out. They are leading the conference without the preseason player of the year. If they get Reese back they have a real chance to be in the tournament. 

Reggie is an old school coach who believes in team ball and playing the right way. He is not going to allow a player to play outside of his fundamental concepts without reacting to it. Reggie was a terrific hire for a program that has some inherent limitations. I hope this talented player becomes receptive to what the coach is promoting. He will be a better player and person if he listens to him. 

[Buffalo86]

High floor, low ceiling.  It may be a moot point anyway.

 

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said free agent Jesse James is likely to be re-signed.

James took a backseat to Vance McDonald last year but still managed a career high in yards (432) and yards-per-reception (14.1). He also graded as a top-30 run blocker and is one of the best pass-protecting tight ends in the league. James would have a clearer path to snaps outside of Pittsburgh, but he could be back at the right price.

 

SOURCE: Chris Adamski on Twitter

Feb 23, 2019, 1:04 PM

[YoloinOhio]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo86 said:

High floor, low ceiling.  It may be a moot point anyway.

 

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said free agent Jesse James is likely to be re-signed.

James took a backseat to Vance McDonald last year but still managed a career high in yards (432) and yards-per-reception (14.1). He also graded as a top-30 run blocker and is one of the best pass-protecting tight ends in the league. James would have a clearer path to snaps outside of Pittsburgh, but he could be back at the right price.

 

SOURCE: Chris Adamski on Twitter

Feb 23, 2019, 1:04 PM

He will only re-sign there if he doesn’t have a better market elsewhere. He’s a UFA not a ERFA. I get that most Bills fans don’t want him in Buffalo based on this thread, but it’s not really Colbert’s decision, it’s his and his agent’s decision. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[BillsSB2020]

12 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

He will only re-sign there if he doesn’t have a better market elsewhere. He’s a UFA not a ERFA. I get that most Bills fans don’t want him in Buffalo based on this thread, but it’s not really Colbert’s decision, it’s his and his agent’s decision. 

Right. I would assume teams would prefer to retain free agents that are worth a damn. Doesn't mean you can't outbid them/lure them to the B-Lo.

 

Doubt Denver wants to get rid of Paradis. Doubt KC wants to get rid of Morse. Doubt Carolina/LAC want to get rid of Williams.

 

Money talks.

[YoloinOhio]

Just now, BillsSB2020 said:

Right. I would assume teams would prefer to retain free agents that are worth a damn. Doesn't mean you can't outbid them/lure them to the B-Lo.

 

Doubt Denver wants to get rid of Paradis. Doubt KC wants to get rid of Morse. Doubt Carolina/LAC want to get rid of Williams.

 

Money talks.

Yep - I mean it’s a good sign that they aren’t kicking him out the door, but it takes both sides to get a deal done and they don’t have much cap to work with.

[Dopey]

11 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

I have a truly warm spot in my heart for Canisius.  Not that it meant much to me as a kid - I went to public school in the suburbs, the Catholic schools didn't play in the public school leagues (I don't think they played in the Sectionals, either), so I never got into the Catholic High School scene.  Don't know if I even knew anyone who went there.   My lasting memory of Canisius College basketball (and how irrelevant it was), was going to a Canisius-St. Bonaventure doubleheader at the Aud.  It was sold out.  First game was the Bonnies (with Lanier) and somebody.  When the game ended, 2/3 of the fans got up and left and filled the bars in downtown Buffalo to watch Niagara (with Calvin) playing at the Palestra.  Nobody except you secret society members stayed for the Canisius game.

 

But as I've been away, and as I've seen resumes from different people in Buffalo and gotten to know people there through various connections, I've been impressed at how Canisius has built a significant part of the backbone of Buffalo.  Secret society or not, Canisius has for generations graduated people whose strength and character have been an important part, for all the right reasons, of the survival and rebirth of Buffalo.  It's pretty impressive.  

I went to a couple of Canisius basketball camps back in the 80's and was able to see them play FSU in Tallahassee earlier this season. They looked pretty good, considering they were playing a top 20 school from the ACC.

[CaptnCoke11]

I think he holds a little more value here with Allen.   Jesse James was excellent at getting open when Ben extended plays.  We all know Josh is very good at escaping and making plays out of the pocket.  Seems like a logical fit

[Turk71]

?

Edited February 24, 2019 by Turk71

[NewEraBills]

I'd be for it.  I think James hasn't tapped his potential yet and would be a good signing for Buffalo.