Report: Bills interested in UFA TE Jesse James

[YoloinOhio]

1 hour ago, #34fan said:

Bills late to the party again... They should have drafted this kid out of Penn State 4 years ago!

 

Hockenson, or Fant… Greatness is built through the draft.

Sure but they still need at least 2-3 TEs in addition to drafting one as they build the 90 man roster for camp. They have one TE under contract and he’s backup level (Croom) who isn’t even a lock to make the 53. 

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[BuffaloFan68]

How would our fan base feel if we landed Antonio Brown & Jesse James and then draft Williams to shore up our Oline early in the draft.?

Let’s Go Buffalo!!!!! 

[Turk71]

This is the guy I think. The James Gang. Elder statesman of the te group at only 24. I now realize I think this guy is gonna be good for years to come. Lock him up for 5 or 6 per and guarantee the first 2. Draft another talented te and call it good for 4 years.

[Turk71]

Antonio just feels like an expensive narcissist who will ultimately be a disaster for the whole team. That and I just don't see him being worth what he will demand. I would rather build a whole team with players who were where they wanted to be, doing what they love to do. 

6 hours ago, BuffaloFan68 said:

How would our fan base feel if we landed Antonio Brown & Jesse James and then draft Williams to shore up our Oline early in the draft.?

Let’s Go Buffalo!!!!! 

 

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, Turk71 said:

Antonio just feels like an expensive narcissist who will ultimately be a disaster for the whole team. That and I just don't see him being worth what he will demand. I would rather build a whole team with players who were where they wanted to be, doing what they love to do. 

 

Is that you, Sean McDermott?  I think that's exactly the Bills' reaction.  Any guy who publicly puts his interest above the team is almost totally disqualified from being a part of the Bills. McBeane want guys who put team ahead of themselves, and they don't want to bet on guys who need retraining on that subject. 

[SoCal Deek]

21 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Is that you, Sean McDermott?  I think that's exactly the Bills' reaction.  Any guy who publicly puts his interest above the team is almost totally disqualified from being a part of the Bills. McBeane want guys who put team ahead of themselves, and they don't want to bet on guys who need retraining on that subject. 

I agree Shaw. But it’s not because of a desire to establish a moral high ground as some would like to think. I just don’t think the Bills young coach wants anyone in locker room that would second guess what they’re trying to establish, question his leadership, or create needless drama to distract from the goal of building a winner. That’s one the reasons why guys like Kyle were so valuable...and I’ve gotta hunch that Shady might be this years version of Kyle.

[YoloinOhio]

16 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I agree Shaw. But it’s not because of a desire to establish a moral high ground as some would like to think. I just don’t think the Bills young coach wants anyone in locker room that would second guess what they’re trying to establish, question his leadership, or create needless drama to distract from the goal of building a winner. That’s one the reasons why guys like Kyle were so valuable...and I’ve gotta hunch that Shady might be this years version of Kyle.

Shady? That’s interesting. Would be nice 

[JohnC]

38 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I agree Shaw. But it’s not because of a desire to establish a moral high ground as some would like to think. I just don’t think the Bills young coach wants anyone in locker room that would second guess what they’re trying to establish, question his leadership, or create needless drama to distract from the goal of building a winner. That’s one the reasons why guys like Kyle were so valuable...and I’ve gotta hunch that Shady might be this years version of Kyle.[/n]

I'm not saying that you are wrong in your assessment/hope that Shady takes up the mantle of leadership that Kyle left. This is my opinion and I'm not making a declarative judgment on McCoy but I don't think that he will be the type of person who handles a diminished role as a player without making an issue out of it. I would love to be wrong. To his credit he was respected in the locker room. Foster credits him for setting him straight when he was acting as if he was entitled. But being a player on the downside and with a diminished role very often erodes one's voice on the team. Again, I hope that I am wrong on how I think things will play out with him. 

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

I'm not saying that you are wrong in your assessment/hope that Shady takes up the mantle of leadership that Kyle left. This is my opinion and I'm not making a declarative judgment on McCoy but I don't think that he will be the type of person who handles a diminished role as a player without making an issue out of it. I would love to be wrong. To his credit he was respected in the locker room. Foster credits him for setting him straight when he was acting as if he was entitled. But being a player on the downside and with a diminished role very often erodes one's voice on the team. Again, I hope that I am wrong on how I think things will play out with him. 

I think Deek was correct in his entire post.   It isn't moral high ground - it's that McD only wants guys who are 100% about team.  

 

And I agree with him about Shady, and I'll offer a few pieces of soft evidence.

 

First, altho Shady has a penchant for pulling himself out of the game for a blow, or to temporarily deal with a nagging injury he wants to be on the field.  

 

Second, he doesn't complain.   If anyone was entitled to complain about how a season was going, a Hall of Fame running back going through the Bills' 2018 schedule would have earned the right.  It downright sucked for Shady and 2018.   We heard essentially nothing from him.   He was ready when the whistle blew, and he did whatever he was asked. 

 

Third, both McDermott and Beane, when asked at the end of the season whether Shady would be back for 2019, answered in a way that was almost dismissive of the question.   They're too polite to say it, but it seemed like they were thinking "ARE YOU KIDDING???!!!"  Their answers gave me the sense that they think (1) he's still a great running back and (2), if he's lost something, he's nevertheless a valuable leader on this team.  Remember that Shady was the guy who had Watkins' back when Watkins had some nagging foot injury and wasn't playing the preseason.  It was Shady, who WAS on the field, who said you keep the Ferrari in the garage until you need it.   

 

Don't be fooled by Shady's occasional off-season, off-the-field issues.  Whenever I've seen him interviewed, he's come across as a thoughtful and well-intentioned guy.   Comes out of a background different from mine, but still a quality guy;

 

I can't prove anything, and of course I don't know what McBeane are thinking, but I think they believe Shady is an important locker room presence in 2019.   And if I had to guess, his role is going to be the respected veteran telling all the kids on offense to do what Allen says.   That is, he's going to be the moral muscle standing beside Allen takes control of the team.   I think we saw some of that occasionally last year, and I think McBeane value that. 

[frostbitmic]

James is a decent TE but there's a reason why the Steelers upgraded him ... At worst I think he can compete against Croom for the #2 job, and I'd have no problem with that, but, we could use a solid #1 guy such as Hockenstein or Fant.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

I think Deek was correct in his entire post.   It isn't moral high ground - it's that McD only wants guys who are 100% about team.  

 

And I agree with him about Shady, and I'll offer a few pieces of soft evidence.

 

First, altho Shady has a penchant for pulling himself out of the game for a blow, or to temporarily deal with a nagging injury he wants to be on the field.  

 

Second, he doesn't complain.   If anyone was entitled to complain about how a season was going, a Hall of Fame running back going through the Bills' 2018 schedule would have earned the right.  It downright sucked for Shady and 2018.   We heard essentially nothing from him.   He was ready when the whistle blew, and he did whatever he was asked. 

 

Third, both McDermott and Beane, when asked at the end of the season whether Shady would be back for 2019, answered in a way that was almost dismissive of the question.   They're too polite to say it, but it seemed like they were thinking "ARE YOU KIDDING???!!!"  Their answers gave me the sense that they think (1) he's still a great running back and (2), if he's lost something, he's nevertheless a valuable leader on this team.  Remember that Shady was the guy who had Watkins' back when Watkins had some nagging foot injury and wasn't playing the preseason.  It was Shady, who WAS on the field, who said you keep the Ferrari in the garage until you need it.   

 

Don't be fooled by Shady's occasional off-season, off-the-field issues.  Whenever I've seen him interviewed, he's come across as a thoughtful and well-intentioned guy.   Comes out of a background different from mine, but still a quality guy;

 

I can't prove anything, and of course I don't know what McBeane are thinking, but I think they believe Shady is an important locker room presence in 2019.   And if I had to guess, his role is going to be the respected veteran telling all the kids on offense to do what Allen says.   That is, he's going to be the moral muscle standing beside Allen takes control of the team.   I think we saw some of that occasionally last year, and I think McBeane value that. 

I'm hoping your assessment is right but it shouldn't be forgotten that he had a minor incident where because he was upset over some issue he was late for a meeting. The HC symbolically didn't start him to make him accountable for his minor infraction. To his credit he owned up for his misdeed and everyone moved on. 

[starrymessenger]

Really don't know about Hoch. To me there is little doubt that he projects as a top shelf receiving TE, but I've seen his weight listed as anything from 220 to 250 with 230 being the most often seen. He's touted, with justification, as a complete player at the position, but if he's light I have to wonder how well he'd be able to execute in line blocking assignments at the pro level. He's a big kid so maybe he can put the weight on if needed. Waiting for the Combine.

Edited February 25, 2019 by starrymessenger

[Shaw66]

10 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm hoping your assessment is right but it shouldn't be forgotten that he had a minor incident where because he was upset over some issue he was late for a meeting. The HC symbolically didn't start him to make him accountable for his minor infraction. To his credit he owned up for his misdeed and everyone moved on. 

Yeah, I remember that.   

 

My sense of Shady is that he is fundamentally and firmly in the right place, character-wise and so far as McDermott is concerned.   Shady just has these occasional lapses in judgment that make us scratch our heads and for which he always seems to be truly sorry.   I think that McDermott doesn't expect his people to be perfect, and he can live with Shady not being perfect.   

 

All speculation on my part, but that's the way it seems to me.   

 

I was skeptical about Shady when he reacted so badly to the trade to Buffalo.   Great talent, but I didn't want a whiner on the team.   He's won me over.

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yeah, I remember that.   

 

My sense of Shady is that he is fundamentally and firmly in the right place, character-wise and so far as McDermott is concerned.   Shady just has these occasional lapses in judgment that make us scratch our heads and for which he always seems to be truly sorry.   I think that McDermott doesn't expect his people to be perfect, and he can live with Shady not being perfect.   

 

All speculation on my part, but that's the way it seems to me.   

 

I was skeptical about Shady when he reacted so badly to the trade to Buffalo.   Great talent, but I didn't want a whiner on the team.   He's won me over.

There is another issue about Shady that has nothing to do about him as a person as it does his style of running. Is this team better served by a primary back who is more suited as a tough, heavy duty and inside the tackles type runner? That's certainly not his style of running. Next year, I foresee him being used more in the passing game than in the running game. He still is very productive when he has space to maneuver. When it gets tight and there is a need to quickly hit the hole he has a tendency to dance around. It just seems to me that at this stage in his career less touches would be better for him and the offense. 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

There is another issue about Shady that has nothing to do about him as a person as it does his style of running. Is this team better served by a primary back who is more suited as a tough, heavy duty and inside the tackles type runner? That's certainly not his style of running. Next year, I foresee him being used more in the passing game than in the running game. He still is very productive when he has space to maneuver. When it gets tight and there is a need to quickly hit the hole he has a tendency to dance around. It just seems to me that at this stage in his career less touches would be better for him and the offense. 

Frankly, I think if you have a HOF running back, then he's going to be suited to your offense.  

 

I think last season was an aberration.   I think in 2019 we will see the old Shady.   Two reasons:

 

1.  The Bills will have a better offensive line, with a better blocking scheme.   How do I know that?   I don't, of course, but I fully expect the Bills to put more talent on the line than they had last season.  And I expect that they'll be better coached, because McBeane have been clear that the offensive line is a point of emphasis.   In the McDermott system, everybody gets better, every day.

 

2.  I expect the Bills' passing game to be good, and maybe even a nightmare, for teams to defend.  I think we will see the Bills exploit Allen's arm by stretching the field vertically AND horizontally.   The Bills are going to design a passing attack that demands that the defense defend every square yard forty yards downfield, sideline to sideline.   That will include Shady as a receiver, but that's not the point.   The point is something I said a few days ago, in this thread I think:   Ask Thurman Thomas how he liked carrying the ball in an offense that could throw pretty much anywhere on the field.   When you spread the defense as much as the K-gun did, and as much as I think McD and Daboll are planning to do, there are going to be open spaces to run the ball.   How do I know that?   I don't, but if you had a QB with brains and an arm like Allen, wouldn't YOU be throwing all over the field, short and long, wide and over the middle?   I would.  

 

As I think about it, I would expect that we'll see run-pass options in the offense in 2019, for exactly that reason.   I expect Daboll is going to challenge the defense with an effective passing game.   He's going to send Allen to the line of scrimmage with some keys, put a guy in motion to see if it's zone or not, snap the ball and, based on Allen's keys, throw to the outside or give it to Shady.  

 

And, to bring it back to Jesse James, if Duck Williams and Zay Jones are effective and Foster continues to grow, with a second speed guy inserted as the third or fourth option, Jesse James and McCoy are going to be open over the middle a lot.   

 

There are a lot of reasons why the offense could be pretty poor again this season, but that's not what I expect.   I expect a big, big improvement, because Allen will understand what he's supposed to do, and the skill guys will do the rest.  

[Socal-805]

 

Do this Bills really need an average/mediocre TE?

 

 

[Shaw66]

26 minutes ago, Socal-805 said:

 

Do this Bills really need an average/mediocre TE?

 

 

Yeah.  Read the the thread.  A lot of posters have talked about Allen needing a reliable outlet receiver.  He doesn't have to be NFL-special, he just has to know where to go, get there, and catch the ball when it arrives.   James has demonstrated that he can do that.   

[without a drought]

If they want to get better at the position, they need better players. This would be a good start.

[Putin]

17 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Yeah.  Read the the thread.  A lot of posters have talked about Allen needing a reliable outlet receiver.  He doesn't have to be NFL-special, he just has to know where to go, get there, and catch the ball when it arrives.   James has demonstrated that he can do that.   

? Couldn’t  have said any better then that !!!

 

[CLTbills]

As long as he and "Badd Ass" Billy Gunn are a package deal, I'm all for it