Greg Olsen visiting Bills, Redskins, Seahawks

[Mat68]

 Olsen is a massive improvement over Smith.  Olsen is a very good blocker.  When healthy Olsen still can play.  Knox imo isnt ready to be the starter but hes close.  Learning to be a complete Te from one of the best to do it has worth.  

[Hapless Bills Fan]

https://theathletic.com/1583706/2020/02/04/qa-with-greg-olsen-how-it-ended-with-the-panthers-his-three-upcoming-visits-and-broadcasting-offers/

 

Joseph Pearson article, Athletic, paywall.

 

Key points:

-it wasn't a "mutual decision", the Panthers GM informed him he wasn't in their future so Olsen said "better to cut me now than delay the inevitable"
On what’s next:

- “We’ve been blown away by the amount of teams that have called. We got those three visits set for right now. We’ve got a few other teams that we’ve talked to. I’m just gonna go gather as much information as I can, see what opportunities are out there, see what different situations are out there. And then I can lay it all on the table and decide what’s best for me, what’s best for my family, what’s best for my future. But I didn’t want to make that decision without really going through the process of knowing what opportunities are out there. It’s impossible to know if you don’t go and sit down and speak with people and get a feel for what their thoughts are, get a feel for what their organization is like. That’s the exercise we’re gonna be going through in the next couple weeks.”
On whether he’s fairly sure he’s going to play versus go into broadcasting:

- “I don’t know. I think the best way to classify it right now I’m just kind of doing some due diligence. The last thing I would want is to make a rash decision to not play and go do some TV, and always kinda wonder what could’ve been? What opportunity was out there? I know in my heart I can play. I still enjoy it. But I just want to see is there that right situation out there that checks the boxes that are important to me? And a big part of that is, would it be a good situation for my family? … I don’t think any final decisions have been made one way or another. I think a lot of it depends on how things play out at these visits, how things play out as I go out and meet with these teams and gather that info.”
On where he and his family will live:
- “Charlotte will be home for us. Whether I continue to play or not, this will be home.”

-His 7 year old son TJ had open heart surgery at the beginning of January, then returned to the hospital for a second surgery to clean out an infection over MLK weekend.

 

He'll be visiting the Bills Wednesday.

 

After reading this, I'm pretty torn about whether or not I want to sign this guy.  It sounds as though he's pretty ambivalent about playing, actually.  If he's got a lot of interest, he might also not be a "cheap date".

[Royale with Cheese]

5 hours ago, teef said:

notice how i used an asian guy.  

 

I appreciate that but that guy is Chinese and I have a rivalry with the Chinese.  

[Buddo]

You could look at it in a different light Hapless, in that if he decided to sign here after weighing all his options carefully, it means he sees a lot to like about where the Bills are at.

[JMF2006]

Well today is the day.

 

I hope he likes it so much he cancels the other 2 trips and signs a deal here

[thebandit27]

10 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Maybe they can sign an NFL presence who isn’t over the hill and is still a real good player?

Well, he did have 11 more receptions last season than Buffalo’s entire TE room.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

Greg Olsen hoped the Bears would call when he became a free agent

 

Posted by Josh Alper on February 5, 2020, 7:18 AM EST

 

Tight end Greg Olsen‘s long run with the Panthers officially came to an end when he was released on Monday, but Carolina was not the only team he’s played for during his NFL career.

 

Olsen was selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Bears and he called Chicago home until he was traded to the Panthers ahead of the 2011 season. During an appearance on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Tuesday, Olsen said he was hoping to hear from the team now that he’s on the open market but that no call has come in yet.

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/02/05/greg-olsen-hoped-the-bears-would-call-when-he-became-a-free-agent/

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by OldTimeAFLGuy

[The Frankish Reich]

Jason Witten 2.0?

actually, I’d be fine with that. Oh, I’d be better than fine if we made real impact moves on offense (Hooper?), but even the shell of Olsen can provide something that was missing last year (just as Witten was useful if not exactly “good” for the Cowboys last year). It all depends on the price.  

[MAJBobby]

Any Confirmation on the Visit  *** Edit Found it*** 

 

Olsen has arrived in Buffalo as of 27 minutes ago

 

@FluffHead

Edited February 5, 2020 by MAJBobby

[Green Lightning]

On 2/3/2020 at 11:36 PM, Dkollidas said:

Knox was also a rookie who played QB in high school and despite his athletic ability, was used as a blocking tight end in college. 
 

He has the athletic package to be an elite tight end, he just needs Time to develop.

100% agree. That's why I think a year with Greg Olsen would do well in Knox's development. 

[QCity]

On 2/3/2020 at 11:14 PM, Mickey said:

This mentor things is way oversold. They aren't Jedi. It's the NFL, not Karate Kid. Bruce Smith didn't have a mentor on the roster, neither did Kelly. Who was Thurman's "mentor", Rob Riddick? We need playmakers, not hand holding "mentors".

 

"Mentor" has always been a code word for "barely anything left in the tank"

 

Also, we shouldn't be using our current TEs offensive production as a measuring stick for anything.

 

And while a cheap deal that the team can walk away from after 1 year wouldn't be the end of the world, it must not preclude the FO from properly addressing the position and getting someone in here that can work with our QB for years to come.

[Reed83HOF]

13 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Sure.

 

I'm just a little tired of the leadership trumps talent approach. I'd love to see them stack the skills position players this offseason. Maybe Olsens got something left, but seems to be the guy has one foot in retirement and commentating. 

 

I recall him doing a game on fox during the Panthers BYE week. 

Great point and 100% agree. i would rather spend on a younger guy entering his prime than an old guy who will give you a year or 2. While there are things I like about Knox, he was the last guy available they had ranked in that tier of TEs in the draft and his biggest knock was not catching the ball much in his career. So if it takes 2-3 years to fully develop a TE and this guy needs more experience with playing the Wr portion of this position and still has suspect hands (and sat for Kroft a bit). I am sure as hell not hitching my wagon to him developing fully. I'd rather have 2 good TEs with one in the middle or near the end of his contract when Knox is coming up. I want options and talent.

[YoloinOhio]

 

An overnighter!

[Mark Vader]

15 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

An overnighter!

Wait and see game begins.

[Reed83HOF]

20 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

An overnighter!

This does make sense if they truly believe in Knox - the dropsies have to get corrected

[Hapless Bills Fan]

42 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

An overnighter!

 

Was it planned that way, or were there cancelled flights due to weather?

[BADOLBILZ]

32 minutes ago, Reed83HOF said:

This does make sense if they truly believe in Knox - the dropsies have to get corrected

 

 

Knox is a gifted athlete but I'm concerned that he won't be able to fix his bad hands.

 

I was watching Ole Miss this fall and I was like "hey there's Dawson Knox little bro playing LB"...........and he promptly dropped a gift wrapped interception..........the spitting image of his bro and spilling the ball on the turf the same way.   

 

Those dudes might just have bad hands.

[Reed83HOF]

1 minute ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Knox is a gifted athlete but I'm concerned that he won't be able to fix his bad hands.

 

I was watching Ole Miss this fall and I was like "hey there's Dawson Knox little bro playing LB"...........and he promptly dropped a gift wrapped interception..........the spitting image of his bro and spilling the ball on the turf the same way.   

 

Those dudes might just have bad hands.

I am too, which is why I am proponent of bringing a guy in and dumping Kroft & Lee Smith. Overpaying a top flight pass catching TE is still cheaper than a FA WR and gives Knox time. If Knox actually can fix his hands, I am not opposed to having 2 great pass catchers at TE for a few years. 

[BADOLBILZ]

2 minutes ago, Reed83HOF said:

I am too, which is why I am proponent of bringing a guy in and dumping Kroft & Lee Smith. Overpaying a top flight pass catching TE is still cheaper than a FA WR and gives Knox time. If Knox actually can fix his hands, I am not opposed to having 2 great pass catchers at TE for a few years. 

 

 

Yeah if Knox can fix his mitts he could be a top 5 TE.........he's got the athleticism and physicality of Kittle/Kelce types...........I can see why they trade up for him.........but his drop rate is off the charts bad so you can't put too many eggs in that basket just yet.    Additionally we don't know if Josh Allen will find his deep ball..........and if not he's going too NEED a great TE.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Knox is a gifted athlete but I'm concerned that he won't be able to fix his bad hands.

 

I was watching Ole Miss this fall and I was like "hey there's Dawson Knox little bro playing LB"...........and he promptly dropped a gift wrapped interception..........the spitting image of his bro and spilling the ball on the turf the same way.   

 

Those dudes might just have bad hands.

 

I dunno about his brother, but with Dawson, the argument against 'just bad hands" is that Knox regularly seems to pull in the high degree of difficulty stuff - the ones where he has to one hand it, or where he has a defender draped all over him like a blanket, or where he has to track the ball and I'm amazed that he actually comes up with it.

 

It's the "bunnies" he drops, the ones where it's an easy catch and he could turn upfield and gain some yards.  So it could be it's more a matter of eye and of mental discipline vs. "bad hands".

 

I do not know how correctable drops due to poor "eye discipline" are, vs. simply lacking the physical catching talent.

 

 

8 hours ago, Reed83HOF said:

I am too, which is why I am proponent of bringing a guy in and dumping Kroft & Lee Smith. Overpaying a top flight pass catching TE is still cheaper than a FA WR and gives Knox time. If Knox actually can fix his hands, I am not opposed to having 2 great pass catchers at TE for a few years. 

 

This is exactly where I am.  I love me some Hard Knox.  I want him to be great!  But TE is too important to leave the position to a "hope he'll develop".  Having 1 out of every 5 "targets" (maybe 1 out of 4 catchable balls) fall to the turf is NOT ok.  If nothing else, we need the real competition at TE that Kroft was supposed to be, and never became last season (for whatever reason).

 

It's possible that Kroft could have still been rehabbing and playing hindered, but given his current injury history, if that's true I don't think we should count on him being able to get through OTAs and preseason in one piece this year, much less 16 games.