JaCrispy Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 38 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said: Yeah, but how would this be a good thing? Knox, whether de facto or not, earned the starting position and played well, overall. Sure, he missed some assignments and had a few costly drops, but what receiver didn’t. Equally, he produced jaw-dropping plays the likes of which we’ve rarely seen from the position. Having he and Sweeney riding the pine isn’t a good idea, imo. Well, Olsen would presumably only be playing for another season or two...by the time he is done, hopefully Knox would be coming into his prime...also, just because a guy is the starter doesn’t mean other guys don’t play at all... 2
Reed83HOF Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 13 hours ago, thebandit27 said: Mack would save 8, but that won’t cover Hooper’s AAV IMO. I also can’t see a team with a history of OL issues cutting their best OLman in a must-win season for Quinn and Dimitroff. Schaub saves $2M, but then who’s the backup. They could let Keanu Neal or Damontee Kazee go, but again they have major issues in the defensive backfield. Just a bad situation there all around. There is no taking a scalpel to trim any fat, as that isn't any other than Hooper. The cuts will be taking a cleaver to their team , which does not have much depth at all.
PromoTheRobot Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 So I guess Greg didn't announce who he's signing with after the XFL telecast? 1
JMF2006 Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 2 hours ago, Chandler#81 said: Yeah, but how would this be a good thing? Knox, whether de facto or not, earned the starting position and played well, overall. Sure, he missed some assignments and had a few costly drops, but what receiver didn’t. Equally, he produced jaw-dropping plays the likes of which we’ve rarely seen from the position. Having he and Sweeney riding the pine isn’t a good idea, imo. Splitting the snaps with Olsen or running more 2TE sets would both be good things. As long as Lee False Start/Holding call Smith gets shown the door...if they keep Kroft then Sweeney is in Limbo again.. Croom gets moved to the front office
Nanker Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 Would not mind seeing something like this from a Bills TE this season:
Mark Vader Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 4 hours ago, Chandler#81 said: Yeah, but how would this be a good thing? Knox, whether de facto or not, earned the starting position and played well, overall. Sure, he missed some assignments and had a few costly drops, but what receiver didn’t. Equally, he produced jaw-dropping plays the likes of which we’ve rarely seen from the position. Having he and Sweeney riding the pine isn’t a good idea, imo. I doubt that would be the case. If they were to sign Olsen, that doesn't mean that Knox wouldn't get meaningful playing time. 2
Hapless Bills Fan Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 10 hours ago, Chandler#81 said: Yeah, but how would this be a good thing? Knox, whether de facto or not, earned the starting position and played well, overall. Sure, he missed some assignments and had a few costly drops, but what receiver didn’t. Equally, he produced jaw-dropping plays the likes of which we’ve rarely seen from the position. Having he and Sweeney riding the pine isn’t a good idea, imo. Chandler. I love you like a brudda. I also love me some Dawson Knox. But when a dude is scored as dropping 20%, one out of five, of his targets, describing that as a “few costly drops, what receiver didn’t” is kind of like describing an EF5 tornado as a “bit of a weather incident”. The league average for drops is something like 4.5%. I hope he fixes it. I think he’s got sky-high potential. But I don’t think he’s earned the unchallenged starting position and I think he played well only relative to the abysmal TE play to which we’ve become habituated in Buffalo. 3 1 1
Alphadawg7 Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 47 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Chandler. I love you like a brudda. I also love me some Dawson Knox. But when a dude is scored as dropping 20%, one out of five, of his targets, describing that as a “few costly drops, what receiver didn’t” is kind of like describing an EF5 tornado as a “bit of a weather incident”. The league average for drops is something like 4.5%. I hope he fixes it. I think he’s got sky-high potential. But I don’t think he’s earned the unchallenged starting position and I think he played well only relative to the abysmal TE play to which we’ve become habituated in Buffalo. Im with you on this. I liked the Knox pick and like his potential. But, the truth is, he made a number of critical mistakes that cost us dearly this year, INCLUDING a massive missed block that basically lost us the playoff game in OT. For every Gronk like catch, he would drop several critical ones that killed drives in close games, some of which we would lose and those drops were quite impactful to that outcome. I still think the kid has a chance to become a pretty good starting TE, but the facts remain that he still has to make a significant improvement in his reliability as a pass catcher and be more consistent as a blocker. This is why I think Olsen would be a great signing. He instantly becomes the ideal mentor for Knox, and more importantly, he becomes a sure weapon or blocker for Josh in important moments. NOW...if I had my choice...I would instead look to upgrade from Knox and trade for OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, or Njoku (although I do not think Njoku will be traded now that there is a new regime there). Like I said, I like Knox, but there is no denying any of those 3 guys are legit starters and would be an upgrade over anything on our roster right now. Knox is a guy with the potential to be a good starter, but these guys are already proven good starters with plenty of upside potential still. But since I don't expect any trades for a TE, I think signing Olsen is a solid move for us. If we miss on him, then go sign another quality vet to replace Kroft (or make one of those trades above). 2
Gugny Posted February 17, 2020 Posted February 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Chandler. I love you like a brudda. I also love me some Dawson Knox. But when a dude is scored as dropping 20%, one out of five, of his targets, describing that as a “few costly drops, what receiver didn’t” is kind of like describing an EF5 tornado as a “bit of a weather incident”. The league average for drops is something like 4.5%. I hope he fixes it. I think he’s got sky-high potential. But I don’t think he’s earned the unchallenged starting position and I think he played well only relative to the abysmal TE play to which we’ve become habituated in Buffalo. Will be interesting to see how much Knox and Allen work together in the offseason. Interesting to me because I wonder if Josh's determination to improve will rub off on Knox. I have high hopes for Knox. Last season was a disappointment; but he did show flashes of what could end up being a top TE in the league. 1
Hapless Bills Fan Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 1 minute ago, Gugny said: Will be interesting to see how much Knox and Allen work together in the offseason. Interesting to me because I wonder if Josh's determination to improve will rub off on Knox. I have high hopes for Knox. Last season was a disappointment; but he did show flashes of what could end up being a top TE in the league. I think Knox has the drive and will to improve. If you look at some pics the guy is a gym rat too - ripped. (I’d kind of like a bit of that to rub off in the opposite direction, but that’s another story) The question I have is can he develop the reactions and the leverage to become a better blocker, and can he develop the focus to become a more reliable catcher of “gimme” passes and a more reliable ability to read the D and choose routes accordingly. I truly have no idea how much of that is innate and how much can be learned, except that generally when a guy sets his mind to learn and improve, he will.
Kirby Jackson Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 5 minutes ago, Gugny said: Will be interesting to see how much Knox and Allen work together in the offseason. Interesting to me because I wonder if Josh's determination to improve will rub off on Knox. I have high hopes for Knox. Last season was a disappointment; but he did show flashes of what could end up being a top TE in the league. He was the 8th TE drafted and finished 2nd in yards. Not sure how that falls under “disappointing.” 4 1
Reed83HOF Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: If you look at some pics the guy is a gym rat too - ripped. (I’d kind of like a bit of that to rub off in the opposite direction, but that’s another story) can he develop the focus to become a more reliable catcher of “gimme” and a more reliable D I truly have no idea how much of that is innate and how much can be learned, except that generally when a guy sets his mind to learn and improve, he will. This is a PG13 site. @Gugnyhas certainly rubbed off on you Just now, Kirby Jackson said: He was the 8th TE drafted and finished 2nd in yards. Not sure how that falls under “disappointing.” I am assuming the lack of sure hands and his drops 1
Hapless Bills Fan Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 Just now, Reed83HOF said: This is a PG13 site. @Gugnyhas certainly rubbed off on you Ah....I’m not quite sure how to interpret that, but I “get the flick” that all this rubbing talk could be misconstrued 2
folz Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Chandler. I love you like a brudda. I also love me some Dawson Knox. But when a dude is scored as dropping 20%, one out of five, of his targets, describing that as a “few costly drops, what receiver didn’t” is kind of like describing an EF5 tornado as a “bit of a weather incident”. The league average for drops is something like 4.5%. I hope he fixes it. I think he’s got sky-high potential. But I don’t think he’s earned the unchallenged starting position and I think he played well only relative to the abysmal TE play to which we’ve become habituated in Buffalo. I agree Hapless. I really like Knox and I am hoping he develops into a top TE. But the key word needs to be hoping, not counting on. I think one of the big issues during the drought (along with not having a good QB of course) was that we went into too many seasons counting on or expecting certain players to step up, but with no backup plan if they didn't. How many times did we say, "If this, and this, and this happens, we could be good this year." And then it wouldn't happen or not enough and we'd have another mediocre season. Beane is much better (or is becoming much better) at having contingency plans. And I think they really like Knox and expect him to develop, but they are not going to count on it. Kroft is also still a question mark with as little as he played, as are Croom and Sweeney. Smith is a blocker only. I'm sure they would much rather go into the season knowing they have a proven TE going out there week 1. So, for those that think we are set at TE, I say we need a definitive answer for this season, not question marks. So, if they snag Olsen and then the other guys develop, all the better, we're stacked. But if one or more of them don't develop or Knox's drops continue, you have Olsen to carry the load. As for those that would rather have Howard or Henry (I would lean to Henry of the two), I would say, first they have to want to come here, and we'd also have to pay them a lot more than Olsen. And in regards to Knox and his development, it would be hindered much more by bringing in Howard or Henry, because they would be here longer and probably command the ball more than Olsen. Olsen would only be here for a year or two, hopefully just in time for our young TEs to step into their prime. And part of Olsen's job would be to mentor and groom the young guys (something I don't know that Howard or Henry could or would want to do).
Aross3415 Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 I am surprised there hasn’t been any updates from either team.. figured something would leak out on when Olsen was closer to signing to a team...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 12 minutes ago, folz said: I agree Hapless. I really like Knox and I am hoping he develops into a top TE. But the key word needs to be hoping, not counting on. I think one of the big issues during the drought (along with not having a good QB of course) was that we went into too many seasons counting on or expecting certain players to step up, but with no backup plan if they didn't. How many times did we say, "If this, and this, and this happens, we could be good this year." And then it wouldn't happen or not enough and we'd have another mediocre season. Beane is much better (or is becoming much better) at having contingency plans. And I think they really like Knox and expect him to develop, but they are not going to count on it. Kroft is also still a question mark with as little as he played, as are Croom and Sweeney. Smith is a blocker only. I'm sure they would much rather go into the season knowing they have a proven TE going out there week 1. So, for those that think we are set at TE, I say we need a definitive answer for this season, not question marks. So, if they snag Olsen and then the other guys develop, all the better, we're stacked. But if one or more of them don't develop or Knox's drops continue, you have Olsen to carry the load. As for those that would rather have Howard or Henry (I would lean to Henry of the two), I would say, first they have to want to come here, and we'd also have to pay them a lot more than Olsen. And in regards to Knox and his development, it would be hindered much more by bringing in Howard or Henry, because they would be here longer and probably command the ball more than Olsen. Olsen would only be here for a year or two, hopefully just in time for our young TEs to step into their prime. And part of Olsen's job would be to mentor and groom the young guys (something I don't know that Howard or Henry could or would want to do). Great post. I hear you 4x4; too long it seemed as though Nix/previous admins were playing a game where they would acquire a player we needed, patiently wait for him to recover from injury/develop/ take a step - then after 3 years, grumble and draw another card. Nuts. I would rather have Howard and I don't care if we have to pay them more - but I think it's absolutely right that we would have to give him (or another younger FA) a longer deal that would run into years when we hopefully need to re-sign our own, and for that reason Beane sees an opportunity with Olsen. 2 minutes ago, Aross3415 said: I am surprised there hasn’t been any updates from either team.. figured something would leak out on when Olsen was closer to signing to a team... I think what this means is that Olsen has been busy flying around the country doing his XFL commentary gig and is playing this whole thing close to his vest.
Gugny Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: I think Knox has the drive and will to improve. If you look at some pics the guy is a gym rat too - ripped. (I’d kind of like a bit of that to rub off in the opposite direction, but that’s another story) The question I have is can he develop the reactions and the leverage to become a better blocker, and can he develop the focus to become a more reliable catcher of “gimme” passes and a more reliable ability to read the D and choose routes accordingly. I truly have no idea how much of that is innate and how much can be learned, except that generally when a guy sets his mind to learn and improve, he will. I'd just love to know why he drops the easy ones, but makes SportsCenter highlight catches. I wonder if the open space scares him (getting clocked from behind). 1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said: He was the 8th TE drafted and finished 2nd in yards. Not sure how that falls under “disappointing.” Drops and missed blocks. Second in yards is great. Like I said - I love the kid. But unless he can do the fundamental stuff with consistency, he'll be a disappointment.
Lurker Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 28 minutes ago, Aross3415 said: I am surprised there hasn’t been any updates from either team.. figured something would leak out on when Olsen was closer to signing to a team... I saw something about a decision being made right before the draft combine on the 27th... 1
NoSaint Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said: Im with you on this. I liked the Knox pick and like his potential. But, the truth is, he made a number of critical mistakes that cost us dearly this year, INCLUDING a massive missed block that basically lost us the playoff game in OT. For every Gronk like catch, he would drop several critical ones that killed drives in close games, some of which we would lose and those drops were quite impactful to that outcome. I still think the kid has a chance to become a pretty good starting TE, but the facts remain that he still has to make a significant improvement in his reliability as a pass catcher and be more consistent as a blocker. This is why I think Olsen would be a great signing. He instantly becomes the ideal mentor for Knox, and more importantly, he becomes a sure weapon or blocker for Josh in important moments. NOW...if I had my choice...I would instead look to upgrade from Knox and trade for OJ Howard, Cameron Brate, or Njoku (although I do not think Njoku will be traded now that there is a new regime there). Like I said, I like Knox, but there is no denying any of those 3 guys are legit starters and would be an upgrade over anything on our roster right now. Knox is a guy with the potential to be a good starter, but these guys are already proven good starters with plenty of upside potential still. But since I don't expect any trades for a TE, I think signing Olsen is a solid move for us. If we miss on him, then go sign another quality vet to replace Kroft (or make one of those trades above). I feel like we have been talking about Cameron brate for 3 years now
DFT Posted February 18, 2020 Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Gugny said: I'd just love to know why he drops the easy ones, but makes SportsCenter highlight catches. I wonder if the open space scares him (getting clocked from behind). Drops and missed blocks. Second in yards is great. Like I said - I love the kid. But unless he can do the fundamental stuff with consistency, he'll be a disappointment. I think it’s only a matter of experience. He just wasn’t used as a receiver in college and if you watch him on the majority of his drops, his eyes just aren’t on the ball. They’re always looking upfield in anticipation. That should be pretty easy to coach up. Similar issues with OJ Howard, only he won’t be coached to correct it in Arians offense, because.... well... Bruce Arians....
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