Hopkins released by Arizona (7/16: signed by Titans)

[Let's Go Buffalo]

3 minutes ago, Prospector said:

Is he still available?

I believe so.

[Solomon Grundy]

57 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Rice was tearing up the league from day 1.  In his first 5 seasons he averaged 18.5 YPC!  Was that all YAC?

I propose you go watch some Jerry Rice highlights. Most of his damage was in YAC

[Ga boy]

4 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

I propose you go watch some Jerry Rice highlights. Most of his damage was in YAC

Also, it took a man to take him down - a runaway freight train.  While his 40 wasn’t great, maybe his 20 was a blur. Just speculation.

[NI Bills Fan]

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bills-brandon-beane-spoke-114551549.html

 

Apologies if already posted... Didn't see it in the last couple of pages.

 

Not much more info other than apparently Beane has had direct contact with Hopkins at some point. Not a huge surprise I'm guessing.

 

 

[BigBadBills]

7 minutes ago, NI Bills Fan said:

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bills-brandon-beane-spoke-114551549.html

 

Apologies if already posted... Didn't see it in the last couple of pages.

 

Not much more info other than apparently Beane has had direct contact with Hopkins at some point. Not a huge surprise I'm guessing.

 

 

It’s literally on the last page 

[Rico]

2 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

My concern about Hopkins is that he might be a repeat of Julio Jones: flat-out dominant player who turned into a #3 receiver a couple of seasons ago after finally starting to get dinged up in Atlanta: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneJu02.htm

AJ Green is another comp: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GreeA.00.htm. Remember when Bills fans were champing at the bit to get Green in 2020? Good thing they didn’t. He became a shadow of his pre-2019 self after his injury.

 

Eric Moulds is also a guy who turned into a possession receiver at the age of around 30 and after tearing his hamstring in OT vs Cincy early in the 2003 season. He was never the same afterward. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MoulEr00.htm
 

There are a lot of elite receivers who began getting leg injuries around age 30-31 and then settled into being non-threatening so-so possession receivers afterwards. Andre Reed is a case in point — tore his hamstring vs the Jets early in the 1995 season (when he was looking great) and was never really the same afterward. Andre Johnson was another. (A lot of these guys seem to find their way to the Titans and Ravens.) And Lee Evans. And Chad Ochocinco.

 

Point is, I suspect a lot of teams are wary of overpaying for past production. 

Nice post. 
 

I was never that big of a fan, but I’d bring him in for a year and then see what happens. That’s about it.

[Prospector]

57 minutes ago, Let's Go Buffalo said:

I believe so.

Hmmmm. Interesting 

[Solomon Grundy]

2 hours ago, Ga boy said:

Also, it took a man to take him down - a runaway freight train.  While his 40 wasn’t great, maybe his 20 was a blur. Just speculation.

He ran GREAT routes and caught EVERYTHING 

[BillsFanForever19]

3 hours ago, NI Bills Fan said:

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bills-brandon-beane-spoke-114551549.html

 

Apologies if already posted... Didn't see it in the last couple of pages.

 

Not much more info other than apparently Beane has had direct contact with Hopkins at some point. Not a huge surprise I'm guessing.

 

I don't see Beane signing him to a long term contract. I always saw it as a 1 year deal, 2 year tops. So if that's what he's looking for, I'd add it to the list of reasons it's unlikely we get this done.

[cale]

Best TikTok Ever. DHop.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRosbM5a/

[billsfan89]

11 minutes ago, BillsFan692 said:

I don't see us having "rebuilt the cupboard of weapons" it's basically the same (caliber) weapons + the rookie TE.

I do agree that we have improved the OL but I may have a different opinion of that as well down the line since it's not 100% clear yet how the new group will perform and again putting too much expectation on a rookie is a bad idea

 

I generally agree with your assesstment. I do think that Harty and Sheffeld will represent a small upgrade over Kumerow and Mac but nothing major. Kincaid is a nice add and will help add a dimension to the offense. But Kincaid is still a rookie TE and rookie TE's historically don't have major impacts. Still like the add and still think that even if he gets 50+ receptions 600ish yards 4-5 TD's while not tanking Knox's production will be a significant positive to the overall offense. 

 

If the Bills are able to add Hopkins pairing the add of Kincaid/Hopkins with the massively improved interior o-line and O-line depth (although I would still like to the Bills add a true backup LT as there is no one behind Dawkins in my opinion) the offense overall should be massively improved. Even without Hopkins in the mix I still think the offensive line additions plus the moderate moves the made in adding Kincaid and Harty/Sheffeld should lead to a more consistent offense esp against better defenses or in shootout situations. 

 

Hopkins would be a nice "final piece" to add I think he would solidify the offense and its depth at WR, it would allow Shakir to come along at his own pace for one more season and take some pressure off of Gabe short term. 

[Big Turk]

6 hours ago, Ga boy said:

Also, it took a man to take him down - a runaway freight train.  While his 40 wasn’t great, maybe his 20 was a blur. Just speculation.

 

As Chris Berman famously said on ESPN Primetime...

 

"Jerry Rice isn't fast...just nobody can catch him from behind"

[Mr. WEO]

6 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

I propose you go watch some Jerry Rice highlights. Most of his damage was in YAC

 

 

He was too slow to get separation after the catch...

 

But since you mention it, he had 1549 catches....which should I focus on?  Just the "highlights"?

[Ga boy]

53 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

As Chris Berman famously said on ESPN Primetime...

 

"Jerry Rice isn't fast...just nobody can catch him from behind"

Deion and Rice were a mutual fan club.

[MikePJ76]

21 hours ago, Simon said:

 

Improvise, adapt and overcome 

 

People who were on the sidelines reported that Diggs was not yelling at Allen about getting him the ball more, he was yelling that he wanted Allen to ignore Dorsey and just call up whatever Josh wanted to run.

That makes a lot of sense.  Again.  Time and Time it is exactly this that happens.  

 

Myself and everyone are guilty of rushing to an opinion and filling in the gaps.  

[SoCal Deek]

Ya gotta love it. While this thread was surpassing the 100 page milestone, Beane was at work in his office quietly signing Leonard Floyd. 

[Warriorspikes51]

13 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Ya gotta love it. While this thread was surpassing the 100 page milestone, Beane was at work in his office quietly signing Leonard Floyd. 

can he pull another rabbit out of his hat?

[Royale with Cheese]

1 minute ago, ScottLaw said:

Much rather Hopkins than Floyd. No question. 

 

Something is going on there and probably the money.

 

The Bills and Chiefs were supposedly very high on him.  Neither one signed him and now he's going to "take some time" with OTA's as a soft deadline.

To me, money is the most important and he's holding out until a team gives it to him.

[Gregg]

2 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Much rather Hopkins than Floyd. No question. 

 

29 sacks in the last 3 seasons. I hope they can get Hopkins as well, but the Floyd signing is a really good addition to the DL.

[Einstein]

16 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Much rather Hopkins than Floyd. No question. 

 

Same.

12 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

29 sacks in the last 3 seasons. I hope they can get Hopkins as well, but the Floyd signing is a really good addition to the DL.

 

There is a reason why he only got a 1 year deal last season and was available in June of this off-season.

 

No problem having him on the team and i’m sure he can contribute, but let’s not pretend he is some prize.

 

This administration has a tendency of signing players after their prime when they have lost a lot of their juice that made them special. Guys like Emmanuel Sanders, Vernon Butler, Mario Addison, etc.