Bills have private workout scheduled with WR Troy Franklin

[NeverOutNick]

19 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

I'm hoping T Franklin is showing enough to the Bills that they can put him in a tier with B Legette and K Coleman and gives them the confidence to be able to move down in the draft if the three of them are there.

Imo I think he’s ahead of both of them. Hopefully the private workout solidifies that to the bills

[Alphadawg7]

10 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

It just goes to show how badly he looked at the Combine that he's offering to essentially re-do it personally for us. Probably also speaks to how we view him at the moment that we're saying "yeah, gonna need you to do more than just a standard visit. We need to see the Combine was a mirage to consider you".

 

I would be surprised if he improves his times though, even if he was sick. He'll be in better health, but he also put on added mass. Which in and of itself is a good thing bc weighing in less than expected was one of the many disappointments from his weekend in Indy. But it could also negate the time he lost from being a little under the weather. Though if he's able to get the same 40 with added weight, that's a good thing.

 

More than the 40, he needs more than anything to improve his 10 yard split. Ranking dead last amongst all WR's at the Combine when his big trait is speed was staggering. Again, I worry that may just be what it is. He does hit high speeds as he gets down the field. But coming off the line, you wouldn't think he's as fast as he's supposed to be. It's strangely as if he has long speed, but not burst at the line.

 

He's reportedly been impressing since the combine and his weight is back up.  So I wouldn't condemn him over the combine, I am still intrigued by him and think he is going to improve on a lot of the stuff he disappointed with at the combine.  How much is yet to be seen, but I am really curious to see how his private workout goes.  

[Gugny]

18 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I look at it as sort of the standardized college admission test equivalent (ACT/SAT) - though those are falling out of favor due to flaws.  But in theory, the idea of them was to provide college admissions offices with an apples-to-apples way to compare a kid from a huge highschool who was in the top 1/4 of his class, with a top-5 kid from a class of 100.

 

I mean, we have fantastic athletes at all levels of competition, with all levels of quality in their teammates.  The combine (in theory) is a chance to see them all together performing the same tests under the same conditions of altitude, field, etc. and provide an apples-to-apples metric.

 

So in theory, it has value.  In practice, it has flaws too.

I just feel that, between scouting and film, there is enough to evaluate what a player can do physically. 
 

I never saw any reason to have them go through a dog and pony show. 
 

More time should be spent speaking to the athletes and trying to assess things like attitude, maturity, work ethic, etc. 

 

The things that would have been nice to know before .. say … drafting someone like Sam Watkins. 

[Beck Water]

7 minutes ago, Gugny said:

I just feel that, between scouting and film, there is enough to evaluate what a player can do physically. 
 

I never saw any reason to have them go through a dog and pony show. 
 

More time should be spent speaking to the athletes and trying to assess things like attitude, maturity, work ethic, etc. 

 

The things that would have been nice to know before .. say … drafting someone like Sam Watkins. 

 

There are arguments to be made both ways. 

 

You can have a guy who looks all-world on scouting and film and is putting up great numbers, because he's playing against a lower level of competition (think Zay Jones playing for East Carolina).  Maybe that will translate to a higher level of competition (think Stefon Diggs playing for Maryland) or maybe it won't.  

 

Or you can have a guy who comes across fabulous in interviews with off-the-charts attitude, maturity, and work ethic (think Nathan Peterman), but who doesn't have the athletic chops to cash the checks his brain can write when he's on the clock.  And some guys just interview poorly.

 

IMO you need both, though it's fair to ask if the Combine tests are still the best available metrics for players in this day and age.

 

Edited March 18 by Beck Water

[Buffalo_Stampede]

If I were betting on it I think the Bills draft a different position at 28 and then trade up in the 2nd for a WR. 

[Alphadawg7]

43 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

I'm hoping T Franklin is showing enough to the Bills that they can put him in a tier with B Legette and K Coleman and gives them the confidence to be able to move down in the draft if the three of them are there.

 

Agree with this...my thoughts too.

 

If there is a run on WR's like many expect, I would love to see us trade back and get a 3rd back in this draft and be able to take someone from that 2nd tier of WR's because many of those guys would be 1st rounders in many other drafts.  I agree on the 3 you listed of Franklin, Leggette, and Coleman plus I would include McConkey and Pearsall as well in that tier.  

 

And of that group, I go back and forth on which of those guys I would want the most (

• Franklin - Liked him before the combine, but obviously some of his times created concerns, but give he was sick I am in a wait and see with him.
• Leggette - Lowest floor, maybe highest ceiling of this group.  My concerns for me are that he has a lot of the same weaknesses that Gabe Davis had and limited production.  But he does have some insane physical attributes.
• Coleman - Like Franklin, had some times at combine create concerns, but he is the most "open even when not open" guy maybe in the draft.  He is a go up and get it guy and probably fills the biggest need in the WR room of size and toughness.  
• McConkey - This guy has the highest floor IMO, but question marks are is he a true WR1 at the next level.  
• Pearsall - Doesn't get as much attention as a lot of the other guys, but he should.  He had one of the best combines too of all the WR's and likely improved his draft projections and I think locked himself into the 2nd round.

If Franklin shows the combine times are no concern and just because he was sick, he would move back into consideration for me. 

 

If we don't trade down, but instead stay at 28 and take another position like DL or something, then I would hope we use some of our picks to move from our 2nd round pick to get the WR they want and not just wait and see who falls to them as most of those guys are likely gone before our 2nd round pick.  

Edited March 18 by Alphadawg7

[NoSaint]

10 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

It just goes to show how badly he looked at the Combine that he's offering to essentially re-do it personally for us. Probably also speaks to how we view him at the moment that we're saying "yeah, gonna need you to do more than just a standard visit. We need to see the Combine was a mirage to consider you".

 

I would be surprised if he improves his times though, even if he was sick. He'll be in better health, but he also put on added mass. Which in and of itself is a good thing bc weighing in less than expected was one of the many disappointments from his weekend in Indy. But it could also negate the time he lost from being a little under the weather. Though if he's able to get the same 40 with added weight, that's a good thing.

 

More than the 40, he needs more than anything to improve his 10 yard split. Ranking dead last amongst all WR's at the Combine when his big trait is speed was staggering. Again, I worry that may just be what it is. He does hit high speeds as he gets down the field. But coming off the line, you wouldn't think he's as fast as he's supposed to be. It's strangely as if he has long speed, but not burst at the line.

private visits are completely normal occurrences for guys at position of need (especially around your picks day 1-2)

[Bangarang]

I like Franklin. The biggest question marks with him are his frame and hands. The speed and shiftiness is definitely there though.

[Cray51]

Franklin always popped on film.  His ability to catch and turn caught my eye.  If he was sick/hurt at the combine, and the Bills were to still take him at 28, I'd assume his private workout not only went well, but really well.

[Lost]

11 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Wonder if he would be someone they would take at 28 or maybe trade back and try and land if they come away impressed after his workout.  

 

 

This makes me happy for no other reason than it would seem the Bills didn't give up on a WR as a top need despite signing Curtis Samuel last week.   I wouldn't be upset if they took him at 28.   I also wouldn't be upset if they traded back to early 2nd and still tried to get him but grabbed someone like Legette as a fallback in case franklin got sniped by another team. 

[Warriorspikes51]

10 minutes ago, Cray51 said:

Franklin always popped on film.  His ability to catch and turn caught my eye.  If he was sick/hurt at the combine, and the Bills were to still take him at 28, I'd assume his private workout not only went well, but really well.

Ideally we manage to pull Thomas Jr / Legette / AD Mitchell in the 1st.  Then if we still have pick 60, move up for him 

[BrooklynBills]

Oregon's WR coach is probably one of the better WR coaches in college football although I don't think Franklin was recruited by him.  He's coached Kupp and Nacua at the collegiate level and he's responsible for recruiting Washington's stud WRs. You have to think though that he's entering the NFL with a very good base of knowledge to build on.

[Chicken Boo]

1 hour ago, Coach Tuesday said:

I see Justin Jefferson-like skills in those clips.

 

I see shades of Chad Johnson.

 

Pretty high praise either way.

Edited March 18 by Chicken Boo

[Fan in Chicago]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

If I were betting on it I think the Bills draft a different position at 28 and then trade up in the 2nd for a WR. 

And thereby risking the Chiefs take the next best WR? I seriously doubt it. The last thing we need is for Beane to be such a slave to the value charts that he passes on a WR he has pegged as a #30 pick (as an example) because "the value wasn't there". I would rather be move up a bit or down before the Chiefs to get a WR. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 minute ago, Fan in Chicago said:

And thereby risking the Chiefs take the next best WR? I seriously doubt it. The last thing we need is for Beane to be such a slave to the value charts that he passes on a WR he has pegged as a #30 pick (as an example) because "the value wasn't there". I would rather be move up a bit or down before the Chiefs to get a WR. 

I don’t think the Chiefs are drafting a WR.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

If I were betting on it I think the Bills draft a different position at 28 and then trade up in the 2nd for a WR. 

I'm starting to think that's exactly what we'll do.

[Warriorspikes51]

37 minutes ago, BrooklynBills said:

Oregon's WR coach is probably one of the better WR coaches in college football although I don't think Franklin was recruited by him.  He's coached Kupp and Nacua at the collegiate level and he's responsible for recruiting Washington's stud WRs. You have to think though that he's entering the NFL with a very good base of knowledge to build on.

 

Awesome post, had no idea.   I'm back on the Franklin train

[glazeduck]

NFL Draft X Oregon Ducks... Feels like a good time to chime in here. 

 

Troy Franklin is -- by a significant margin -- the best receiver to ever play at the U of O (to be fair, it's not exactly a who's who list, but he was an absolute star). 

 

It makes sense to me that Buffalo would have interest, Franklin excels at a lot of things that Gabe Davis did -- he's just a much better player. He gets open deep, he sets up DBs extremely well, he makes clutch catches routinely, and he runs extremely precise routes. I think perhaps the most promising aspect of Franklin as a prospect? He was pretty much Oregon's only option on 3rd downs, and everyone knew it, yet consistently got open and made the play needed. 

 

Looking past his combine, because it sounds like he was sick, his biggest knock against him is probably his hand size -- they're small by NFL standards, which could be an issue -- but I do know that some NFL personnel execs use hand size more as an evaluation metric of natural hands, than a go/no-go determinant (the logic being if you're still a good hands catcher with small hands, that's a more innate skill, versus struggling to catch the ball despite having baseball mitts for hands). 

 

I haven't watched the other guys enough to know where, exactly, I'd slot Franklin, but I think he's just a natural WR who's going to succeed, despite perhaps not being a Calvin Johnson-like athlete. Obviously the Duck fan in me would be ecstatic, but so would the Bills fan...

[starrymessenger]

Mitchell ran (and otherwise tested) as well as I expected Franklin to run and test and Franklin ran about as well (slightly better) as I expected Mitchell to run. If Mitchell or Thomas are still on the board at 28 I do not want a trade down. As prospects right now Thomas and Mitchell are above Leggette, Franklin, and Coleman, just as the top 3 are ahead of Thomas and Mitchell (based mostly on production and the opportunities each had to show their stuff in their respective systems, how they were used etc...not necessarily because they will be better pros).

I don't think that scooping an extra pick is worth moving off of Thomas or Mitchell and drafting Franklin, Leggette or Coleman if that's what they are thinking. These prospects are not at all interchangeable. 

Given the gap between Franklin's tape and combine it certainly makes sense for the Bills to take a closer look. If he really is the guy we expected to see in Indy then the picture could well change. But even if he tests better at the private workout, I still don't see him as of equal value to those bigger faster boys as prospects go. 
Maybe the Bills are looking at a defensive player at 28 to be followed by a big trade down in the second. Maybe the Samuel signing makes this more likely. I'd rather they simply took Mitchell or Thomas if there and move down for a defensive player (Sweat?) in the second rather than hope they can nab Franklin, Coleman or Leggette moving down from 60.

Edited March 18 by starrymessenger

[section122]

Normally I am all about trading down and accruing more capital.  This year I thought when they got a 4th instead of a 3rd that I would certainly again love the idea.

 

The reality though is it gets a little dangerous.  The first real trade partner that could give a 3rd back would be Wash at 36 and the pick would be #100.  That puts Baltimore, KC, Carolina, and NE/Arizona (depending on who picks MHJ) that could potentially all draft a wr.  Missing out on guys just for pick 100 doesn't seem worth it.  Moving back to 40 with Wash means also getting 78 but giving up a 5th rounder (no big deal) but also adding the Chargers and Tenn who could also grab a wr.  

 

Basically the cupboard could go from full to bare real quick.

 

I think the best option is to hang tight and grab their favorite WR at 28.  Although I think they are eyeing Coleman as he is a Kelvin Benjamin comp and I just have that feeling.  I prefer others but am bracing for it lol.