Rd 4, Pick 128: RB Ray Davis, Kentucky

[billrooter]

22 hours ago, BigAl2526 said:

There were other backs available who combined both more speed and better size.  I assume Beane knew all about them and chose to draft Davis instead.  I figure they must have known what they were doing.

I only watched his highlights, but he looks like a natural RB with great vision and cuts, able to choose the right way to go and get the most yards possible. Hopefully he's a hit!

[Warriorspikes51]

60 Cook  / 40 Davis  split? 

[Back2Buff]

8 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

60 Cook  / 40 Davis  split? 

 

lol, not even close.  It will be 65 Cook/25 Johnson/10 Davis

[MasterStrategist]

37 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

60 Cook  / 40 Davis  split? 

Definitely think he'll take more 3rd down snaps initially, his pass catching and protection is a big reason he should get play early and often.

 

Short yardage over Cook too.

 

By seasons end, I could see him getting close to 30-40% once he's acclimated.

 

Cook has some flaws but difficult to pull a probowl/ascending RB off the field anymore than necessary.

 

I'm not sure if Davis has any kick return experience, but with the new kickoff rules it makes sense to have a RB or WR/RB hybrid (Samuel or other kid from OSU) returning kicks.

[3rdand12]

On 4/28/2024 at 4:54 PM, transient said:

Pretty good receiver out of the backfield, both as an outlet and as a downfield option. Brady should be able to have fun scheming up some misdirection with the combination of him and Cook. Throw in the hybrid Curtis Samuel and they might even rediscover how to run a screen. 

Whats all this then ?

 A screen ?

 Has it ever been done with any success ?

Sounds risky

2 hours ago, Back2Buff said:

 

lol, not even close.  It will be 65 Cook/25 Johnson/10 Davis

Hmm.

[Richard Noggin]

6 hours ago, Mat68 said:

PFF has been mentioning a new metric that is proprietary called GAS?  A cumulative speed and explosion score taking game GPS scores.  Coleman is high on that list supposably.  
 

Davis is an all around back that walks in for the Murray role and very well become the primary back up too. 

 

Can you say more? 

 

It's like an extension of the top recorded speed ever Coleman recorded in the combine gauntlet; although apparently someone posted here that he never hit 20mph in a game last season? That seems weird. Would love to know more about the metric you're introducing here. Love that game vs timed speed tension. 

 

I've repeated a bunch on here (like anyone cares lol) how much I think that gauntlet showing (eclipsing Nacua's 2nd best ever mph from last year) is NOT nothing. Apparently the Bills agree to some extent.

[section122]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:32 PM, Chandler#81 said:

 

The play at 36 seconds is so much a bills play.  Qb almost gets sacked and ducks out of to throw a quick toss to the hb.  He takes it to house! its so easy to envision that on an upcoming sunday.

[gonzo1105]

Ray Davis is a complete back and he was my favorite RB in the draft. He’s a legit 3 down back. He obviously is a good down hill runner, led his team in TD receptions and his best attribute is he’s a hell of a pass pro RB which Janes Cook is terrible at. Davis was an incredibly smart pick 

[metbill]

I love this pick.  SO much short yardage opportunity for Davis here and really keeps Allen out of some bad possibilities for injury.  I think he is going to push Johnson back to primarily ST now.  This guy ran over/through quite a few SEC D-Lines with ease last season.  I am struggling to find anything negative about the pick.  What the highlite tapes don't show is just how often he needed short yardage and was keyed on and still managed to pick up the needed yards.  Always seemed to know where the marker was.  Should eliminate lots of the 1 yard short issues the Bills seem to have had the last few years in crucial moments.  Especially the back to back 3rd and 1 turning into 4th and 1. 

[Teddy KGB]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:38 PM, finn said:

How so? He looks like just another guy in his highlights, more like a free agent or camp fodder than a fourth-round pick. Not fast, big, or elusive. Sort of a dulled-down Singletary. What are you (and the Bills) seeing that I'm not? 

all the long td runs on the video ? 

[Blank Stare]

A lot of pages here, so I’m sure it has already been mentioned, but does he remind anyone else of Travis Henry? 

[Turk71]

Davis hit the 4th highest top speed among all college rbs last season, 21.7 mph vs Florida. People don't think of him as fast but only 3 rbs ran faster.

He ran for 280 yds that game and won me $ on FanDuel. 🙂

 This guy is a legitimate 3 down back and will not be pigeonholed as a short yardage back. He'll be able to sub for Cook on any down and run the full playbook.

 

[khlax3]

22 hours ago, Back2Buff said:

 

lol, not even close.  It will be 65 Cook/25 Johnson/10 Davis

I don’t know why everyone assumes Johnson is a lock. I think he is going to be in a competion with frank gore jr for the last running back spot. He likely makes it as the 3rd rb but he has always been a journeyman RB and although I liked what he did at the end of last season people act like he accomplished way more than he actually did.

 

his stats:

132 rushing yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble

72 receiving yards 1 td

[Chicken Boo]

On 4/27/2024 at 1:35 PM, mathja said:

Reminds me of Travis Henry, I think. 

 

I'm seeing a slower Maurice Jones-Drew.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Blank Stare said:

A lot of pages here, so I’m sure it has already been mentioned, but does he remind anyone else of Travis Henry? 

 

I suppose it’s possible.     😋

[Blank Stare]

1 minute ago, Augie said:

 

I suppose it’s possible.     😋

I assumed the comparison had already been made among my astute Bills brethren.  Travis Henry the football player….not the serial dad.  😂

[Augie]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:28 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

Watch James Cook highlights from last year.  OL was letting him get big gains before he had anyone touching him.  OL was not like the OL of years past last season.    

 

Fair point. It was MUCH better last year which was the result of a better OL and more speed at RB. What a great feeling that is. LOOK AT HIM GO!!! 

[Motorin']

On 4/30/2024 at 2:19 PM, khlax3 said:

I don’t know why everyone assumes Johnson is a lock. I think he is going to be in a competion with frank gore jr for the last running back spot. He likely makes it as the 3rd rb but he has always been a journeyman RB and although I liked what he did at the end of last season people act like he accomplished way more than he actually did.

 

his stats:

132 rushing yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble

72 receiving yards 1 td

 

So 205 all purpose yards and 1 TD on 37 combined plays. That's 5.5 yards per touch.

 

Slightly better than Cook's 5.3 yards per play for the season. Also Cook averaged 1 TD per 49 plays.

 

So, there no drop off in production, but rather a slight improvement when Johnson got the ball vs Cook. 

[khlax3]

28 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

So 205 all purpose yards and 1 TD on 37 combined plays. That's 5.5 yards per touch.

 

Slightly better than Cook's 5.3 yards per play for the season. Also Cook averaged 1 TD per 49 plays.

 

So, there no drop off in production, but rather a slight improvement when Johnson got the ball vs Cook. 

I like Ty Johnson as I said in my original post and I fully expect him to be RB3 however as you pointed out he only had 37 touches in 10 games. He was also on our practice squad for the first half of the season. I just don’t consider him a lock. 

[Mister Defense]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:35 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

Ray Davis was one of my favorite picks.  He’s gonna eat here, and I don’t know how anyone can watch even the first minute of the video posted and not think he’s fast.  
 

And we don’t have stupid Dorsey anymore afraid to play the talent.  I think Davis and Cook are going to make a dynamic 1-2 punch as the run game continues to be a big part of the offense under Brady.  
 

I said it before the draft…I said it during the draft…and I’ve said it after the draft.  This offense not only will be a top unit again, it has the potential to be the best one of Allen’s career.  I will have a more detailed write up of this tomorrow too.

 

Yup, with the moves Bean made at WR and running back, and possibly at center as well, this could be the best offense of the Allen era---and the best in the NFL this year.

 

The defense will likely need some time to get up to speed after losing some key players, but the offense will carry the team while that happens.

 

They really needed a power  back, a MJD type of player, to punish defenses, something Cook cannot do because of his size.  It will help Cook became an even better, more dangerous player, that combo, maybe an elite one.