No one is talking about... Javon Solomon

[Doc]

1 hour ago, Poleshifter said:

He might be just 6'1" tall

 

With his initial game action resulting in a sack/fumble, I should think (and hope) they give him more significant reps.

 

He's a shade under 6'1". 

[Don Otreply]

Solomon is a power load waiting to be unleashed on a regular basis, I believe he is going to be part of the regular rotation in short order, 

[BigAl2526]

17 hours ago, No_Matter_What said:

I've been excited about him since we drafted him, because after reading about him I never understood why he was 5th round pick in the first place.

 

His sack was a piece of beauty and apparently he played well overall.

 

Only problem I see is that it will be hard for him to get on the field behind Groot, AJ, Von and Smoot. But I am sure he'll get his chances.

Small school prospect who is much shorter than the ideal for an edge rusher.  He had lots of sacks in college but it was against a lower level of competition.  I can absolutely understand why he slipped down to the fifth round.  The Bills picked him because he is pretty athletic with good bend around the corner.  He's got some explosion off the snap, he's strong and he has unusually long arms for his height.  It was smart for the Bills to make the pick when they did. 

[GunnerBill]

So it turns out people are talking about him?

[Saxum]

I wonder if Solomon can play some FB for short yardage situation on offense.  He seems to have the body type.

[Ray Stonada]

He flashed like crazy as soon as he stepped on the field.

 

Looks like a prodigy.

[GreggTX]

PFF gave him the highest grade for the MNF game of all Bills. Others with high grades include Kaair Elam, Dorian Williams, Greg Rousseau, Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid, Jamarcus Ingram, Kalil Shakir, Alec Anderson and Ray Davis.  Notice anything unusual about that list? It is replete with rookies and depth players. The future looks bright folks. Add another great, unselfish WR, a Safety, a Guard to compete with Anderson, Torrance and Edwards as well as another stud 1-Tech and we have the best roster in the NFL top to bottom (If we don't already). With our draft capital and Beane's hot hand, that seems like an easy lay-up.

Edited 8 hours ago by GreggTX

[GunnerBill]

15 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

PFF gave him the highest grade for the MNF game of all Bills. Others with high grades include Kaair Elam, Dorian Williams, Greg Rousseau, Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid, Jamarcus Ingram, Kalil Shakir, Alec Anderson and Ray Davis.  Notice anything unusual about that list? It is replete with rookies and depth players. The future looks bright folks. Add another great, unselfish WR, a Safety, a Guard to compete with Anderson, Torrance and Edwards as well as another stud 1-Tech and we have the best roster in the NFL top to bottom (If we don't already). With our draft capital and Beane's hot hand, that seems like an easy lay-up.

 

I do think Beane might have crushed day 3 of this draft. Gable (injury sucks) has looked fantastic in pre-season and limited reps, Solomon has a ton of talent, Davis is coming on slowly. I can see a route to all 3 of them being starters for the Bills in two seasons time. They are at worst solid depth players as rookies. Need to see more as we go from SVPG but hopefully he can add his name to that list. 

 

But the other thing the list in your post above shows is how well the Bills coach and develop players. Their Monday to Saturday coaching is among the best in football, without a doubt. I look at Shakir and Williams. Both in their rookie years struggled. Shakir was running into coverage rather than into space, and Williams last year was like a guy whose head was on the wrong way round, just spinning and smashing into things with little feel for the position. Now Khalil looks like this team's best receiver and Williams just had his best game as a Bill. It is tempting to think players just arrive on campus from college able to perform as they end up performing. But it is not true. The development of both those guys is testament to coaching. And then the Cam Lewis, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Alec Anderson, Baylon Spector crew... developed from UDFAs and 7th round picks to guys you can rely on to be where they need to be on Sunday... add them to Levi Wallace and Tyrel Dodson and Ike Boettger and Ryan Bates and Dane Jackson.... this regime has been turning throw away guys into contributors for as long as they've been here. I think they deserve more credit for it. 

[GreggTX]

12 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I do think Beane might have crushed day 3 of this draft. Gable (injury sucks) has looked fantastic in pre-season and limited reps, Solomon has a ton of talent, Davis is coming on slowly. I can see a route to all 3 of them being starters for the Bills in two seasons time. They are at worst solid depth players as rookies. Need to see more as we go from SVPG but hopefully he can add his name to that list. 

 

But the other thing the list in your post above shows is how well the Bills coach and develop players. Their Monday to Saturday coaching is among the best in football, without a doubt. I look at Shakir and Williams. Both in their rookie years struggled. Shakir was running into coverage rather than into space, and Williams last year was like a guy whose head was on the wrong way round, just spinning and smashing into things with little feel for the position. Now Khalil looks like this team's best receiver and Williams just had his best game as a Bill. It is tempting to think players just arrive on campus from college able to perform as they end up performing. But it is not true. The development of both those guys is testament to coaching. And then the Cam Lewis, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Alec Anderson, Baylon Spector crew... developed from UDFAs and 7th round picks to guys you can rely on to be where they need to be on Sunday... add them to Levi Wallace and Tyrel Dodson and Ike Boettger and Ryan Bates and Dane Jackson.... this regime has been turning throw away guys into contributors for as long as they've been here. I think they deserve more credit for it. 

 

I also think there's a learning curve for the coaches and the personnel department. It feels like they are also getting better at their jobs. Beane and his scouts, McDermott, Babich and Brady are testaments to this growth as well. I just wonder how long we can hold onto Babich and Brady before some other team snatches them up.

Edited 7 hours ago by GreggTX

[Chandler#81]

29 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

 

I also think there's a learning curve for the coaches and the personnel department. It feels like they are also getting better at their jobs. Beane and his scouts, McDermott, Babich and Brady are testaments to this growth as well. I just wonder how long we can hold onto Babich and Brady before some other team snatches them up.

Given the long developed culture at OBD, it will take Head Coaching ops to pry them away. If our Offense continues to spin amazing play calls, Brady may be promoted to Assistant Head Coach to fend off temptation.

Edited 7 hours ago by Chandler#81

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Chandler#81 said:

Given the long developed culture at OBD, it will take Head Coaching ops to pry them away. If our Offense continues to spin amazing play calls, Brady may be promoted to Assistant Head Coach to fend off temptation.

 

Don't need to give him any additional title. If the success continues throughout the year just re-up his deal, make him the best paid OC in football and convince him that leaving that gig to go be a Head Coach in Cleveland or Chicago or any of those perennial wheel spinner franchises isn't a smart play. Ben Johnson will be an interesting case study. Having withdrawn his candidacy for jobs two offseasons in a row is he still the hottest thing in a headset next January or actually are teams moving on from him, getting a bit lukewarm on his credentials. If there is any sense of that it means the next hot new things will be less willing to wait it out I think. 

[nedboy7]

Yeah but is he a DE1?  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

22 hours ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Woooooooow. I forgot Andreesson was 44 and was like wow Matakevich looked solid when watching the game 🤦. Realized watching the video that Matakevich is back with the Steelers. I feel dumb lmao.  

That's ok everytime I see Hollins I swear it is Gabe Davis back in Bills uniform 

[JerseyBills]

Not a college guy but shout out to the many posters who loved the pick..

Definetly looks like he can develop into a stud! DEs and DL as a whole are DEEP

[Ethan in Cleveland]

He looked good but so did everyone else pass rushing against that line

 

I've never rushed a passer but it seems like this is one of those innate skills that is hard to teach. He seems to have it already based on his college resume. 

 

At his height not sure he will ever be an every down 4-3 DE. Should be a solid rotation guy and pas rush specialist. 

 

I wonder if they can drop him down to DT next to Oliver on some long 3rd downs. He'd be good stunting out of the DT position.  

[Sierra Foothills]

6 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

So it turns out people are talking about him?

 

Well yes... now that they  have a place to talk about him. 😀

 

5 hours ago, Ray Stonada said:

He flashed like crazy as soon as he stepped on the field.

 

Looks like a prodigy.

 

Teammates say he was flashing in practice too.

 

3 hours ago, GreggTX said:

PFF gave him the highest grade for the MNF game of all Bills. Others with high grades include Kaair Elam, Dorian Williams, Greg Rousseau, Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid, Jamarcus Ingram, Kalil Shakir, Alec Anderson and Ray Davis.  Notice anything unusual about that list? It is replete with rookies and depth players. The future looks bright folks. Add another great, unselfish WR, a Safety, a Guard to compete with Anderson, Torrance and Edwards as well as another stud 1-Tech and we have the best roster in the NFL top to bottom (If we don't already). With our draft capital and Beane's hot hand, that seems like an easy lay-up.

 

Between the talent and coaching it seems that the Bills withstand injuries better than most teams. Next man up seems like a real thing, not a hope and wish.

 

45 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

Yeah but is he a DE1?  

 

While it's a good question I don't think that it's really important just because situational pass rushers have a ton of value.

 

[NI Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, nedboy7 said:

Yeah but is he a DE1?  

No, but it doesn't matter because you see everyone eats...

 

Sorry, wrong thread! 😄

[Udubalum07]

36 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

He looked good but so did everyone else pass rushing against that line

 

I've never rushed a passer but it seems like this is one of those innate skills that is hard to teach. He seems to have it already based on his college resume. 

 

At his height not sure he will ever be an every down 4-3 DE. Should be a solid rotation guy and pas rush specialist. 

 

I wonder if they can drop him down to DT next to Oliver on some long 3rd downs. He'd be good stunting out of the DT position.  

Von is only an inch and a half taller than Solomon.  He definitely isn't prototypical height, but has really long arms and huge production on every level. 

 

I'm not at all saying he will be Von, but don't totally rule him out just because of his height. 

[Saxum]

14 minutes ago, NI Bills Fan said:

No, but it doesn't matter because you see everyone eats...

 

Sorry, wrong thread! 😄

 

Recently that has applied to defense as well as they have been eating QBs.

 

[BRH]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Don't need to give him any additional title. If the success continues throughout the year just re-up his deal, make him the best paid OC in football and convince him that leaving that gig to go be a Head Coach in Cleveland or Chicago or any of those perennial wheel spinner franchises isn't a smart play. Ben Johnson will be an interesting case study. Having withdrawn his candidacy for jobs two offseasons in a row is he still the hottest thing in a headset next January or actually are teams moving on from him, getting a bit lukewarm on his credentials. If there is any sense of that it means the next hot new things will be less willing to wait it out I think. 

 

Teams will only move on from Ben Johnson if Detroit's offense starts to slow down and he can't adjust.  I don't think there will be much of that "he doesn't really want to be a HC" vibe.  He knows he's good and he can afford to wait for the right situation.  

 

Personally, I think any OC who has Prime Josh Allen as his QB would be crazy to leave for ANY other situation, HC or OC, without first hoisting at least one Lombardi.