Cam Lewis is ballin

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

I've been high on the kid for years

#UBHornsUp

[MiracleAtRich1393]

16 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

When it comes to drafting the Bills have been very good in the McD era and in the past 3 drafts from 2022-2024 look like they are on a heater (hard to tell on 2024 but the "early returns" look good) so whatever they are doing just keep it up. 

Agreed. The "misses" lately have been high picks in the secondary (Elam, and Bishop so far but obviously TBD). The hits have been Benford (6th), Taron (4th), Douglas (3rd for 5th pick swap so 4th round value), and solid starters/role players Rapp (low cost FA) Hamlin (6th round), Cam Lewis (UDFA), Jamarcus Ingram (UDFA). The Mike Edwards flop doesn't hurt the way Elam/Bishop does since it was another low cost FA you can easily move on from. Stick to the formula and use the premium draft capital for shots at O/DLine and weapons for Josh.

Edited November 18 by MiracleAtRich1393

[folz]

1 hour ago, zow2 said:

Gotta give McD, Beane credit.  If they listened to the fans, Cam, the pride of UB pwould’ve been cut a few years ago.

 

A lot of current NFL fans have no patience. Back in the day, you didn't think twice about a guy taking two or three years to develop (unless he was a high draft pick---1st/2nd rounder). Curtis Samuel nursing a turf toe is another example...so many fans wrote him off already. Terrell Bernard is another example (wasted draft pick, barely played his rookie year). Shakir is another guy. And the list goes on. Some players just need a little time to develop, heal, acclimate to a new team/QB, or whatever their circumstance is. But most fans don't want to wait for it. If it's not there immediately...move on. We are actually very lucky. We have a staff that is very good in the player development area...sometimes you just have to wait for it.

 

And yeah, Cam has been ballin' out!

Edited November 18 by folz

[Mister Defense]

I cannot recall a non-starter making so many big plays in a season as Lewis.

 

He consistently makes big, important special teams plays.

 

And he makes big plays all of the time on defense.

 

Have been thinking that lately, and obviously today, as Lewis was a vital part of the win.

 

Lewis is sort of symbolic of the aggressiveness of this team, flying to the ball like every play was his last, and of the concept of TEAM that makes this team maybe the best in the NFL right now.

 

 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

He's shown more range this season than I dared hope. He still has some deficiencies but that he can do spot duty fulling in for an All Pro is impressive 

[MasterStrategist]

He's just a great team player, playing alot of positions/roles for us on gameday.

 

@HappyDays I recall wasn't the biggest fan.  Lewis isn't Taron, but plays a key role for this team.  

 

This is what the 2024 Bills are all about.  Some non star players being very good at their respective roles.  See Lewis, Mack Hollins, etc.  Doing their 1 11thn.

 

Without Josh, this doesn't work.  But Josh +a group of Shakir, Cook, Samuel, Cooper, Knox can be good enough.

 

Adding in a healthy Keon, Spencer and Kincaid...then we have a top tier OL and offense capable of exploiting mismatches.

 

I know this is about Cam, but this just brings up the point that we have a supportive of players this year doing their part.

[Saxum]

Bills got Cam Lewis on an inexpensive contract which gives Bills a bonus because he is a local college boy.

He has been asked to play some difficult roles and has been mostly successful which might get another team the idea he could help another team when he is a FA except he is getting long in the tooth (Age: 27-218d).   Bills have him on their roster for one more year.

[JoeF]

He took Siran Neal's place on the roster and its been an upgrade....kudos to the kid.  

 

Bills lost a lot of vet talent in the offseason purge...but in almost all cases its been a push or an upgrade because the vets were at the end of their useful life for the roles they played for the Bills.   

 

Diggs and Hyde are the ones I miss the most - but the O game plan was too centered on Diggs and not having him has made the offense more diverse.  Hamlin is a great story but he's not Micah.  

 

Biggest upgrade to me has been having a more physical and stronger Center.  McGovern is really, really good.

[gobills404]

I’ll give him his credit where it’s due but I still can’t feel confident when he’s out there. He’s been a liability on defense for most of this season and most of his career.

[Rubes]

2 hours ago, folz said:

 

A lot of current NFL fans have no patience. Back in the day, you didn't think twice about a guy taking two or three years to develop (unless he was a high draft pick---1st/2nd rounder). Curtis Samuel nursing a turf toe is another example...so many fans wrote him off already. Terrell Bernard is another example (wasted draft pick, barely played his rookie year). Shakir is another guy. And the list goes on. Some players just need a little time to develop, heal, acclimate to a new team/QB, or whatever their circumstance is. But most fans don't want to wait for it. If it's not there immediately...move on. We are actually very lucky. We have a staff that is very good in the player development area...sometimes you just have to wait for it.

 

And yeah, Cam has been ballin' out!

Part of it also is that the Bills have had stability in the coaching staff for many years now. It’s hard to develop younger players over several years when the staff is constantly turning over. Once a new head coach comes in with his staff, many of those development players, drafted by the previous regime, are dumped—or they get new position coaches and/or new systems, and end up not really developing at all.

 

McD and his staff are very good at developing young talent, and it also helps that they and the system have been around now for many years.

 

Edited November 18 by Rubes

[Saxum]

23 hours ago, Rubes said:

Part of it also is that the Bills have had stability in the coaching staff for many years now. It’s hard to develop younger players over several years when the staff is constantly turning over. Once a new head coach comes in with his staff, many of those development players, drafted by the previous regime, are dumped—or they get new position coaches and/or new systems, and end up not really developing at all.

 

McD and his staff are very good at developing young talent, and it also helps that they and the system have been around now for many years.

 

 

Yes it happened when Coach McD came in and dumped almost every coach including the WR coach which WRs loved and said helped develop their skills.  He brought in a coach Philip P. McGeoghan which flittered back and forth between NFL and college who rarely was asked stay more than 2 years.  He lasted one year and was not able to help further develop WR Zay Jones who he coached in college.

[BigDingus]

On 11/17/2024 at 8:45 PM, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

Kair Elam enters the chat … “you forgot to develop me”

 

Dude has had plenty of time to "develop." It's on him at this point.

[ElMarko]

On 11/17/2024 at 8:43 PM, GunnerBill said:

 

Me too. I've defended him plenty. He got a bad rep because Justin Jefferson made one incredible play on him. 

 

He is proof of hard work and the Bills player development programme.

All he had to do was knock the ball down and Bills win game. Instead he went for the pick… then Jefferson schooled him. That was his mistake first. 
 

He is playing well this year and hopefully he learned from that bad decision. 

[Big Turk]

On 11/17/2024 at 11:35 PM, gobills404 said:

I’ll give him his credit where it’s due but I still can’t feel confident when he’s out there. He’s been a liability on defense for most of this season and most of his career.

Really? We don't win the Cardinal game without him...dude was all over the field making plays against the run in the 2nd half.

[YattaOkasan]

On 11/17/2024 at 8:36 PM, transplantbillsfan said:

Seriously... for weeks now, too.

 

Can't keep him on the field when everyone is healthy obviously, which is kinda a shame with how he's playing 

 

I def think he has a role going forward, and its the dime package.  Particularly against Lamar and Mahomes in obvious passing downs i would take a DL off (leave Groot, Von, Oliver and let them go crazy) and let Milano spy.  Then Lewis can play coverage in Dime.  They did this against Chiefs but sub Milano for Dorian and Im pretty pumped.  

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, ElMarko said:

All he had to do was knock the ball down and Bills win game. Instead he went for the pick… then Jefferson schooled him. That was his mistake first. 
 

He is playing well this year and hopefully he learned from that bad decision. 

 

I don't think he'd have knocked it down even if he tried. Jefferson had position, he caught the ball. Lewis is behind him and as they come down he has hands on the ball trying to push down on it. This "he could have just batted it down" he couldn't. Jefferson got hands on the ball first. Yes, Cam was trying to catch it, that was a mistake. But it would have made no odds to the play. 

[DrMaxPower]

35 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I don't think he'd have knocked it down even if he tried. Jefferson had position, he caught the ball. Lewis is behind him and as they come down he has hands on the ball trying to push down on it. This "he could have just batted it down" he couldn't. Jefferson got hands on the ball first. Yes, Cam was trying to catch it, that was a mistake. But it would have made no odds to the play. 

Agreed.

 

However, even if you agree with the other description of the play,the criticism of Lewis is totally over the top. Arguably the greatest WR of this generation made an incredible play that most couldn't have. There's no shame in getting beat like that and it's certainly not a reason to be all over a UDFA as if he's a failure who is a giant liability.

 

Lewis has been a solid contributor for a couple years now. They seem to have found his niche this year and he's really been excelling.

[TPS]

On 11/17/2024 at 8:40 PM, Buffalo716 said:

I've been high on the kid for years

I’m always leery of people saying this after the fact, but you have bonifides—just looked at the thread from when Beane      Re-Signed him  👍👍

[transplantbillsfan]

 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I think I’d like to see him in the Hamlin spot just to see what this run defense can look like. I know this coach loves Hamlin and that’s fine..I don’t need the guy cut but I’d really like to see that