Pyrite Gal Posted June 25, 2008 Posted June 25, 2008 I agree generally with the plus/minus assessment and also feel that there are specific goals we will profit from achieving with each unit. The Jedi view expressed is a true one that our areas of potential great strength are also the same areas of potential great weakness depending upon how individuals (mostly players but to some extent coaches on a young team) perform doing their jobs. Actually, this is the way it is supposed to be so I look forward to an entertaining (though quite frustrating at times) season. Specifically: DL- I feel this is actually more likely a strength than a weakness. Schobel is a Pro Bowl quality player but will not be mistaken for Bruce Smith in terms of being an imposing player that opponents must scheme for individually. This being said, the rotation we are going to employ has very good potential to turn the average players into very good ones (Kelsay, Denney,rookie Ellis, Williams, Johnson) and the reasonable potential to turn the good players into great ones (McCargo was a legit 1st round choice, Stroud is a former Pro Bowler coming off of injury. Schobel). Even if one or two disappoint this can easily be balanced by 1 or 2 stepping up and this unit is likely to be the most improved part of the team. Penetration and pressure by the DTs is likely to be the key here with the renowned for their motor DEs shifting and moving about to allow the DL to use DT penetration but still be stout against the run. DBs- What started out as being an injury away from being an area of weakness is now an area of potential strength with the drafting of a potential elite talent at CB and a 4th rounder to back him up. Add in a journeyman FA in James at a position which actually is not a centerpoint in a the Cover 2 we run and we are pretty deep at CB. Overlay this with two very young safeties backed up by Wilson and the DBs look strong. Whitner will need to develop to be a Sanders like force for this unit to be imposing. The depth we now have at CB should allow us to play both a version of the Tampa 2 or more traditional coverage if we choose. LBs- Great potential but I think those who point to this as our strongest unit may be correct about the sum of the units but there is even less evidence than the questions we hope the third year as Bills and vet talent we have at DB and multiple years as Bills as well regarded talent we have on the DL offer to these units. Vet Mitchell, the highly touted and impressive in a short career Pos, and the vet Crowell offer a lot (particularly when they are backed up by former starters out of necessity like JD and Ellison) but this group needs to show they are am imposing whole on the field before anyone gets too excited about them IMHO. RBs- Great potential but the key here strikes me as the Bills effectively being able to employ the RBs as receivers. Under Fairchild the Bills really did next to nothing with this aspect of the game despite a number of the players coming to the game with good reps as receivers (Lynch, Wright for example and even McGahee was used far more effectively as a receiver by Balt than by us. Heightening this aspect will not only get these runners the ball out in space but would relieve the burden on the WRs and the QB for pass rush. Better use of the RBs as receivers strikes me as the biggest improvement Schonert could bring as OC. It will be hard for us to do less. WRs- I think this may be the biggest failing we have since even if Hardy has a very good season for a rookie the total stats will look fairly Peerless Price '07 like for a #2 WR. Maybe PP is done as a player but the problem to me was not necessarily his production (which produced #2 like WR numbers last year), but Fairchild never used whatever speed he had left to make it impossible for the other team to focus on shutting down Evans. I would have much preferred to see this team trade down the 1st and get two 2 or 3rd round WR talents rather than load up at CB. OL- We need chemistry to keep developing which is not unreasonable, but we also need for the starters to reamain healthy and start all 16 which probably is unreasonable to expect. The fingers (and toes) are crossed. TE- The best bet here seems to me to run an offense that uses more 3 WRs at the expense of a TE and makes better use of the RBs as receivers as I do not see these players being much of a receiving threat. Some seem to hold out some hope that the rookie we drafted can step up. I think ST is a better bet (though the odds here are still long) for a contribution from him rather than good TE position play. Some folks also are hyped up over Mile Viti. Yep he has a great physique, but the difference between having great muscles and being a pro FB are so huge that the ramblings of some folks that have him as our starter at FB would be funny but they are actually serious. Schonert needs to have some plans for running an unusual D effectively because he not only has the not atypical questions at QB but he does not seem to have either the TEs or FBs to make a traditional offense productive. QB- nobody proven as a consistent winner but both QBs have shown the talent to win episodically in the NFL (which is way ahead of what division rivals the Jets and Fins can claim). it is clearly Edwards job to lose as JP declared the Jax game make or break for him and he broke. Still there is a reasonable possibility one of these two with TE getting the prime shot will prove to be a consistent winner IF there is a productive team around him. ST- it finally hit an unproductive streak last year after the wizard April has clearly demonstrated he knew what he was doing. The 08 draft and FA provided clear reload opportunities as we cleaned house of older players. Anchored by clear production at the skill positions of PK, punter and return guys this unit should return to the upper reaches of the NFL
Sisyphean Bills Posted June 25, 2008 Posted June 25, 2008 I agree generally with the plus/minus assessment and also feel that there are specific goals we will profit from achieving with each unit. The Jedi view expressed is a true one that our areas of potential great strength are also the same areas of potential great weakness depending upon how individuals (mostly players but to some extent coaches on a young team) perform doing their jobs. Actually, this is the way it is supposed to be so I look forward to an entertaining (though quite frustrating at times) season. Specifically: DL- I feel this is actually more likely a strength than a weakness. Schobel is a Pro Bowl quality player but will not be mistaken for Bruce Smith in terms of being an imposing player that opponents must scheme for individually. This being said, the rotation we are going to employ has very good potential to turn the average players into very good ones (Kelsay, Denney,rookie Ellis, Williams, Johnson) and the reasonable potential to turn the good players into great ones (McCargo was a legit 1st round choice, Stroud is a former Pro Bowler coming off of injury. Schobel). Even if one or two disappoint this can easily be balanced by 1 or 2 stepping up and this unit is likely to be the most improved part of the team. Penetration and pressure by the DTs is likely to be the key here with the renowned for their motor DEs shifting and moving about to allow the DL to use DT penetration but still be stout against the run. The front line has to improve both against the run and the pass or this defense is going to struggle yet again. Stroud could be a great addition, but that is far from guaranteed. He hasn't yet come back fully from nagging injuries; he's one failed drug test away from suspension; and, it is uncertain how effectively he'll be utilized in the Buffalo Bills scheme. LBs- Great potential but I think those who point to this as our strongest unit may be correct about the sum of the units but there is even less evidence than the questions we hope the third year as Bills and vet talent we have at DB and multiple years as Bills as well regarded talent we have on the DL offer to these units. Vet Mitchell, the highly touted and impressive in a short career Pos, and the vet Crowell offer a lot (particularly when they are backed up by former starters out of necessity like JD and Ellison) but this group needs to show they are am imposing whole on the field before anyone gets too excited about them IMHO. Mitchell played well for the Giants last year, but he had a great DL in front of him and was playing in a very different system than he will be here. How that translates is anybody's guess. WRs- I think this may be the biggest failing we have since even if Hardy has a very good season for a rookie the total stats will look fairly Peerless Price '07 like for a #2 WR. Maybe PP is done as a player but the problem to me was not necessarily his production (which produced #2 like WR numbers last year), but Fairchild never used whatever speed he had left to make it impossible for the other team to focus on shutting down Evans. I would have much preferred to see this team trade down the 1st and get two 2 or 3rd round WR talents rather than load up at CB. I do believe that TS is going to try to overhaul the passing game. (He has no choice, really.) Again it's anybody's guess if his attempts to re-inflate the "smurf attack" (with Stilt Hardy) pan out. The Bills didn't do much on that side of the ball other than Hardy, which is somewhat alarming since they were record-setting terrible last year.
Dr. K Posted June 25, 2008 Posted June 25, 2008 It doesn't bother me that Edwards struggled as a rookie......the last super bowl winning QB played like @hit his rookie season. We just have to make sure we surround him with playmakers......he as the running game check......offensive line....check....reiceivers....to be continued till Hardy shows himself to be a monster. Sure. I'm fine with Edwards going in as the starter this year, and I want to see him succeed. I was just responding to Puente, who said "I am still not sold on TE, but JP really hurt me when he bombed against the PATS last year." JP certainly bombed against the Pats in the second game last year, but TE also played a whole game against them and did little better. That's all I'm saying. NOTE: this is not an argument for starting JP this season.
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted June 27, 2008 Posted June 27, 2008 Strengths:snip--- Weaknesses: snip--- OK now to evaluate: --- snip--- You forgot to mention ST's Will void on special teams be filled? Buffalo Bills Report 'It's no secret that a large portion of the veteran savvy that has existed on Buffalo's special teams units the past five seasons is gone. Dirty work players like Sam Aiken, Mario Haggan, Ryan Neufeld, Josh Stamer and Coy Wire are no longer on the roster stripping the team of 26 years of special teams experience.' You might say they are nobodies... But the Bills have had one of THE best ST's in the NFL for 3 to 4 years runing.
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