Poeticlaw Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Is my memory escaping me. I thought thomas smith was one of our best CBS I really liked him but i dont see him on the CB choices. Am i mistaken here someone clarify this for me. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thurman34 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 thomas smith was an ok corner who could never intercept the ball. then the bears overpaid him and he was out of the league within a couple of years.. Is my memory escaping me. I thought thomas smith was one of our best CBS I really liked him but i dont see him on the CB choices. Am i mistaken here someone clarify this for me. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Philster Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 he definitely should've been on the list...while he wasn't known for making lots of picks, mostly because opposing QBs didn't throw his way, he could make some big plays at times. In 1996, when we faced off against the Cowboys, a play after Bryce Paup played leapfrog over Emmitt Smith to sack Aikman, Thomas Smith jumped in front of a pass intended for Deion Sanders which sealed the win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Like Roberto Duran: Thomas "Hands of Stone" Smith. It was like he didn't have working fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poeticlaw Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Like Roberto Duran: Thomas "Hands of Stone" Smith. It was like he didn't have working fingers. Granted he didnt make many interceptions but I seem to have a memory have him deflecting alot of passes being a really good cover corner. outside of Odomes nobody in my mind has been better than thomas smith since then. I know My mind cant be that rusty or its been that long I dont link my mind to favorite players that sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOBILLS78 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Solid player, but nowhere near the top 10 or even 20 in team history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConradDobler Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Edited for being drunk. Great response predicated on total misunderstanding of previous post. Selah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Granted he didnt make many interceptions but I seem to have a memory have him deflecting alot of passes being a really good cover corner. outside of Odomes nobody in my mind has been better than thomas smith since then. I know My mind cant be that rusty or its been that long I dont link my mind to favorite players that sucked. He was a pretty good cover corner. He had terrible ball skills, however. There's a reason why great athletes play CB - it's because they don't have the ball skills to play WR. He was an extreme case of it. Someone above cites that Dallas game. What they didn't mention is that he dropped an INT that was right in his freaking hands. It was hardly the only time. Still, he was a good Bill. Not nearly as good as Butch Byrd or Clements or Winfield, but a better than average CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 outside of Odomes nobody in my mind has been better than thomas smith since then. I know My mind cant be that rusty or its been that long I dont link my mind to favorite players that sucked. Winfield definately, Clements probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Not sure what you're referring too, but Robert James is really the best and only Cb to discuss from the Bills. He was better than Deon Sanders. He was the real deal, and when discussing best players in Buffalo Bills history falls easily in the top 3 and could be considered by any smart Bills fan the #1 player ever to wear a Bills jersey. When discussing who was the 2nd best after him, I can't even imagine, because the gap is like the Grand Canyon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 he definitely should've been on the list...while he wasn't known for making lots of picks, mostly because opposing QBs didn't throw his way, he could make some big plays at times. In 1996, when we faced off against the Cowboys, a play after Bryce Paup played leapfrog over Emmitt Smith to sack Aikman, Thomas Smith jumped in front of a pass intended for Deion Sanders which sealed the win He was an excellent cover guy, just couldn't catch the ball. I call him Mr. Underrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazed and Amuzed Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Worst. Hands. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Not sure what you're referring too, but Robert James is really the best and only Cb to discuss from the Bills. He was better than Deon Sanders. He was the real deal, and when discussing best players in Buffalo Bills history falls easily in the top 3 and could be considered by any smart Bills fan the #1 player ever to wear a Bills jersey. When discussing who was the 2nd best after him, I can't even imagine, because the gap is like the Grand Canyon. Bob James was the shut down corner in his day. 3/4 board never saw him play, that's too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Am i mistaken here someone clarify this for me. Nice player who really wasn't a difference maker. Better hands may have moved him up in the rankings, however... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Not sure what you're referring too, but Robert James is really the best and only Cb to discuss from the Bills. He was better than Deon Sanders. He was the real deal, and when discussing best players in Buffalo Bills history falls easily in the top 3 and could be considered by any smart Bills fan the #1 player ever to wear a Bills jersey. When discussing who was the 2nd best after him, I can't even imagine, because the gap is like the Grand Canyon. How about the franchise leader in INTs, Butch Byrd? This part of the ballot was simple for me. One (James) is on the Wall of Fame, and the other (Byrd) should have been a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I put Robert James and Butch Byrd on my team. Thomas Smith could not come close to those two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Not sure what you're referring too, but Robert James is really the best and only Cb to discuss from the Bills. He was better than Deon Sanders. He was the real deal, and when discussing best players in Buffalo Bills history falls easily in the top 3 and could be considered by any smart Bills fan the #1 player ever to wear a Bills jersey. When discussing who was the 2nd best after him, I can't even imagine, because the gap is like the Grand Canyon. Can't agree more, VA. James was the best CB to EVER wear a Bills jersey. Bar none. If memory serves, he actually played DE in college at Fisk. I remember in his rookie year during the preaseason we'd all wonder who is THAT guy on the kickoff teams flying down there and just killing people? None other than Robert James. All the attention was on OJ but James made the most noise of any pick that year. Sure he played in a league that allowed bump and run coverage and Ds weren't as constrained as today but something tells me he would be just as great in today's league. As for the comparison to Sanders, I'm sure you just meant it as a way to underscore your point. Sanders is simply the best to ever play the position. And that IS in a league with liberalized offensive rules. I know people don't like his personality and many think that because he wasn't a bone jarring hitter that he doesn't merit such high esteem. But what he did on the field through a mixture of his speed, quickness, and smarts was amazing. I've just personally never seen the position played like that. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Can't agree more, VA. James was the best CB to EVER wear a Bills jersey. Bar none. If memory serves, he actually played DE in college at Fisk. I remember in his rookie year during the preaseason we'd all wonder who is THAT guy on the kickoff teams flying down there and just killing people? None other than Robert James. All the attention was on OJ but James made the most noise of any pick that year. Sure he played in a league that allowed bump and run coverage and Ds weren't as constrained as today but something tells me he would be just as great in today's league. As for the comparison to Sanders, I'm sure you just meant it as a way to underscore your point. Sanders is simply the best to ever play the position. And that IS in a league with liberalized offensive rules. I know people don't like his personality and many think that because he wasn't a bone jarring hitter that he doesn't merit such high esteem. But what he did on the field through a mixture of his speed, quickness, and smarts was amazing. I've just personally never seen the position played like that. GO BILLS!!! No I meant what I wrote. james went 2 full seasons without giving up a TD against the guy he covered. he had one season he went to the pro bowl without an INT, because he was so danderous that teams would not ever throw his way. Unlike Sanders who would run them back, look flashy, etc... James, just literally locked his side of the field down, period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poeticlaw Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 No I meant what I wrote. james went 2 full seasons without giving up a TD against the guy he covered. he had one season he went to the pro bowl without an INT, because he was so danderous that teams would not ever throw his way. Unlike Sanders who would run them back, look flashy, etc... James, just literally locked his side of the field down, period. I think my question is being missed... I am not saying that Thomas Smith is best of all time I am just stating that I personally believed he should be a choice along with Winfield and Clements. Though thomas smith didnt get many intercecptions I have this memory of him defelcting a ton of passes each and every year. So i did some scanning and found that one season in 1995 he knocked down a team high of 16. Im just wondering why hes not a choice. Personally I felt he was a better player than clements and I really liked winfield as well but he wasnt a big int guy either he was abig hitter and tackler. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/28/sports/s...omas-smith.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Can't agree more, VA. James was the best CB to EVER wear a Bills jersey. Bar none. If memory serves, he actually played DE in college at Fisk. I remember in his rookie year during the preaseason we'd all wonder who is THAT guy on the kickoff teams flying down there and just killing people? None other than Robert James. All the attention was on OJ but James made the most noise of any pick that year. Sure he played in a league that allowed bump and run coverage and Ds weren't as constrained as today but something tells me he would be just as great in today's league. As for the comparison to Sanders, I'm sure you just meant it as a way to underscore your point. Sanders is simply the best to ever play the position. And that IS in a league with liberalized offensive rules. I know people don't like his personality and many think that because he wasn't a bone jarring hitter that he doesn't merit such high esteem. But what he did on the field through a mixture of his speed, quickness, and smarts was amazing. I've just personally never seen the position played like that. GO BILLS!!! Best ever, or best you have seen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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