DazedandConfused Posted May 30, 2009 Posted May 30, 2009 Fine will surprise you this year, he understands the offense, knows how to block, knows Trent, and did OK when given the chance last year. He will help Nelson get better with his Knowledge. I hope you are right but past performance and logic seems to point toward this being little more than wishful thinking. TE in the modern NFL has grown into such a hybrid position where the even the simply adequate players must be able to block like an interior OL player, but also run routes and catch the ball like a WR, that it really takes an extraordinary athlete to prove to be adequate at both facets of the game. Even then if he has the talent (which Nelson appears to have and Fine MAY have) we are likely looking at them playing a couple of years of NFL ball before they are adequate at the task. It is great that Fine looks good in practice (particularly at the higher profile task of catching the ball, but face it reality demands that he also prove to be at least a talented blocker. This talent needs to be learned and demonstrated over a full season or so and is better seen if the TE can deal with complex stunts to pick up the strongside blitz rather than the less challenging straightforward though difficult to do lead blocking on a power run to the strong side. Like it or not, Fine did show some impressive pass catching ability in his less than one season, but he still is aways a way from proving he is the multi-talent we need to run a TE oriented O. Opponents are thinking about Fine only to chose which way they are going to exploit him this time rather than him playing well enough that he dictates to the D that they are thinking about him to try to figure out how to stop him. Likewise with Nelson, he is simply a rookie who I am pretty sure I can exploit with a zone blitz that confuses him as to who is coming rather than worry about him as a lead blocker. Like any rookie he has played against one player every week or two with NFL speed and know he is gonna face 11 players who are as quick as anything he has seen. What do I think the answer is to get the most productive Bills O? The answer to me if you want to win this year is to actually go with 3 WRs and a spread offense and I am looking to my TEs for ST help and to learn position play as an occasional change of pace rather than have that be our base O. I think opponents will be forced into a zone by an Evans and a TO both screaming for over and under double teams and with a 3 WR offense Parrish has greater potential if the dts give him single coverage in a spreed O. Even better, I think Lynch will do even better running against a nickel or dime in a spread defense. I hope Nelson and Fine contribute a lot as ST players because if rely on them as position players then Edwards better have a fast release because I am licking my chops to face these two youngsters if that is the best the Bills can do at TE.
Buffalo_Stampede Posted May 30, 2009 Posted May 30, 2009 From the BB.com OTA summary "Xavier Omon found the end zone on an outside run play inside the 10-yard line with Shawn Nelson making a good lead block on the play. " I know its only practice but still.... Yeah, but the problem is he was blocking Maybin.
VOR Posted May 30, 2009 Posted May 30, 2009 Yeah, but the problem is he was blocking Maybin. Almost...
Hossage Posted May 31, 2009 Posted May 31, 2009 Dazed, thanks for your insightful post. Tight ends are usually tall wimps who can lean on a linebacker just long enough in a pinch and catch passes.
Canadian Bills Fan Posted May 31, 2009 Author Posted May 31, 2009 Dazed, thanks for your insightful post. Tight ends are usually tall wimps who can lean on a linebacker just long enough in a pinch and catch passes. Your Welcome
ganesh Posted May 31, 2009 Posted May 31, 2009 Won't that be tantamount to telegraphing the coming play to the opposing defense? Given that it seems that the OL will be an exercise in musical chairs, Royal might be missed more than suspected. It will be interesting to see how the draft crop of college spread offense TEs will pan out in the pros. I think Derek Fine got pretty good experience in his rookie season and will definitely have taken Royals place this season. Fine will surprise many this season. He is a pretty good player
KGBPrime Posted May 31, 2009 Posted May 31, 2009 I refuse to accept any logical information on this subject. Nelson = Bust!!!! Just like James Hardy!!!! Why does it seem that nowadays players are defined as busts if they don't make the pro bowl as rookies. At the TE position, it is very rare for any TE to truly have a huge impact. Give the kid a few years and see if he blossoms. Not every player is going to be a high impact player in 1 or 2 seasons. Fans are wau too short-sighted.
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