Langston Walker Update

[rstencel]

I'm guessing the list that fits the description above is very small. You know there's an in between point between not liking how Jason Peters behaved last year and thinking that Langston Walker would be an adequate replacement at LT?

 

Exactly, there were allot of people thinking line would be better overall, but don't remember anyone saying he was better than Peters. Maybe better effort was expect than him, but even that didn't turn out to be true.

[bluv]

True believers just believe. Facts and reality are nuisances which must be ignored. The believers are confident that success is right around the bend. The same bend they have come to for a decade. When they are sold a bogus bill of goods, their response is I'll buy more of what you are selling. It is no surprise the the CEO of the Bills is a marketing man.

It has happened every year and this is why this team is always on the VERGE of being a breakout sleeper team but it never happens. Every year we either start or finish strong to keep hope alive and so we bring in an overhyped Free agent or every once in a while a proven household name or two to sell tickets to keep hope alive. And the fans on this board as well as BuffaloBills always exaggerate an individual players affect on the game. They make it seem like if we replace this player then we'd be a contender or if it is a player they hate on then they go out of their way to point out every mistake they make; acting like great players can never miss a block, drop a ball, throw a bad pass, or get knock on their @$$; you get the picture! What really irks me is that everytime a player leaves; doesn't matter via trade, free agency or is cut, they go out their way to bash that players value to the team. Bruce is washed and overrated and always thinks he is worth more than he is; Pat Williams was just fat and took up space; all London Flethcer does was make tackles 10 yards down field; Peters was a lazy bum who was a sack machine; the list goes on and on. I know there will be some who will deny ever making such claims but believe I'm not making this up; you know who you are!

 

No Walker wasn't a top quality tackle; especially one who could play either side with great success. No, he wasn't the road grinder those Peters bashers tried to play him out to be as the team averaged more runs yards running right than left. Those who truly know and watch the game would see that while he gave up few sacks he never played on an island as he always got RB/TE help. But while he wasn't a dominant player, he was a serviceable RT and wasn't a weak link. So for those who wanted to bash Peters to act like Walker was the best player on our line and was an upgrade or to those who now act like Walker was a bum player are completely out of line and clueless!

 

Why can't more fans be rational as just except things as they are? There is no team, especially in this day of free agency that is stacked with Pro Bowl talent for aevery starter. There are Pro Bowl players who don't excel at every facet of the game but play in systems that allow them to excell at their strengths. Until the Bills get consistent QB play (I haven't given up on Trent yet), get a quality coaching staff that can establish an identity, somebody who can judge talent and bring in players to fit our system and/or coaching that is flexible to find schemes to play to the strengths of our players we will never be consistently good.

[bluv]

Exactly, there were allot of people thinking line would be better overall, but don't remember anyone saying he was better than Peters. Maybe better effort was expect than him, but even that didn't turn out to be true.

You need to go back and check! There were plenty who pointed out how well Walker stepped in the first 2 games and played so well and how Peters gave up 11 sacks to Walkers 3. Don't forget those wwho poined out how we averaged a half yard more per carry running right than left. You don't remember all those Peters was a fat lazy bum comments or how Walker and Butler were the best players on the line. It might not have been you or your friends but it was plenty of insane similar comments going on until 6 days ago! Remember how some were quick to defend Walker once Mark Sclerth called him a journeyman? Face it: fans on this board over react and jump on board to bash players they don't like; especially those who want to be paid or leave. Once they make a bad play the haters jump on it, point it out and others feed in and then they make it indictative of that players whole body of work. It goes the same way in the opposite direction as some can make one key play and it can get overhyped for days to weeks; especially if they play a position of a player who is being ganged banged!

[Steely Dan]

Looks like he's showcasing his skills on youtube.

 

 

 

AAAaaaaahhhh!!!! My eyes! MY EYES!!!!

[Hazed and Amuzed]

I love how everyone gets on Walker, like he did something to us as Bills fans. He may have been a fatass but he is/was a better athlete then 2/3 of the fatasses on this board. I'm not a LW fan but I have no reason to make fun of him...

[eball]

I'm not a LW fan but I have no reason to make fun of him...

How about because he's fat?

[rstencel]

You need to go back and check! There were plenty who pointed out how well Walker stepped in the first 2 games and played so well and how Peters gave up 11 sacks to Walkers 3. Don't forget those wwho poined out how we averaged a half yard more per carry running right than left. You don't remember all those Peters was a fat lazy bum comments or how Walker and Butler were the best players on the line. It might not have been you or your friends but it was plenty of insane similar comments going on until 6 days ago! Remember how some were quick to defend Walker once Mark Sclerth called him a journeyman? Face it: fans on this board over react and jump on board to bash players they don't like; especially those who want to be paid or leave. Once they make a bad play the haters jump on it, point it out and others feed in and then they make it indictative of that players whole body of work. It goes the same way in the opposite direction as some can make one key play and it can get overhyped for days to weeks; especially if they play a position of a player who is being ganged banged!

 

You are right, people pointed out that he played better then Peters last year, and that Peters probably would have never played up to his potential again with the Bills, due to his lack of desire to play for them anymore. Don't think saying that someone played better means that someone is better though, as Peters at his best is pretty darn good.

 

I am one of the people that is glad we got as much as we did for Peters, and feel that he never would have put out much effort as long as he was still with Buffalo. I personally would rather have a good player that wants to play and gives his all, than a great player who is just going through the motions. I felt that Walker would be able to man the position OK till someone better came along, but didn't anticipate that he also would only go through the motions. While I don't think Bell is necessarily ready to step into the starting roll, I would rather have a enthusiastic, motivated player that has potential to be very good, than a overweight out of shape player who doesn't want to be here, or an overweight player that doesn't want to play the position and lets it show in his play.

 

So even though Walker didn't work out, I am behind the trade of Peters, and feel we traded him just in time to get the most value back for him. If he would have continued playing like last year, we would have been in far worse shape than we are now with Bell, in my opinion.

[rstencel]

I love how everyone gets on Walker, like he did something to us as Bills fans. He may have been a fatass but he is/was a better athlete then 2/3 of the fatasses on this board. I'm not a LW fan but I have no reason to make fun of him...

 

Very true, he is a very good athlete, even when overweight. That is why Bills had confidence that he could make the switch. He played OK there last year as well. With a full training camp, he has the athletic ability to be able to play the position, not at an all-pro level, but well enough to make it through a season. However they didn't anticipate his lack of motivation or desire at making the move, or that he would not put his heart into it, so they had no real choice to move on and step up the development of Bell, really.

[Hazed and Amuzed]

How about because he's fat?

 

 

Why would I make fun of him because he's fat? I don't make fun of you for being gay...

[Hazed and Amuzed]

Very true, he is a very good athlete, even when overweight. That is why Bills had confidence that he could make the switch. He played OK there last year as well. With a full training camp, he has the athletic ability to be able to play the position, not at an all-pro level, but well enough to make it through a season. However they didn't anticipate his lack of motivation or desire at making the move, or that he would not put his heart into it, so they had no real choice to move on and step up the development of Bell, really.

 

 

Now this I can agree with...

[Wilson from Gamehendge]

Looks like he's showcasing his skills on youtube.

 

 

 

Wow man, that was funny. Seriously, that might be the funniest post I've ever seen here. Seriously...

 

 

"This has been a video from Fatman productions! Goodbye everybody...have a nice dayyy"

 

For some reason I found that guy hilarious.

 

 

 

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! That was one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. I love how he keeps talking about his beer and chips, "MMMMM...very good...MMMMM!" LOL!!!

[rstencel]

WOW...LOL...Nailed it on the head right there buddy!!!

 

It's funny how people talk themselves into justifying what their heart feels in ignorance of reality. If I had the time I would love to create a list of the "Screw Peters" people who said Langston was better and would be a fine replacement.

 

Nothing better than shoving it in people's faces when they argue so vehemently that they are being logical when it is SO obvious they are just being emotional and pissed about a guys business acumen. These guys talked themselves into believing not only that he wasn't a pro bowler but he was actually a substandard LT!

 

FOOLS!

 

These are also the people that claimed that Langston wasn't putting forth the proper effort and that's why he wasn't a adequate replacement for Peters.

 

CLOWNS!!!!

 

You don't take a slow, lumbering, road grating, 6'8" 360, career RT and try to replace a pro bowl LT AND THEN have the nerve to blame him for not putting in enough effort to overcome the fact that he was SO obviously physically and athletically unfit for the job. Cold does of reality for ya!!!!!

 

SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!

 

I'll give you he is slow and lumbering now. If you look at his foot work on tapes from last couple of years however he has shown fairly good quickness. He is athletically capable of playing LT if give him help, since he can slide out, and has strength to be out of position and still hold a block. however he needs to be in peak condition, due to his weight in order for his athletic abilities to show. He did not appear to be no wheres near as quick out of his stance as last year even.

 

Really have to disagree that effort had nothing to do with it. Not putting the effort to get into shape is a reason for him to be so much slower than was last year. He would be much better if played at 315-320 range most likely, but has shown that he is capable of being serviceable even when playing 350 range, when he is in shape.

 

I think he would have been OK for a season if he would have really put full effort forth, and been in top shape. Would have taken the whole off-season most likely however, as well as some good coaching.

[Cookiemonster]

No way that dude gets drunk on a can of beer, with his body weight, he would have

to drink like 40 beers in like 40 seconds to even be approcaching the legal limt.

[PDaDdy]

It has happened every year and this is why this team is always on the VERGE of being a breakout sleeper team but it never happens. Every year we either start or finish strong to keep hope alive and so we bring in an overhyped Free agent or every once in a while a proven household name or two to sell tickets to keep hope alive. And the fans on this board as well as BuffaloBills always exaggerate an individual players affect on the game. They make it seem like if we replace this player then we'd be a contender or if it is a player they hate on then they go out of their way to point out every mistake they make; acting like great players can never miss a block, drop a ball, throw a bad pass, or get knock on their @$$; you get the picture! What really irks me is that everytime a player leaves; doesn't matter via trade, free agency or is cut, they go out their way to bash that players value to the team. Bruce is washed and overrated and always thinks he is worth more than he is; Pat Williams was just fat and took up space; all London Flethcer does was make tackles 10 yards down field; Peters was a lazy bum who was a sack machine; the list goes on and on. I know there will be some who will deny ever making such claims but believe I'm not making this up; you know who you are!

 

No Walker wasn't a top quality tackle; especially one who could play either side with great success. No, he wasn't the road grinder those Peters bashers tried to play him out to be as the team averaged more runs yards running right than left. Those who truly know and watch the game would see that while he gave up few sacks he never played on an island as he always got RB/TE help. But while he wasn't a dominant player, he was a serviceable RT and wasn't a weak link. So for those who wanted to bash Peters to act like Walker was the best player on our line and was an upgrade or to those who now act like Walker was a bum player are completely out of line and clueless!

 

Why can't more fans be rational as just except things as they are? There is no team, especially in this day of free agency that is stacked with Pro Bowl talent for aevery starter. There are Pro Bowl players who don't excel at every facet of the game but play in systems that allow them to excell at their strengths. Until the Bills get consistent QB play (I haven't given up on Trent yet), get a quality coaching staff that can establish an identity, somebody who can judge talent and bring in players to fit our system and/or coaching that is flexible to find schemes to play to the strengths of our players we will never be consistently good.

 

Definitely some good points in there. QB has been a problem for us since Kelly. A fact that everyone here laments. It's not the only way to make the play offs or win a super bowl but it sure freakin' helps and we haven't had that guy since.

 

Of course we can't be stocked with pro bowl talent at every position. It's just one facet, but we need to be willing to pay at least SOME of the good to pro bowl talent we draft or develop. We hang on to and over pay for chumps for lineman and let GOOD to GREAT CBs run through us like a turnstile. We should be drafting impact players at any position that gives us value when its our pick instead of continually restocking the shelves with CB because we won't pay the last guy fair market value.

[PDaDdy]

You are right, people pointed out that he played better then Peters last year, and that Peters probably would have never played up to his potential again with the Bills, due to his lack of desire to play for them anymore. Don't think saying that someone played better means that someone is better though, as Peters at his best is pretty darn good.

 

I am one of the people that is glad we got as much as we did for Peters, and feel that he never would have put out much effort as long as he was still with Buffalo. I personally would rather have a good player that wants to play and gives his all, than a great player who is just going through the motions. I felt that Walker would be able to man the position OK till someone better came along, but didn't anticipate that he also would only go through the motions. While I don't think Bell is necessarily ready to step into the starting roll, I would rather have a enthusiastic, motivated player that has potential to be very good, than a overweight out of shape player who doesn't want to be here, or an overweight player that doesn't want to play the position and lets it show in his play.

 

So even though Walker didn't work out, I am behind the trade of Peters, and feel we traded him just in time to get the most value back for him. If he would have continued playing like last year, we would have been in far worse shape than we are now with Bell, in my opinion.

 

This is half of the problem. Walker was pretty decent at RT.

 

IT'S NOT HIS FAULT THE BILLS BRAIN TRUST TRIED TO MAKE HIM A LT!!!!!

 

 

Walker isn't, never was and never will be a LT!!!! He doesn't have the athleticism OR body type to do it!!!! It would be like trying to play Freddie Jackson at FB and complaining that he is undersized and not strong at the point of attack. He's NOT A FULL BACK....NEVER WILL BE!!

[PDaDdy]

Very true, he is a very good athlete, even when overweight. That is why Bills had confidence that he could make the switch. He played OK there last year as well. With a full training camp, he has the athletic ability to be able to play the position, not at an all-pro level, but well enough to make it through a season. However they didn't anticipate his lack of motivation or desire at making the move, or that he would not put his heart into it, so they had no real choice to move on and step up the development of Bell, really.

 

 

Where do you get this "lack of motivation" BS from? I haven't read a word of that anywhere!!! AGAIN this is the problem. People hated Peters so much and thought so little of the LT position that they though you could take any 300+ lb guy and shove him in there to protect Trent's blind side. If they don't succeed...IT'S BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH!!!

 

The Raiders, the Raiders for crying out loud, tried him at LT and he failed miserably. Why did we think he was going to succeed a few years later for us?

 

Get a clue!!!

[PDaDdy]

I'll give you he is slow and lumbering now. If you look at his foot work on tapes from last couple of years however he has shown fairly good quickness. He is athletically capable of playing LT if give him help, since he can slide out, and has strength to be out of position and still hold a block. however he needs to be in peak condition, due to his weight in order for his athletic abilities to show. He did not appear to be no wheres near as quick out of his stance as last year even.

 

Really have to disagree that effort had nothing to do with it. Not putting the effort to get into shape is a reason for him to be so much slower than was last year. He would be much better if played at 315-320 range most likely, but has shown that he is capable of being serviceable even when playing 350 range, when he is in shape.

 

I think he would have been OK for a season if he would have really put full effort forth, and been in top shape. Would have taken the whole off-season most likely however, as well as some good coaching.

 

 

You're kidding right?

 

The guy is listed at a "kind" 366 lbs for his now 8 year career. He probably hasn't weighed 315-320 since high school! What makes you think he could drop nearly 50lbs from the draft in April when he heard about the position switch to Training camp in August? Even if he had bypass surgery how would you expect him to be effective shedding that much weight that quickly. You lose muscle as well when you try to do that.

[rstencel]

Where do you get this "lack of motivation" BS from? I haven't read a word of that anywhere!!! AGAIN this is the problem. People hated Peters so much and thought so little of the LT position that they though you could take any 300+ lb guy and shove him in there to protect Trent's blind side. If they don't succeed...IT'S BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH!!!

 

The Raiders, the Raiders for crying out loud, tried him at LT and he failed miserably. Why did we think he was going to succeed a few years later for us?

 

Get a clue!!!

 

From his own interview comments for one. Fact he would stand around so much in plays for another. Looked at tapes from last year, compared to this preseason, and noticed that he didn't have the hustle or follow through has shown in past. When play was away from him, he would hold his blocks, when no one rushed him he would look for someone to block, and finished his blocks frequently. This preseason he did allot of watching when play wasn't his way, and when he blocked, he only held for a few seconds then let go allot, rather than driving and or finishing. Can understand him not being able to keep up with a smaller guy sometimes, but if gets his hands on them, he should be able to finish them like has shown in past.

 

Yes he wasn't very good with the Raiders. It looked like he just quit on them the last year he was there effort wise. He played good at times for them, but let his play tail off, and was getting a bit worse every year it seemed.

 

I do feel he was pretty good with the Bills the last few years, wasn't an all-pro by any means, but more than held his own. Just like Dockery and Peters, he didn't seem to play with as much energy or desire, as had shown in past. Reminds me allot of the Raiders actually. Look at how many players have had their worst years when playing for Raiders lately. Shoot even Randy Moss look ordinary playing for them.

 

Hopefully Bills aren't turning into Raiders East.

[Malazan]

All rational and reasonable positions, Hide! Quick!

[rstencel]

You're kidding right?

 

The guy is listed at a "kind" 366 lbs for his now 8 year career. He probably hasn't weighed 315-320 since high school! What makes you think he could drop nearly 50lbs from the draft in April when he heard about the position switch to Training camp in August? Even if he had bypass surgery how would you expect him to be effective shedding that much weight that quickly. You lose muscle as well when you try to do that.

 

 

I wasn't meaning to imply that he would ever actually play at that weight, just that he would be one heck of an athlete if could get to it. What I meant it to say is that if he got in shape, and got to the 350 range. He would be much quicker at changing directions, and have quicker first step that is needed for LT. Doubt he was much less than 380 this year however, and he looked bigger this year than last to me.