Punch

Did David Martin not play again? Not that he was anything more than a serviceable veteran, but why bother sign him and not use him? Is Stupar that much better?

It was intended as a joke because so many posters were saying he is utterly useless. I think most people resort to using the term "bust" when a player has simply not lived up to his draft billing rather than him proving to be a disaster, like Leaf. So, Donte is the best option for SS on the team at the moment and there's no way we need to add more needs to this roster. He's serviceable and, as I've said earlier in this thread, plays with a lot of heart and is a good guy overall. The question posed at the outset of the thread is whether or not he is a bust because he was picked at #8, which is a pretty high spot and a player that should be a difference maker. Well, dater 4 years he's never been a difference maker. His draftosition is not his fault. The defense is not very good so maybe he'll suddenly turn out to be another Ed Reed once we can add a pass rush and competant underneath coverage.

Nm

I don't think anyone is realistically advocating they cut ties with the entire linebacking corps; but the issue at hand is giving Kelsay--- an average at best DE who does not really seem to fit as a 3-4 OLB--- a $24 million extension after getting paid $6 million/year for being... average. The guy has made a lot of money over the past 8 years for being average, and the timing of this extension is a little curious seeing that fans are not really stoked about the LBs and less than disinterested in retaining Chris Kelsay.

Mechanics and footwork can be improved but accuracy really comes down to having an innate feel for throwing the football and being able to rely on one's instincts. Once a QB begins "aiming" his throws is when it all starts to fall apart; he'll start gripping the ball too tightly and throwing the ball at the receiver's feet. I guess the best proof that accuracy cannot be taught is that so many guys with other quarterbacking skills have failed to learn how to be more accurate and subsequently fall out of the league. Sam Wyche worked JP pretty thoroughly to try and improve his accuracy but it never took.

If there were ever a place for people to whine about Donte Whitner it is probably this thread. I realize he's not the biggest problem for the 2010 Buffalo Bills, but he's not exactly helping the cause out there. I don't hate the guy, I just wish he could make his presence felt in a positive way as other DBs have, despite the monumentally dismal pass rush. He's not being asked to run stride for stride with Randy Moss for 5 seconds or even at all, but he was twice extraordinarily late in recognizing where the ball was going, and that's been his MO for 4 years, whether he's lined as a FS, SS or 2 Deep. Mentally, he's a little slow to react. Is it okay that I don't think he's that great despite the defense's other shortcomings and my own lack of defensive backfield playing experience? I'll hang up and listen.

What if fans are observing that a current player on the team is not god enough? Is that considered acceptable?

Williams had a terrific game. He was consistently getting a push and was not knocked off the ball in the run game. George Edwards didn't adjust the defensive alignment for whatever reason to counteract the Pats when they starting pounding the ball. But the most consistent player on D aside from Dwan Edwards was Williams; and he actually made plays when it counted (a sack and a batted pass) to force the punt and give the O the ball with plenty of time and a chance to win. He was relentless but he wasn't really helped by the coaching staff or his teammates.

Yes, IIRC the Bills and Dolphins were the only 2 two trams that went after him, but he unfortunately chose Miami.

Keeping 1 or 2 of either Torbor, Ayodele, Mitchell or Andra Davis would be okay so long as they are backups. Posluzsny is the only true starter but he has more than a few deficiencies, namely pass coverage and staying healthy. The rest of the group* can join John DiGiorgio, Brandon Spoon, and "Old" Eddie Robinson on the Island of Mediocre Misfit Linebackers. *Arthur Moats has talent but he has no idea how to tackle in the open field or cover. None of what you suggest has any bearing on whether or not Kelsay is a good linebacker. He has character and plays hard, but we need a few less "Rudys" on this team and a few more capable football players. They don't need to be criminals to be better than Kelsay.

Today, everything appeared serviceable with the exception of the pass rush. Dwan Edwards is terrific but Stroud is leaving a lot to be desired at DE. Kyle Williams may not have beastly size but he's playing like one and had a great game. The O-line was not the biggest problem but they could certainly use an upgrade at RT. I think Demetrius Bell may actually pan out and Cordero Howard has filled in pretty admirably at the G and T positions in spots. Stevie Johnson, Evans, and Parrish all got open (behind an admittedly poor Pats' secondary) and played well. All of these positions can be improved and none are 100% set, but by far the weakest link is the pass rush. A lot of the coverage breakdowns and weaknesses in the middle of the fieldat the LB position will disappear with some consistent pressure on the QB.

If not for the memorable pick 6 against Romo on Monday Night in 2007 I am at a total loss to recall a single positive play attributable to Kelsay. That's not to say he hasn't done "the little things" well over the years, but he's certainly never been a difference maker. And I don't think he's done the little things well, either, for the record.

Maybin has shown no ability to correctly read the play or stick with his coverage responsibilities when lined up as an OLB. I'm guessing he's being plugged in as a DE simply because at this point allowing him to pin his ears back and get after the QB is all he's really capable of, mentally anyway. Of course, getting to the QB as a DE isn't really working out for him, either. But his braind hasn't yet caught up to the more complicated responsibilities.

This is one of the most balanced and well considered posts on this or any other Bills' message board and I agree 100%.

The only "off the field" issue he has is that he needs to be "off the field", indefinitely. Then how about the janitor at the Ralph? He'll come cheaper and at least he has the speed to chase down a "sweep".

And that's certainly a manageable figure for a franchise coached by a guy that thinks he can fix a reclamation project with Edwards' "potential"--- maybe the Cardinals or the Seahawks. My feeling is that if Schefter's report is true that the Bills considered moving Trent in the offseason then it is possible that he "won" the QB competition in part by virtue of the fact he was being paraded in front of the league to show that he could still play. It's not like Gailey put all of his eggs in the Trent Edwards basket and staked his coaching reputation on him as some fans and radio personalities are suggesting.

Aaaahhh--- well, that's certainly been true. I've grown accustomed to ignoring typos and grammar errors on message boards so it didn't register.

That may not be the case exactly--- Leinart had a ridiculous contract that no team in their right mind would agree to pay. Edwards contract is pretty negligible. He's still playing under his rookie contract, which I think is still under $1 million/year.

Huh? I'm obviously not defending Whitner as evidenced by my previous posts on this very page of the thread. I'm saying it's obvious he's not a good safety and there shouldn't be any problem in pointing that out. The point of this thread is that Donte Whitner is "officially a bust". You yourself mention he is "an average safety". Average safeties are not drafted in the top 10... this is what identifies him as a bust. He makes tackles down the field because our linebacking crew is suspect (his hit/tackle on Hernandez was really nice, though). Whitner was definitely late to cover on the 2 Moss TDs, which is unacceptable for him to do on such a consistent basis. If Jairus Byrd is given any leeway for liabilities in his coverage responsibilities it is because he has, in less than one full season, proven to be ballhawk capable of making big plays. How many interceptions does Donte have since his career began in 2006?

I don't really get the problem with simply recognizing the obvious: Whitner has a good heart and all, he's just not a very good safety. It happens.

No one is crying---- if you haven't noticed him arriving late on plays where he is responsible for contributing help to the cornerbacks, allowing big play after big play, and literally never making a big play* (or even an average play) consistently for his entire professional career to date--- then you're the one that is ignorant. *he ran an INT 74 yards back for a TD against Tampa Bay last year and I think he had a pretty big INT against Brady in New England his rookie year... but that's it Wow, that's retarded. He is actually responsible for being a Strong Safety in the NFL. Today, he again failed at that responsibility. You can't really fault fans of the team for noticing that rather obvious fact.

That's like booking 3 mimes for a Friday night at a comedy club, then giving one of them an obscenely huge raise because he's the "best mime". It's still an awful way to spend a Friday night.

I'd trade Whitner to Detroit for Ko Simpson, straight up; name Scott the starting SS, then cut Simpson.

If Whitner were picked in the 3rd round he might be off the team by now. It's inexcusable for him to be a top 10 pick and still not have any awareness in coverage or proven tackling ability. He plays with heart and is a hard hitter but if it hasn't clicked by now then he clearly does not have the football acumen needed at that position. He's bringing down the rest of the otherwise talented secondary.

I think he means Urbik not Bell... Meredith has been serving as Bell's understudy when he needs a breather as he continues to recover from the knee injury he suffered last season.