MarlinTheMagician
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Posts posted by MarlinTheMagician
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More or less agree, but I don't think the team is necessarily less competitive right now. As was explored in another post, I like the 2017 receivers as a group much more than the 2016 group. Darby was not a plus last year, IMHO. And we got the picks.
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Eagles had a desperate need at corner that we were able to take advantage of. That doesn't make anything "wrong" with Matthews.
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Some of the "talent wins" rubbish in this thread I just can't believe. Same with the "Sammy was a hard-worker and more talented" defensiveness. As the OP, did not even suggest anything bad about Sammy or suggest one should accept lesser talent to get a hard worker.
What was said was Jordan Matthews is in fact and exceptionally hard worker, and a great teammate. An accomplished pro. That says nothing bad about Sammy or accepting lesser talent for a "character guy." Those cannot be bad traits in any world I know of.
And we didn't trade Sammy for Mathews anyhow, we traded Darby for Mathews. And Darby - by my eye test - was quite poor last year and is not a scheme fit. He is not physical. He does not seem a powerful tackler. That we got a solid, professional, hard-working WR and a 3rd for a corner we didn't really want is fantastic.
Jordan Matthews is not Sammy, never said he was. But they traded Sammy because either (i) they did not want to pay up for as-yet significantly unrealized potential and have another albatross contract, or (ii) they knew Sammy did not want to be here. Getting a pro like Matthews to fill that hole is a positive, as is his stellar character, as is his size and ability to work a zone. And as one poster above is - he is the kind of guy this admin wants to bring in. Which we should cheer. That says nothing bad about Sammy.
And there ARE number 1 wideouts in 2018 FA I would rather give "Sammy money" to than Sammy given this injury history. That has nothing to do with the fact that Jordan Matthews is a nice add to our team. And as I said, I liked Sammy, had a Watkins jersey - wishing him well. But Jordan Matthews and his "high character," lunch-bucket, Buffalo guy (perhaps old Buffalo) work ethic are a valuable addition independent of Sammy.
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We have a difference in approach. My character team is jacked and nasty. They are fit. They will wreck your hungover, club-going, suspended and preening prima donnas.
Read an article about Zay Jones' Dad Robert - jacked and nasty, but of the highest character. A gamer.
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The above says he plays with "physicality" - I thought it said he was a good tackler too. I might have dropped that part. I think his limitation from the reviews is he is not the guy you would want to run deep with an AJ Green type in single coverage. He is too short (and his arms are too short!). Sounds like a stubby dude who will nail your butt if he has a shot at you. High football IQ and recognition. Guy is good for zone "Plays with swagger" it says.
Sounds like a guy you could use as a zone corner to combat Brady's two yard pass routes. Poor top-end speed perhaps, but immediate "recognition" and a willingness to quickly commit to stop what he sees:
2.) He’s limited for size and speedGaines was a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft for a reason, chiefly his measurables. He’s too small to cover big men and too slow to cover burners. He is limited in his usage to zone packages and man coverage underneath.
So the range of what he can do is relatively small.
That being said...
3.) What he can do, he does wellThere’s a reason Gaines beat out Brandon McGee in 2014. McGee was a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft who had a full year more expertise and coaching that Gaines. Gaines simply outplayed him to win the starting nod three seasons ago.
A blend of physicality and awareness, Gaines was always quick to the spot and in position. It was that ability to diagnose the development of the offensive play and his immediate ability to commit to the appropriate angle that had Rams fans, and spectators in general, impressed with his ability.
If he’s fully healthy and the Bills ensure they limit his exposure to situations where his lack of size and speed won’t be exploited, I won’t be surprised at all if he has a bounceback year in 2017.
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Doesn't matter. Matthews, Gaines, Boldin are the kind of character guys this admin is bringing in.
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Sadly, I was only good enough to play this great game through high school. But even then -- you knew who the gamers were in the huddle. Sometimes they were the among the most skilled on the team and sometimes they were not. I want a team full of gamers. It is why we loved Fred. And they need not all be choirboys. LeSean is a gamer. I think Randy Moss was a gamer - his teammates loved him. And a team full of character is a team that is easy to love, which is what I want in my Bills (playoff birth would not suck either).
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I started the other thread on Matthews' character so I thought I would read up on Gaines. Seems like he is the same type of guy, and fits their scheme. Too bad he has skinny ankles and short arms. Kidding aside, he is physical, which Darby was not. Darby could cover, but his lack of physicality always seemed a weakness - even in his good year. Seems there is a plan - we got a physical player with character who fits their scheme, hooray!
OVERVIEWTeam captain. Bench pressed at the combine but was medically excluded otherwise (pelvis).
ANALYSIS STRENGTHSGood muscularity and thin ankles. Fills aggressively and supports the run. Likes to hit. Plays with confidence and carries a swagger. Good attitude and football demeanor. Competes hard and brings energy to the field. Good eyes and route recognition. Has experience matching up with slot receivers in nickel coverage and has returned punts. Very good career production on the ball. Proven special teams coverage defender.
WEAKNESSESIs short and short-armed. Plays a lot into the boundary.
BOTTOM LINE
Strong, physical zone corner with the toughness, awareness and football IQ to function highly in short spaces. A solid tackler, Gaines plays bigger than his size and takes a professional approach.
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And this year should show if TT can be that. If he can't, we have the dry powder to make a run at getting one In the meanwhile, I will take a team with guys like Boldin and Matthews and Zay and Shady. Even TT - incredible work ethic. If the players with good character that you have are not good enough to win you can upgrade the talent through the draft and free agency, but you build a TEAM. If you have a bunch of Percy Harvin/Dareus/Mario types, the team culture will defeat you regardless of what you put on the field.
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Our receiving corps is worlds better. Maybe you don't remember last year. Seems like TT was pitching it to street free agents every week. We had that tall dude from the scrap heap that could only catch a 3 yard touchdown pass, Walt Powell, Woods who was a statue after an 8 yard out, Glass Goodwin. As a group, what a pile of junk. And we had to breathlessly read articles every week about Sammy's foot praying he could come in and salvage the mess. Yuk. Love this group in comparison.
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I will take high character players every time. I believe it is an essential of a winning formula. Because Dick Jauron failed you doubt that? Players that have low work ethic become out of shape and get hurt. Players with low character get suspended. Seems we have a D tackle that would have taught you that.
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I liked Sammy and wish him the best. But I like this trade for a host of reasons - I know there is a thread on that.
What I would like to note in this thread is that with Matthews we get a player of exceptional character and intelligence. A team leader. Google it - I was going to paste in an article on this point, but there are SO many I did not.
He is disciplined, he is an incredibly hard worker, he gives back to the community. He is a chiseled, bulldog of a receiver - I can't remember us ever having one quite like him from a physicality standpoint (Moulds maybe, but he was almost more like Sammy with his downfield ability that I don't think Matthews can match). He is a great teammate- check it, article after article says he was one of the most respected men in the Eagles locker room. He is compared to Jordy Nelson, which I would take in a heartbeat. His story is similar to that of Zay Jones, he worked extraordinarily hard to become what he is and I think he reflects what the new administration wants on the field - and in the locker room and off the field. We should welcome him with open arms. A Buffalo kind of guy. Lunch bucket.
Go Bills! -
Logan, O'Leary, Gragg and Annen - we should be able to find a #2 from that lot. Though Barnage would be nice!
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Agree on this - my major disappointment in Tyrod is absence of points in crunch time. But this year is worth seeing to see if he can fix that. So glad they signed him. Can develop Peterman, look next year, without the pressure of oppressive levels of suck.
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I don't understand the Tyrod hate. He takes care of the ball and can put points on the board. He is unconventional - doesn't help in some of the ways a QB usually does, and helps in other ways a QB usually doesn't. But he is a leader, a good guy, has a high compete level. I am hoping he can take a step forward this year and maybe we don't need a guy. I don't agree it is "proven" you can't win with him. Our defense couldn't stop Orchard Park High last year.
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Good point on Annen too. I have no idea if he or Gragg are the better prospect. I like O'Leary's competitiveness, but he seems too small and slow. Annan and Gragg LOOK the part to me.
Remember Matthew Mulligan? Did that guy have pictures of Rex or something? What a zero - can't believe he got so much PT in Rex year 1.
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He is all of 26 years old, and he was a developmental choice, so we knew it would take some time. Now is when he should be ready to start paying some dividends (a year delayed because of injury last year).
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I am not saying he is All-Pro potential, but has not been on the team long enough that he ever got a full shot. I think he would have had that last year but for the cheap shot vs. Skins.
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Hope we sign him back. Play in London was poor, but laugh can't be over-interrupted. Could have just been embarrassed. Run the highlights on his Twitter, in addition to that embarrassing play in London there are some deep seam catches that we could use.
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Barnage likely the better choice, but other poster's comment that Jacksonville will be "all-in" on him seems logical. Can't hurt to bring Gragg into camp on the cheap. Looked like he was doing quite well last year until the cheap shot against the Redskins.
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Always liked his athleticism. His Twitter says he is healthy. Never has been any kind of problem, shows up every day. Any chance we retain? I like him for TE depth better than a lot of the dumpster dives. He is still young. Supposedly has a workout for the Colts scheduled. I suspect he would catch a lot of passes from Andrew Luck.
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No way. Take the two years on Tyrod and draft a QB. Let Cardale and new QB fight it out for "next up" if Tyrod doesn't pan out. You still don't have many $$$ tied up in the position compared to most teams. I am not prepare for Rob Johnson 2.0.
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Fish stink.
Bills 31 Vermin 10
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Tyrod was very productive but clearly flawed last year and instead of making adding weapons to his arsenal the top priority they subtracted and expected him to do more with less.
The additions were focused......naturally.......on Rex's pride and joy defense.
The right thing to do was find a way to get a big 1A quality WR across from Watkins and let Tyrod develop within the system doing the two things he does very well.......throw deep and orchestrate a running game.
It's plausible at least that after a 2-3 full seasons in the same offense he could improve wrt to knowing where and when to go with the football on intermediate throws.
I think this is exactly right. Pick a wideout. Let Sammy earn a contract or walk. if he can't stay on the field we can't pay him what he will want.
I Feel Bad For Kyle Williams
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
No reason to feel bad. Team is improved vs. last year in my view. Getting rid of the inane Rex show and incomprehensible defense should be huge. Offense looks to me to be comparable to or better than last year when we put up plenty of points. The receivers were poor last year, and I think we have a group that can outperform what we had (if not outperform Sammy's "upside"). Added a piece to the O-line, and I think Logan Thomas will help over the middle. Offense stands to be at least as good, and I believe D will be much better. We will see!