Flip Johnson
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Posts posted by Flip Johnson
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1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:
One important thing about last year and this year:
Last year, I was one of the few that said Foster was likely going to make the week 1 roster. Many said I was crazy. Why did I say he would...not because of all the catches he made, but because he brought something different the other likely kept WRs didnt have...and that was speed and getting open. He was struggling tracking the ball in preseason, but he was blowing by defenders and getting open. That different element is what gave him the edge to crack the roster.
This year, enter Duke Williams (and David Sills V). Like last year, they both have strengths to their game that are not present in the other likely WRs to be on this roster. Beane brought in 3 big WRs now, and thats a strong indicator he is looking for some size to compliment the other WRs and give Allen a big Redzone and first down target to work with.
There are only so many spots available, and Brown, Foster, and Cole are pretty safe bets to not only be here week 1, but be the top 3 pecking order to start the year off. Zay could still win a starting spot, and he WILL be given that shot. But its a lot harder this year than facing off against the likes of Andre Holmes last year. If he doesnt crack the starting unit, now he is in battle with guys who bring a totally different dimension to the group and based on Beanes comments and signings, its clear Beane desires some size in this room.
So, again, this is why I think Zay has an uphill battle. And like last year, many said I was crazy about what I said about Foster, and he turned out to be our best WR by seasons end.
Zay will not only be on the team, he is likely to lead the team in catches.
The idea that Duke Williams who runs a 4.7 and has played his whole career in Canada, and a UDFA from W. Virginia is somehow endangering Zay Jones' status is absurd.
He is an improving player that showed good chemistry with JA down the stretch last year. He will probably go for 65 and 800 this year and we'll still be seeing posts about how he sucks.
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59 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:
Truthfully, When Whaley won the offseason.
However, JA seems like the real deal and better than any QB we’ve had since Bledsoe.
McDermott seems like a better coach than any since Phillips.
Beane seems like a better GM since Polian
I truly believe we are at the beginning of perennial playoff contention..
I feel better about the franchise than I have in 25+ years - smart people with the trust of ownership that are implementing a cohesive vision.
Similar to the Bears in 2018, we are setup to contend for the next 3 years of JA's contract. If he ascends into a star and gets elite money, then we could have a 10-year run of contention. But he is good enough today to have this team in the mix for the playoffs this year.
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Fat Bob's
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3 hours ago, Formerly Allan in MD said:
Truly a sad development. Once again, no matter what you hear about "stability" and "family concerns," it's all about money.
He apparently turned down UNLV who was offering 1.6M - double the UB money.
Money is obviously a factor but most likely so is ambition. College basketball is rigged in such a way that if you want to go to Sweet 16s and Finals 4s with consistency you need to be in a P5 school or be Gonzaga.
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18 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:
John Brown: 3 year, 27 million dollar deal
Cole Beasley, 4 year, 29 million dollar deal
If it's between Zay, Foster and Duke, then you may very well have made your own self look ridiculous.
GOOD LUCK, CHUCK!!!
It would be strange to interpret the signing of Beasley and Brown as a shot across the bow against Zay Jones and Foster.
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For a mid-round pick I am all in. If his speed/explosiveness come all the way back he is a game-breaking athlete.
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36 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:
I could be wrong, but this is just what I believe based on the additions I expect Beane to make in the WR room. I have no issues if others don't agree, just my opinion on the matter, nothing more.
I have consistently said this all off season, and McDermott just said something again that enforces that belief. I think they see how the Rams cleared out their WR room and so did the Bears and in both cases their young QB's took big strides as passers. Eagles did the same for Wentz too.
"We're looking for guys that can get open and catch the ball." Yes, that is an obvious trait for any WR, but also its telling that he and Beane keep making these comments given the struggles all year, including Zay, to do these very basic things.
I think the WR room will be crowded once free agency and the draft is over (likely 2 to 3 additions) and Zay is going to be someone who has to really impress in camp to make this roster. Right now, there is not one part of being a wide receiver that Zay does particularly well outside of his reported good work ethic.
- Hands: Struggles catching the ball. Makes easy catches look hard and drops too many passes.
- Separation: Has struggled to get separation, especially playing on the outside.
- Route Running: Part of his issue with getting separation is his inconsistent route running.
- Speed: He has average speed. He is fast enough to play in the league, but to be consistent with his speed he needs to be a good route runner.
- Physicality: He is easily man handled by physical corners. Games like the Lions and Pats this year he was dominated physically for example.
- Contested Catches: One of the weakest part of his game.
- Catch Radius: Very limited mostly due to his inconsistent hands and lack of physicality.
Foster: Penciled in as a projected #2 WR. However, if we bring in a potential starter in FA and also draft one early, then Foster is no lock for #2 and could be used more out of the slot or as a deep threat. Additionally, if we draft say Metcalf or make a splashy trade for someone like Brown (less likely), then Duke could make a real challenge for #2 as a big catch radius compliment to a #1 who poses a real deep threat opposite him.
Duke: He has to prove himself in the NFL, I get that. But if we take an honest assessment of him, his issues were never talent related. He isn't a speed burner, but he has a big catch radius, runs good routes, and has great hands. He could legit compete for the #2 opposite a big play #1. Even if not a #2, its more than reasonable he has a legit shot to make this team and compete for minutes.
Zay: Best suited for the slot, however his lack of consistent hands and his issues with separation make his spot there vulnerable. If our top 2 WR's this next season dont include Foster, then I can easily see Foster challenging to play in the slot, and he already has surpassed Zay.
We are adding at least 2 additonal WR's (and maybe 3) this offseason expected to start or compete to start to go along with the 3 guys already here. With McD and Beanes consistent comments about getting open and catching the ball, I think Zay is in trouble and will be a training camp trade for a 4th round or conditional 5th round pick.
This is the rare, well-written, carefully reasoned, totally ridiculous take on this board.
The Bills need WRs.
They have a 23yr old that they invested a 2nd round pick in.
He is cost-controlled.
He more than doubled his catches in year 2.
There is zero chance he gets cut this year.
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The issue with AB - for starters.
- He is 30.
- He has a big contract.
- He has a HOF QB throwing him the ball and is the focal point of one of the best five offenses in the league. And yet he is unhappy. Why would he be happy in Buffalo?
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6 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:
I talking about Bills players who sit in their rented condos all day playing Madden saying there's nothing to do, as opposed to actually getting out and seeing what's there.
Now I'll grant you, I'm an old white guy. Maybe if you're young and black Buffalo is a ghost town.
I love Buffalo and think the "there's not much to do" angle gets overplayed. But I think what's tough about Buffalo is not the lack of things to do per se, but how hard it would be to be a legitimate celebrity because of the relative smallness of the city and the obsession with the football team.
For example, a guy like Marshawn Lynch can go to Seattle or Oakland and just blend in and nobody bothers him. But if he goes down to Chippewa he can't be left alone. Guys like Fitz and Fred Jackson thrived here but they had big families and hung out in Orchard Park. Mario Williams seemed like more of a loner so he didn't struggle. If the Bills ever traded for OBJ or Antonio Brown it isn't that there's nothing to do - it's that it's such a fishbowl. Why would Tyrod Taylor and Lesean get pictured together in Toronto? They can go there and not be bothered. Even the old Bills did a lot of their nightlife on the other side of the border.
Allen does fit Buffalo in that sense because he comes from a small town and seems to be all about football.
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12 hours ago, Starr Almighty said:
I have never seen anyone bring up a single star player that everyone didn't have an issue with the Bills acquiring. It's like the fanbase is afraid of having a great player. Great players act arrogant get over it.
He is a known malcontent and his talent hasn't converted to wins.
Great players may often act confident/arrogant - but you don't see OBJ type antics from Julio Jones, Hopkins, Michael Thomas, AJ Green, etc.
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That would make a great poster.
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He's completely dispensable and probably will be dispensed of this offseason.
Brady really doesn't throw the ball outside the numbers very often or very effectively anymore. The Pats are not going to invest heavily on an outside receiver at this point.
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If you read Collision Low Crossers which covers a season with the Jets (2011), it's painfully obvious that Rex is not the organized CEO that most teams need. And this is from an author who obviously found Ryan to be immensely likeable.
Rex could have been successful if he had these four things.
1. The physical energy he had in his 40s
2. The number of practices that NFL teams used to have.
3. A veteran core who understood his system and could communicate it.
4. A solid OC (this could have been Roman - he got thrown under the bus in the mess of 2016).
I don't think the Pegulas understood the NFL enough at the time of the hire, and obviously it cost the team several years.
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21 minutes ago, richardb1952 said:
There is no reason not to bring him back. Bills could still cut him during final cuts if his injury concerns are still there. You know what you have with Clay, and if you find someone better for $4.5 Million or more, decide then.The $4.5 dead cap is there whether he is cut now or anytime later.
There is no reason not to bring him back?
Clay had 21 catches last year. McDermott made him inactive in December. There's nothing left to see.
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Wade has done it before and has the horses to bring the interior pressure that Brady hates.
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22 minutes ago, Bob Chandler's Hands said:
Any answer other than Bruce Smith is wrong.
And folks who say "Eric Moulds" clearly didn't see Andre Reed play. One is in the HOF, the other one will not be.
It has to be Bruce.
Thurman is a top 15 all-time RB, Reed is a top 15-all time WR, but Bruce is top 15 all-time period.
And OJ isn't a process guy.
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His body is shot.
There's no evidence that Buffalo means anything to him.
He would be pricy - no way is a guy that gets endorsement deals and acting gigs going to play one more season without at least 5-7M.
Add the hit on Tre, which is the dirtiest play I have seen in years, and I can't think of anyone in the league that I would be less enthusiastic about the Bills signing.
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And now they are closing a deal with Gregg Williams as their DC. So there will be two super normal people running the Jets.
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At some point Elway needs to either come down and coach the team or start leaving his staff alone.
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2 hours ago, BringBackFergy said:
Greatest Bills’ WR’s to never demonstrate anything:
* Brandon Reilly
* Da’Rick Rogers
* Duke Williams
* Naaman Roosevelt.
These same people all wanted us to cut Robert Foster after his first preseason drop.
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1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:
I mean Kingsbury straight up in an interview say that he's an unbelievable talent and he would take him #1 overall....
It's one thing to make a hypothetical statement about the#1 pick in the draft while you coach the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. It is another thing to actually pull the trigger.
Also, Steve Keim is still the GM and he drafted Rosen.
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1 hour ago, Ittakestime said:
He will need to take a DC job. I would recommend he takes a job with one of these young coaches so he can control everything while they won't threaten him. He should go to Arizona where they already run a 3-4
- His scheme is outdated.
- He would need a stable of veterans (Ed Reed, Jim Leonard, Bart Scott, etc.) to install it, along with the number of practices that used to be allowed by the NFLPA.
- He doesn't seem interested in working hard enough to reinvent himself or starting over as a position coach or coordinator.
I think he's done.
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28 minutes ago, Logic said:
I think it's for the best that Reich never became the Bills head coach.
The pressure on him here would be ASTRONOMICAL. Not only that, but the fear that all of his ex-teammates would be too much of a distraction is probably a real one.
All things considered, I'm happy with how things turned out.This is a good point.
To have asked Reich to come in and break the drought would have been incredible pressure and it would have looked similar to when Marv Levy was brought in as GM in 2006.
There's no doubt that Reich benefitted from his time with Philly. He fell into a great situation with Indy and he's making the most of it. Happy for him. I don't wish that he was here.
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A lot depends on who exactly is in charge.
In Buffalo it truly is McDermott. That doesn't necessarily make Beane weak. But McDermott was given wide ranging authority and he found a GM that is implementing his vision.
If you think about it, this model is true of NE (Belichick), NO (Payton), and KC (Reid). You can be skeptical and say, 'what makes McDermott an authority on that level?' But I believe the Pegulas have empowered him to make a 10+ year run at this.
In Cleveland or Green Bay it is the GM in charge of finding a HC. Almost by definition you want a guy who won't threaten you and I'm not sure that's the healthiest thing for the success of the team.
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Calling it now: Zay Jones will not be on the week 1 roster.
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted · Edited by Flip Johnson
This is so bizarre. "Multiple NFL teams wanted them" ... sure, as UDFAs. Sills got passed by the whole league. Williams is on a futures contract. I hope they're great, but they are not exactly putting Zay Jones on notice.
There are only a few guys in the NFL at age 23 or below that matched or bested Zay Jones' production last year. He is an ascending player. Juju Smith-Schuster, Corey Davis, Chris Godwin, and DJ Moore were the only 4 WRs in the NFL at or above his level at his age. Do you think those guys are getting cut or traded?