James Hardy - Take a look at this

[Silvercrw]

Take a look at these Highlights. Was it nerves or what? He doesnt look anything like this anymore.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afr3PoA9ibI

 

I for one think he will grow into the position. This might be his year.

[kota]

People are insane. Rookie WR tend to suck their first year. He got hurt towards the end of his rookie year causing him to be on PUP for most of the season last year. Of course he hasn't done anything.

 

give him a break and you might actually see something this year.

[CarolinaBill]

People are insane. Rookie WR tend to suck their first year. He got hurt towards the end of his rookie year causing him to be on PUP for most of the season last year. Of course he hasn't done anything.

 

give him a break and you might actually see something this year.

+1 finally someone thinking rationally

[Mr. ChumChums]

+1 finally someone thinking rationally

 

Exactly. He isn't the type of receiver that had to run perfect routes, and learn the intricacies of route-running in college. Other recievers, like Desean Jackson and Eddie Royal, relied on speed and quickness, and hence, the ability to run great routes, which allowed them to contribute immediately at the pro level. Hardy was able to rely on his size and physical assets instead. In the pros, receivers like Hardy typically take 2-3 years to develop. Didn't Eric Moulds suck until his 3rd season?

[T master]

Take a look at these Highlights. Was it nerves or what? He doesnt look anything like this anymore.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afr3PoA9ibI

 

I for one think he will grow into the position. This might be his year.

 

The year he got picked he was who i was hoping for at that pick and i think given a chance in a decent scheme the guy will be money . He's got the tools & now with what ever he picked up from T.O. last year we could see him and Steve Johnson become very productive . But it always seems like Bills fans give up on players way to quick, heck he was out almost all of last year . Go Figure Look at what every body on the site says about Bromm & go back and look at his college highlights he was a QB with some good stuff, but because we want instant gratification kick them out of the NFL & get somebody else that can do it NOW !!!!!!!!

[DDD]

B-U-S-T.

[BB Fan 4 LIFE]

In my humble opinion, he does not high point the ball aggressively enough.

[Mr. WEO]

People are insane. Rookie WR tend to suck their first year. He got hurt towards the end of his rookie year causing him to be on PUP for most of the season last year. Of course he hasn't done anything.

 

give him a break and you might actually see something this year.

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

[Acantha]

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

That's cause Bills WR's tend to suck every year.

[SouthGeorgiaBillsFan]

I'm not really sure what was so impressive about those highlights. Every catch he made should have been made. He was clearly playing against inferior competition, thus taking advantage of his mismatches. On top of that, there wasn't anything particularly gifted athletically in those highlights. I also noticed how all of the highlights are against Purdue, Ball State, Penn State, Minnesota, and ECU. No highlights from the games against the Big-10 teams that were actually competitive...much less against ranked opponents. But yea...he is the 2nd coming of Randy Moss who is going to explode the record books when he gets healthy....

[Acantha]

I'm not really sure what was so impressive about those highlights. Every catch he made should have been made. He was clearly playing against inferior competition, thus taking advantage of his mismatches. On top of that, there wasn't anything particularly gifted athletically in those highlights. I also noticed how all of the highlights are against Purdue, Ball State, Penn State, Minnesota, and ECU. No highlights from the games against the Big-10 teams that were actually competitive...much less against ranked opponents. But yea...he is the 2nd coming of Randy Moss who is going to explode the record books when he gets healthy....

Which is exactly what everyone is saying.

[Wagon Circler]

That's cause Bills WR's tend to suck every year.

Really sick and tired of this B.S. Lee Evans is a very good receiver.

He has no one to throw the ball to him.

owens was thrown to last year about twicw as ofter.

Fact: A Bills quarterback has not had a three hundred yard passing game in seven years.

SEVEN YEARS!

Is that because of the wide receivers or the guys throwing the football?

Please stop blaming Lee Evans for our dysfunctional passing game.

The guy keeps his mouth shut and catches the football.

[Acantha]

Really sick and tired of this B.S. Lee Evans is a very good receiver.

He has no one to throw the ball to him.

owens was thrown to last year about twicw as ofter.

Fact: A Bills quarterback has not had a three hundred yard passing game in seven years.

SEVEN YEARS!

Is that because of the wide receivers or the guys throwing the football?

Please stop blaming Lee Evans for our dysfunctional passing game.

The guy keeps his mouth shut and catches the football.

Settle down, Nancy.

[John Adams]

Fact: A Bills quarterback has not had a three hundred yard passing game in seven years.

SEVEN YEARS!

 

That's not a fact but no one is going to argue that the Bills haven't had a good QB in a long time.

 

Nor should anyone argue that Lee Evans is a stud WR.

 

And nor should anyone think that James Hardy's performances against Purdue in 2007 are in any way a reason to get excited for Hardy in 2010.

[ieatcrayonz]

People are insane. Rookie WR tend to suck their first year. He got hurt towards the end of his rookie year causing him to be on PUP for most of the season last year. Of course he hasn't done anything.

 

give him a break and you might actually see something this year.

Maybe.

 

Maybinot.

 

Call me crazy but I figured Hardly as a bust as soon as he allegedly tried to kill his father right after the draft.

[Meark]

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

 

Um.. have you looked at the pass attempts of the Bills vs other teams? They hardly threw any passes to receivers..

[Celtic_soulja]

I'm not really sure what was so impressive about those highlights. Every catch he made should have been made. He was clearly playing against inferior competition, thus taking advantage of his mismatches. On top of that, there wasn't anything particularly gifted athletically in those highlights. I also noticed how all of the highlights are against Purdue, Ball State, Penn State, Minnesota, and ECU. No highlights from the games against the Big-10 teams that were actually competitive...much less against ranked opponents. But yea...he is the 2nd coming of Randy Moss who is going to explode the record books when he gets healthy....

 

He had two hundred yards against Penn St....they are pretty good usually aren't they????...Hardy will be just fine people...get off his back...he hasn't even gotten a chance to smell the field...and even T.O. didn't put up any numbers in our offense last season...so yeah, it isn't that our recievers suck...our offense sucked and couldn't get ANYONE the ball...has been that way for a while...don't blame Hardy

[NewEra]

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

 

Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick was delivering the ball. There's nothing else to discuss.

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

Collie <-- Manning

Harvin <-- Favre

Nicks <-- Manning

Knox <-- Cutler

Crabtree <-- Smith

 

ok, Crabtree gets a flier, but look at the guys throwing to the rest of your All-Rookie group

 

IMO, Evans would crush all of them with an equivalent QB and decent OL

[WordByrd]

B-U-S-T.

 

Put him on the Colts and he's Pierre Garcon. WR is the easiest position on the field. Put any NFL caliber WR with a good QB, line, and an okay rushing attack, and you have a 1,000 yard season.

[Trader]

Exactly. He isn't the type of receiver that had to run perfect routes, and learn the intricacies of route-running in college. Other recievers, like Desean Jackson and Eddie Royal, relied on speed and quickness, and hence, the ability to run great routes, which allowed them to contribute immediately at the pro level. Hardy was able to rely on his size and physical assets instead. In the pros, receivers like Hardy typically take 2-3 years to develop. Didn't Eric Moulds suck until his 3rd season?

 

I hope your right but here is the problem. The Corners, Safetys LB's and DE's in the NFL are faster stronger and hit a lot harder than they do in college. Hardy is a guy whose primary asset is that he can leap high for the ball and really stretch out for it. A 5 '9" 190 lb DB who Bench presses close to 400 lbs defends by sawing him in half with a face mask to Hardy's sternum or his spine. Hardy might not like to get hit like that. He is not Eddie Royal so he is pretty much defenseless Hardy will not be able to avoid the hit. Hardy will be most effective if he has a sideline or a end zone line behind him and not a guy like Revis who will try to punch his ticket.

[Mr. WEO]

Collie <-- Manning

Harvin <-- Favre

Nicks <-- Manning

Knox <-- Cutler

Crabtree <-- Smith

 

ok, Crabtree gets a flier, but look at the guys throwing to the rest of your All-Rookie group

 

IMO, Evans would crush all of them with an equivalent QB and decent OL

The poster's assumption was that "rookie WRs tend to suck their first year". The implication is that Hardy can't be expected to do well at this point because of this assumption.

 

I pointed out that this is not true. Saying the referenced rookies had better QBs isn't a controversial statement, but that's a different topic.

[Silvercrw]

The poster's assumption was that "rookie WRs tend to suck their first year". The implication is that Hardy can't be expected to do well at this point because of this assumption.

 

I pointed out that this is not true. Saying the referenced rookies had better QBs isn't a controversial statement, but that's a different topic.

 

To clarify a few things from my original post. Do any of you remember that he did get the start on the first few games his rookie year. He looked very lost and dropped a bunch of passes. He looked very unpolished unlike the guy in that highlight film.

 

That leads me to believe that once he gets comfortable we might see something out of him

[Rob's House]

B-U-S-T.

 

This is just plain stupid.

 

Eric Moulds didn't do squat his first two seasons and he didn't have a torn acl to deal with. Was he a b-u-s-t too?

 

Idiots!

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

The poster's assumption was that "rookie WRs tend to suck their first year". The implication is that Hardy can't be expected to do well at this point because of this assumption.

 

I pointed out that this is not true. Saying the referenced rookies had better QBs isn't a controversial statement, but that's a different topic.

ok, I buy all that.

 

it's this poster's opinion that "rookie WRs tend to suck their first year, unless they have a really good quarterback"

 

maybe stretch that to "successful, pass-oriented offense"

 

I guess what I'm saying is that in no other (skill) position, offense or defense, is the player so dependent on another player, as the WR is to his QB.

[Brand J]

To clarify a few things from my original post. Do any of you remember that he did get the start on the first few games his rookie year. He looked very lost and dropped a bunch of passes. He looked very unpolished unlike the guy in that highlight film.

 

That leads me to believe that once he gets comfortable we might see something out of him

 

I agree with the "looking lost" portion of that sentence, but Hardy never "dropped a bunch of passes" like you stated. The Rams game comes to mind early in his rookie season - when TE threw to him about 5 times in a row. Edwards never put the ball in an optimum position, however, most other tall NFL WRs will make plays on those same passes. Hardy did not - his play on the ball comes into question WAY more than his hands. With that said, I think that he'll be a fine WR in time, we just need someone to get him and Lee the ball on a consistent basis...

[Red]

Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick was delivering the ball. There's nothing else to discuss.

 

This is actually a good point.

 

I don't know who his QB was at Indiana, but that was some excellent arm strength, accuracy, and elusiveness.

 

One must also think about the level of competition at the college level as compared to the pros.

 

Another thing to consider is that Hardy has been too damn injured to count on since he caught that TD pass against the Jags a couple of seasons ago.

 

So QB, rookie/ development, and injuries have hampered his play. With Nix and Gailey sounding like they are going to go with Hardy and Johnson this year, we will see if they can develop.

[lets_go_bills]

WR = steep learning curve. James Hardy can be as good as he wants to be.

[Pygskin36]

The year he got picked he was who i was hoping for at that pick and i think given a chance in a decent scheme the guy will be money . He's got the tools & now with what ever he picked up from T.O. last year we could see him and Steve Johnson become very productive . But it always seems like Bills fans give up on players way to quick, heck he was out almost all of last year . Go Figure Look at what every body on the site says about Bromm & go back and look at his college highlights he was a QB with some good stuff, but because we want instant gratification kick them out of the NFL & get somebody else that can do it NOW !!!!!!!!

I can see him being a guy w 40-50 catches... 8 of which are TDs ... He'll be no 3, but he has the physical tools to be a star.

[DanInUticaTampa]

The poster's assumption was that "rookie WRs tend to suck their first year". The implication is that Hardy can't be expected to do well at this point because of this assumption.

 

I pointed out that this is not true. Saying the referenced rookies had better QBs isn't a controversial statement, but that's a different topic.

 

Well, normally they don't do well their rookie season. The WRs taken in the 1st round have some great rookie seasons (sometimes). But 2nd round and later, they usually take time to develop.

 

I mean, besides Knox and Collie (who had much better QB play), the others are 1st rounders and had higher expectations. If hardy was taken in the top ten, then hell, he should probably have higher numbers. But it is rare for a 2nd round WR to have harvin and crabtree numbers his rookie season. I mean, seriously, if we expected him to contribute like a top pick, we would have used our 1st pick on him, not our 2nd.

 

We really haven't seen hardy play since his rookie year that much. He should be improved after learning from Owens, learning routes, learning the playbook, etc. So he should be much better. How much better is a major concern. But we won't know how he does until the season starts.

[sharper802]

Exactly. He isn't the type of receiver that had to run perfect routes, and learn the intricacies of route-running in college. Other recievers, like Desean Jackson and Eddie Royal, relied on speed and quickness, and hence, the ability to run great routes, which allowed them to contribute immediately at the pro level. Hardy was able to rely on his size and physical assets instead. In the pros, receivers like Hardy typically take 2-3 years to develop. Didn't Eric Moulds suck until his 3rd season?

So it was wise to pass up Jackson??? I am not down on Hardy so much as I am down on the simpleton thinking that we had small receivers so we needed big ones. Let's hope he can be at least a credible threat across from Evans. TO drew Revis. Do you think Hardy is going to draw Revis? I for one would love to see TO back in Buffalo and give Hardy a little more time to develop.

[sharper802]

Really sick and tired of this B.S. Lee Evans is a very good receiver.

He has no one to throw the ball to him.

owens was thrown to last year about twicw as ofter.

Fact: A Bills quarterback has not had a three hundred yard passing game in seven years.

SEVEN YEARS!

Is that because of the wide receivers or the guys throwing the football?

Please stop blaming Lee Evans for our dysfunctional passing game.

The guy keeps his mouth shut and catches the football.

It's coaching and no offensive line...Always was always will be

[Thoner7]

Thats his highlight tape? Bust...

[Thoner7]

ally sick and tired of this B.S. Lee Evans is a very good receiver.

He has no one to throw the ball to him.

owens was thrown to last year about twicw as ofter.

Fact: A Bills quarterback has not had a three hundred yard passing game in seven years.

SEVEN YEARS!

Is that because of the wide receivers or the guys throwing the football?

Please stop blaming Lee Evans for our dysfunctional passing game.

The guy keeps his mouth shut and catches the football.

 

Losman threw for 350+ vrs the jets in that game a still cant believe we lost.

 

That was less than 7 years ago.

[Orton's Arm]

Hardy only had that one good season. Granted, it was a monster of a season. But Nix has said that the kinds of players he's looking for are those who've proved it over multiple college seasons.

 

Does that mean Hardy is destined to be a bust? Not necessarily. But neither have I seen anything to indicate that he will be successful on the NFL level.

 

The Bills have a million other holes to fill, and with the recent departure of TO there's certainly room for Hardy on the roster. So let's keep him around for the year and see how he does. But if in a year or two he's still on the bench/unable to crack the starting lineup, we'd have to start thinking about labeling him a bust.

[rstencel]

When they drafted him, they knew he didn't know how to run routes in a pro offense, and it would take him some time to learn. He was just starting to understand the basic offense when he went down his rookie year. He never had a chance last year, as was on PUP for whole first half of year, and wasn't really full strength till the last few games. He isn't a slot receiver so had no position to play him, except when LE or TO sat out a play or two once he was.

 

He still has allot to learn and needs playing time to develop. Hopefully he will be healthy for the whole off-season, so they can give him a good look, and he can get a chance to show whether he is ready or not. He has the physical tools to be a very good receiver, but unless he has learned how to run his routes consistently, the QB's are not going to look his way often.

 

If the time with TO was as good as he said it was, he may make a huge step this off-season with conditioning, and put the required time in to learn to run routes better and study the film to learn the position better. He should be ready to compete for a starting role this year, but hopefully they bring in a Veteran WR for him and Steve Johnson to compete with.

 

I am looking for big things from him this year, but lets hope they hedge there bets and bring in some more competition at the position.

[mary owen]

i think we can all agree that this is one of the creepiest videos ever...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTY7JW_kMIc

[GripnRip]

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

 

The fact that you can type "Wrong." with such conviction in the face of every NFL coach/personnel guy's belief that WR is among the hardest positions to transition into from college is very indicative of your lack of football knowledge.

[todd]

I wonder if that has anything to do with the QB that was throwing to them.

 

Nah, that is clearly unimportant.

 

Wrong.

 

This year alone:

 

Collie, Harvin, Maclin, Nicks, Knox, even Crabtree all had more catches than Evans.

[CookieG]

Take a look at these Highlights. Was it nerves or what? He doesnt look anything like this anymore.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afr3PoA9ibI

 

I for one think he will grow into the position. This might be his year.

 

In these highlights, his jumping ability is obvious, his balance is very underrated, and he can do things that most WR's couldn't hope to try.

 

 

And note how much better he gets from the beginning to the end of the video.