Despite the big mouth....Whats your real opinion?

[Pitta]

I know Donte Whitner obviously hadnt lived up to the hype. I believe he was drafted in the top 10. Players who usually are drafted top 10...are expected to live up to that top 10 spot....

 

Although Donte clearly hasnt, whats your real opinion on him? If Donte didnt have such a big mouth(via twitter) what would be your actual opinion on him? For instance, if Donte was a quiet leader type(Poz?)...what would your opinion be of him?

 

I for one think that we have potentially once of the best safety tandems in the league(Byrd/Whitner)....I'm sort of looking forward to increased production obviously from Whitner.....I think he needs stability in his position and at the coaching staff. Basically, i think when all is said and done this year...were going to look back and say Whitner wasnt great but he was indeed 'Solid' this year...

 

 

Just my opinion. I was curious to see everyone elses?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Personally, Donte hasn't lived up to the 8th overall pick.

 

But he has been a great attitude/great teammate guy. From the beginning he tried to take a position of responsibility with the team, having the DBs over to his house for weekly film review sessions, etc.

 

I think Donte has worked very hard and tries to exemplify professionalism (his one incident in an Ohio bar, notwithstanding).

 

If Whitner never lives up to his lofty draft status, it won't be because he didn't make very effort to.

 

It will be because the Bills made a mistake drafting him so high, and expected more from him than he was capable of providing.

[Kevin]

I know Donte Whitner obviously hadnt lived up to the hype. I believe he was drafted in the top 10. Players who usually are drafted top 10...are expected to live up to that top 10 spot....

 

Although Donte clearly hasnt, whats your real opinion on him? If Donte didnt have such a big mouth(via twitter) what would be your actual opinion on him? For instance, if Donte was a quiet leader type(Poz?)...what would your opinion be of him?

 

I for one think that we have potentially once of the best safety tandems in the league(Byrd/Whitner)....I'm sort of looking forward to increased production obviously from Whitner.....I think he needs stability in his position and at the coaching staff. Basically, i think when all is said and done this year...were going to look back and say Whitner wasnt great but he was indeed 'Solid' this year...

 

 

Just my opinion. I was curious to see everyone elses?

 

 

Well, I like Whitner. He has stepped up in a leadership role when no one else has. He shouldn't be the one to do it, but he does. Guys like Edwards (or whoever the QB happens to be) or Poz should be stepping up for the leadership role, but they don't seem to be. I think that the locker room lacks that leadership that previous successful Bills teams have had, or other successful NFL teams have. Whitner isn't the best player on the roster, but no one can say that he isn't trying.

[Steely Dan]

Personally, Donte hasn't lived up to the 8th overall pick.

 

But he has been a great attitude/great teammate guy. From the beginning he tried to take a position of responsibility with the team, having the DBs over to his house for weekly film review sessions, etc.

 

I think Donte has worked very hard and tries to exemplify professionalism (his one incident in an Ohio bar, notwithstanding).

 

If Whitner never lives up to his lofty draft status, it won't be because he didn't make very effort to.

 

It will be because the Bills made a mistake drafting him so high, and expected more from him than he was capable of providing.

 

What he said.

[Bill from NYC]

I think Donte has worked very hard and tries to exemplify professionalism (his one incident in an Ohio bar, notwithstanding).

 

Actually, he had another incident. It was a domestic dispute with his baby momma.

 

It wasn't his fault that Levy/Jauron were unthinkably inept enough to draft him at #8. He plays hard and I give him a lot of credit for doing so, but he is a 3rd round talent.

[bartshan-83]

Anytime a player is vocal (good or bad) he risks putting himself under the spotlight. I like a lot of what Whitner has brought and I like a lot of his attitude. I thought he'd be more impacting at this point in his career and I hope he still gets better.

 

His draft stigma gave him an uphill battle from the start, but he is far from our worst problem on this team.

[QB Bills]

Actually no, he sucks. He has no nose for the ball. On multiple occasions, you see him go for the hit when a ball's been badly overthrown and he's not even looking at it. That would be okay to stomach if he actually ever did lay down the hammer once in a while. Other than the Chad Ochocinco hit, has he ever hit anyone hard? I do remember him getting steamrolled by Sammy Morris though. So he can't get picks, can't hit, and talks too much.

 

It's easy to say "oh, he's not that bad...you just think he sucks because he was drafted so high". But I'm saying he sucks regardless of where he was picked. And yes, his big mouth does him no favours. Don't think of him as a leader just because he never shuts up.

[Bills!Win!]

Whitner is somewhat responsible for the Patriots not going 19-0... Hear me on this one.

 

-Buffalo vs. New York Giants last game of the year 2 years ago he runs into the punter, which leads to the Giants taking the lead and eventually winning.

 

-If the Giants don't win that game, they don't make the playoffs.

 

-Giants run the table in the playoffs and beat the Patriots

 

'Nuff said

[bananathumb]

Little Donte is too small and weak to play SS - see him get run over by Sammie Morris.

 

He is too slow for FS. See him chase receivers into our end zone.

 

He is dirty, see him chase receivers into the end zone and tackle them afterwards, See him pile on when the RB is already down and under three of our guys.

 

He is basically worthless or - worse - a negative on the defense.

[Buftex]

I think, on a real defense, with a competent front 7, Whitner would be fine. It is really hard to judge anyone over the last few seasons, based on the lousy coaching, and schemes that the team has employed. I still think there is the potential for Whitner to be a good football player. He has looked very good at times, others not so much. The whole team needs a makeover...hopefully it starts looking better this year.

[tonyd19]

Whitner is somewhat responsible for the Patriots not going 19-0... Hear me on this one.

 

-Buffalo vs. New York Giants last game of the year 2 years ago he runs into the punter, which leads to the Giants taking the lead and eventually winning.

 

-If the Giants don't win that game, they don't make the playoffs.

 

-Giants run the table in the playoffs and beat the Patriots

 

'Nuff said

 

The Giants kicked the sh*t out of us the enitre second half of that game, we took an early lead 14 point lead and we got the hell kicked out of us the rest of the way. Hardly Donte's fault.

[tonyd19]

I think, on a real defense, with a competent front 7, Whitner would be fine. It is really hard to judge anyone over the last few seasons, based on the lousy coaching, and schemes that the team has employed. I still think there is the potential for Whitner to be a good football player. He has looked very good at times, others not so much. The whole team needs a makeover...hopefully it starts looking better this year.

 

 

+1 I think most of our players would have done better and can do better with a stable coaching staf, system and front office.

[Beerball]

Well, you can't call him a twit any more.

[Lurker]

I was curious to see everyone elses?

[Gabe Northern]

I'd like to say Whitner is a good player who was simply drafted too high and as a result looks bad only in reference to his lofty draft status, but the fact is that Whitner just looks bad.

 

His lack of production in terms of interceptions and passes defended is an indictment of his ball skills. He's a good tackler, but he has a tendency to take comically bad angles in run support. I can't tell you how many times I've rewound a play to marvel at how the angle he took resulted in a huge gain.

 

He talks a good game as a leader, but is obviously immature. His lack of production contributes to a lack of stature in the locker room.

 

Donte lacks the instincts and ball-hawking of Jarius Byrd and can't provide close to the level of run support of Bryan Scott. This would make him a valuable 3rd safety except for the fact that he's been consistently outplayed by a converted wide receiver, too.

[Arkady Renko]

Hasn't there been some rankings that had Whitner as one of the better safeties?

[kota]

Has Donte been given a chance to shine? Donte has been in the league 3-4 years and played DB, FS, and SS pending on the injury report. Instead of letting backups play when a player goes down DJ and company just had players change positions. Good plan. Give a guy 1 week of practice ta different position instead of having the backup play who has been playing that position the whole year. By doing this DJ created two holes in his defense by putting a backup in Donte's spot and then having him switch positions and have a week of practice before the game.

 

Donte is a good player how good can he be is to be determined. If you can stop the run and get pressure on the QB Donte's INT and Sack totals will go up.

[C.Biscuit97]

How does he have a big mouth? Because he predicted our team to go to the playoffs? Or because he posts on facebook or twitter like millions of other people do? What an a hole!!!

 

Whitner was on pace to have his best season last year and then he got hurt. He tried to come back early from the injury (what a selfish punk!) and re-injuried himself. The reason people hate on him has nothing to do with him. He is a borderline top 10 safety and personally, I would like to see him get moved to another team where the fans will actually respect the guy.

[PushthePile]

How does he have a big mouth? Because he predicted our team to go to the playoffs? Or because he posts on facebook or twitter like millions of other people do? What an a hole!!!

 

Whitner was on pace to have his best season last year and then he got hurt. He tried to come back early from the injury (what a selfish punk!) and re-injuried himself. The reason people hate on him has nothing to do with him. He is a borderline top 10 safety and personally, I would like to see him get moved to another team where the fans will actually respect the guy.

Borderline top 10 safety?

 

 

Donte Whitner has done nothing to distinguish himself better than George Wilson. In fact many astute Bills fans feel Wilson is a better option. I don't think Whitner is worthless but he is no better than average. Top ten? Not even close.

[Ramius]

I'd like to say Whitner is a good player who was simply drafted too high and as a result looks bad only in reference to his lofty draft status, but the fact is that Whitner just looks bad.

 

His lack of production in terms of interceptions and passes defended is an indictment of his ball skills. He's a good tackler, but he has a tendency to take comically bad angles in run support. I can't tell you how many times I've rewound a play to marvel at how the angle he took resulted in a huge gain.

 

He talks a good game as a leader, but is obviously immature. His lack of production contributes to a lack of stature in the locker room.

 

Donte lacks the instincts and ball-hawking of Jarius Byrd and can't provide close to the level of run support of Bryan Scott. This would make him a valuable 3rd safety except for the fact that he's been consistently outplayed by a converted wide receiver, too.

 

You claim Whitner takes bad angles and then cite Jairus Byrd as a beacon of hope? As good as Byrd was being in the right at the right time for his picks, the guy was one of the worst run defenders last year. He took lots of terrible angles on ball carriers last season, probably one of the worst on the team since Ko "millions" Simpson was let go.