THE FACTS ABOUT KELSAY

[BobChalmers]

Kelsay has a huge contract, is a marginal defensive end and apparently a very poor linebacker.

 

I guess it's not his fault the Bills overpaid him and turned him into a LB, but it sure doesn't make me like him MORE.

 

I'd rate him slightly higher than "marginal" as a Tampa-2 LDE, but other than that, this is the issue.

 

He's a great team leader type, works his butt off, and has made some occasional spectacular plays as a result (the Dallas Monday night Pick-6 comes to mind),

 

BUT

 

A) He was badly overpaid for his overall performance as a LDE - not his fault maybe, but still irritating for us as fans - $6M/year needs to produce a lot more sacks and pressures from that position.

 

B) He's not up to playing OLB - his lateral movement limitations were exposed repeatedly Sunday.

 

I'm not hating him as a person when I say that his play against Miami was an obvious point of weakness. As Buddy Nix said of Cornell Green yesterday - "[buddy] saw the same game we did."

 

There are some subtleties we can't pick up w/o studying the game film - but watching Kelsay nearly helpless to make a tackle in open space is easy to see with the regular TV view.

 

Chris needs to find another Tampa-2 team if he wants to keep playing, and I'll wish him the best success if he does.

Edited September 14, 2010 by BobChalmers

[Buffalonian-at-Heart]

I would never bash Kelsay... He seems like a great guy and he was a decent stop-gap type DE ... He simply cannot play in space. Period. All he will be able to do from his new position is defend the run. Nothing against him.

 

This is exactly right. I don't hate the guy because he doesn't have the skill set to be spectacular. He's a real good run stopping end in a 4-3. The fans that hate Kelsay need to be upset with the organization for not upgrading. Dude gives maximum effort and plays with heart, he's just not a great player, nothing personal against him.

 

I will say he looked awful out there Sunday on 5-6 plays, which is too many.

[tonyd19]

I have never been a Kelsay basher, but he was the worst defensive player on the field last sunday. Just callin it like I see it. I really hope he gets better, but he looked aweful last week IMO. Hopefuly, he will be able to make the adjustment. You know another play that catches a lot of sh*t here, looked really good last week. Keith Ellison. He was pretty good in coverage and made some tough tackles.

[Buffalonian-at-Heart]

I'd rate him slightly higher than "marginal" as a Tampa-2 LDE, but other than that, this is the issue.

 

He's a great team leader type, works his butt off, and has made some spectacular plays as a result, BUT

 

A) he was badly overpaid for his performance as a LDE

 

B) he's not up to playing OLB - his lateral movement limitations were exposed repeatedly Sunday. I'm not hating him as a person when I say that he was an obvious point of weakness. As Buddy Nix said of Cornell Green yesterday - "[He] saw the same game we did."

 

There are some subtleties we can't pick up w/o studying the game film - but watching Kelsay nearly helpless to make a tackle in open space is easy to see with the regular TV view. He needs to find another Tampa-2 team if he wants to keep playing.

 

I'm not sure I understand the Tampa 2 part of your argument, and how it translates to the Defensive Ends. I think it's a 4-3 vs 3-4 discussion.

[Brainiac72]

I have never been a Kelsay basher, but he was the worst defensive player on the field last sunday. Just callin it like I see it. I really hope he gets better, but he looked aweful last week IMO. Hopefuly, he will be able to make the adjustment. You know another play that catches a lot of sh*t here, looked really good last week. Keith Ellison. He was pretty good in coverage and made some tough tackles.

 

there were a couple plays early, first quarter for sure, that he looked out of place... and i thought the same thing. but after that i didn't notice him doing anything wrong. it was his first ever real game playing 3-4, so as with almost all the comments on game one... it's a little too early. let guys make adjustments to new positions and schemes for a couple weeks, before saying they absolutely can't do something. he'll never be great in coverage, but he should be above average at stopping the run out there, so... give him another couple games.

[CardinalScotts]

Its always easy to blame big contract players, they somehow have to save the world.

 

Phil Hanson got the same rap

 

Made a mistake on him too

[Bflojohn]

In the rebuilding phase, there are only soooo many players "you" can replace. His ticket is punched for 2011, IMO, and his replacement may or may NOT be on the roster, but everyone can say goodbye to Chris Kelsay after this season!

['64 Bills]

Kelsay is a shining example of the dis-function and poor decision making of the Buffalo Bills organization the past ten years. He was the starting DE because we have no one better and they have not addressed this position properly in the draft which is why he has kept his job over the years. In terms of DE he would a 2nd to 3rd string player on most teams. In terms of playing linebacker, he should not be even on a NFL team.

Agree 100% He and Denney made a nice living in a Buffalo uniform and never, ever were NFL quality starters.

[JPS]

I have never been a Kelsay basher, but he was the worst defensive player on the field last sunday. Just callin it like I see it. I really hope he gets better, but he looked aweful last week IMO. Hopefuly, he will be able to make the adjustment. You know another play that catches a lot of sh*t here, looked really good last week. Keith Ellison. He was pretty good in coverage and made some tough tackles.

Put Kelsay's heart in Stroud's body, we got us a player. Stroud got blown off the ball on every snap except 1, when he shocked me an made a tackle. Why Stroud gets a pass around here is beyond me.

 

Kelsay sucks, but at least it looks like he gives a shite.

[Thoner7]

A lot of posters on this board get a "woody" bashing Kelsay all the time.

 

 

Kelsay is no pro bowler. But, he's no slouch either. Maybe it's because he doesn't have a lot of sacks. Can you name more than a handful of LDEs that do?

 

 

OK, he's not the perfect DE. But, the fact is he's still a starter for the Bills. He's started for 7 seasons at LDE and missed only 2 games... How many starting DEs can say that? He's on his 4th GM and his 4th head coach, and he's still standing and starting. Are 4 Gms and 4 HCs totally stupid and the bashers smart? Now, Kelsay, in his 8th season is asked to convert to OLB in a 3-4 defense after playing his entire at DE career in a 4-3, and welcomes the challenge.

 

This just in folks, Kelsay is not what's wrong with the Bills. The Bills defense is not what is wrong with the Bills. The special teams are not what is wrong with the Bills. The Bills offense is the single biggest problem the Bills have... in particular, the QB and OTs, in that order.

 

So... if you want to bash a Bills player, why would you pick on Kelsay? There are at least 20 players other than Kelsay that you could shred.

 

4 GMs and 4 Coaches have liked Kelsay's body of work and his peers elected him captain again. That's fact. Do you think they're all stupid?

 

I could not disagree more. Kelsay is EXACTLY what is wrong with the Bills. His play has called for him to be replaced for his entire career yet nothing has been done. Through 4 GMs, not one has made a move to improve our roster to a point where Kelsay found himself on the bench. You act like him starting is a good defense, when in reality it shows just how bad the Bills are talent wise - where a guy as bad as Kelsay can start for this long and be a captian. Other teams have veterans like Umeniora or Jason Taylor who deserve their long tenures and pay. Its quite embarassing a guy of his caliber has been a fixture on our D for almost a decade. Very very embarassing.

[San-O]

A lot of posters on this board get a "woody" bashing Kelsay all the time.

 

Kelsay is no pro bowler. But, he's no slouch either. Maybe it's because he doesn't have a lot of sacks. Can you name more than a handful of LDEs that do?

 

 

 

Don't sell him short, he's a terrific slouch!

 

[fbzh2]

I could not disagree more. Kelsay is EXACTLY what is wrong with the Bills. His play has called for him to be replaced for his entire career yet nothing has been done. Through 4 GMs, not one has made a move to improve our roster to a point where Kelsay found himself on the bench. You act like him starting is a good defense, when in reality it shows just how bad the Bills are talent wise - where a guy as bad as Kelsay can start for this long and be a captian. Other teams have veterans like Umeniora or Jason Taylor who deserve their long tenures and pay. Its quite embarassing a guy of his caliber has been a fixture on our D for almost a decade. Very very embarassing.

 

My thoughts as well. The poor guy tries, but he just doesn’t have the talent to be an NFL starter, but the Bills management kept him around much too long.

[Thirty Year Fan]

Nice guy Great team mate gets the huge bucks to tow the company line . He's a 2nd string player who has started on poor teams with very bad drafts!! Great for his bank account bad for US The Fans!!

Yes, I think they're all stupid.

 

He is an absolute trainwreck out there trying to play linebacker. He was a below-average defensive end. He is humiliatingly bad playing in space as a linebacker.

 

Every single snap, he'll turn his back to the line of scrimmage, run ploddingly for a bit, then if the ball is near him, the carrier will run around him while he shows off the hip-turn and change of direction ability of...well...a lineman.

 

You don't have to use some sort of transcendental, next-level thinking to figure out why he is on this team. He probably is one whale of a nice guy, and maybe his teammates/employers like him. That can account for someone with substandard ability thriving within the organization (this is pretty horrible too, tbh).

 

Just use your eyes. Don't over-think it. Don't search for a deeper meaning. Just watch him play.

 

Sorry Kelsay's Mom, but your son is very, very bad at his job.

[NewEra]

A lot of posters on this board get a "woody" bashing Kelsay all the time.

 

 

Kelsay is no pro bowler. But, he's no slouch either. Maybe it's because he doesn't have a lot of sacks. Can you name more than a handful of LDEs that do?

 

 

OK, he's not the perfect DE. But, the fact is he's still a starter for the Bills. He's started for 7 seasons at LDE and missed only 2 games... How many starting DEs can say that? He's on his 4th GM and his 4th head coach, and he's still standing and starting. Are 4 Gms and 4 HCs totally stupid and the bashers smart? Now, Kelsay, in his 8th season is asked to convert to OLB in a 3-4 defense after playing his entire at DE career in a 4-3, and welcomes the challenge.

 

This just in folks, Kelsay is not what's wrong with the Bills. The Bills defense is not what is wrong with the Bills. The special teams are not what is wrong with the Bills. The Bills offense is the single biggest problem the Bills have... in particular, the QB and OTs, in that order.

 

So... if you want to bash a Bills player, why would you pick on Kelsay? There are at least 20 players other than Kelsay that you could shred.

 

4 GMs and 4 Coaches have liked Kelsay's body of work and his peers elected him captain again. That's fact. Do you think they're all stupid?

 

You could pick a better player to defend. He's clueless at olb

[flopagamo]

I could not disagree more. Kelsay is EXACTLY what is wrong with the Bills. His play has called for him to be replaced for his entire career yet nothing has been done. Through 4 GMs, not one has made a move to improve our roster to a point where Kelsay found himself on the bench. You act like him starting is a good defense, when in reality it shows just how bad the Bills are talent wise - where a guy as bad as Kelsay can start for this long and be a captian. Other teams have veterans like Umeniora or Jason Taylor who deserve their long tenures and pay. Its quite embarassing a guy of his caliber has been a fixture on our D for almost a decade. Very very embarassing.

 

And he's not just a fixture... he was the only Bills defender who was on the field for EVERY DEFENSIVE PLAY, according to this review:

 

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2010/9/15/1689509/dolphins-15-bills-10-comprehensive

 

Note the comments on missed tackles at the end of that article... also calls out Kelsay.

Edited September 15, 2010 by flopagamo

[sleaky72]

Christie Kelsay aka The great White hope

[bills in va]

A lot of posters on this board get a "woody" bashing Kelsay all the time.

 

 

Kelsay is no pro bowler. But, he's no slouch either. Maybe it's because he doesn't have a lot of sacks. Can you name more than a handful of LDEs that do?

 

 

OK, he's not the perfect DE. But, the fact is he's still a starter for the Bills. He's started for 7 seasons at LDE and missed only 2 games... How many starting DEs can say that? He's on his 4th GM and his 4th head coach, and he's still standing and starting. Are 4 Gms and 4 HCs totally stupid and the bashers smart? Now, Kelsay, in his 8th season is asked to convert to OLB in a 3-4 defense after playing his entire at DE career in a 4-3, and welcomes the challenge.

 

This just in folks, Kelsay is not what's wrong with the Bills. The Bills defense is not what is wrong with the Bills. The special teams are not what is wrong with the Bills. The Bills offense is the single biggest problem the Bills have... in particular, the QB and OTs, in that order.

 

So... if you want to bash a Bills player, why would you pick on Kelsay? There are at least 20 players other than Kelsay that you could shred.

 

4 GMs and 4 Coaches have liked Kelsay's body of work and his peers elected him captain again. That's fact. Do you think they're all stupid?

Yes. They are ALL stupid. Does that answer your question? The FACTS are that he was an average end on a horrible team, that's why he started. The Bills personnel is so poor they had nobody better, that's why 4 coaches played him. FACT is he has looked horrible at his new position, can't cover, can't seal the edge, can't get sacks. so the only reason he plays is because we suck so bad, FACT. I will not take the opportunity to personally attack you for your opinion on Kelsay, we see things entirely different and I'll leave it at that.

[DaGimp]

"Nice guy? I don't give a sh*t. Good father. F*ck you, go home and play with your kids. You want to work here, close."

[John Cocktosten]

Yes. They are ALL stupid. Does that answer your question? The FACTS are that he was an average end on a horrible team, that's why he started. The Bills personnel is so poor they had nobody better, that's why 4 coaches played him. FACT is he has looked horrible at his new position, can't cover, can't seal the edge, can't get sacks. so the only reason he plays is because we suck so bad, FACT. I will not take the opportunity to personally attack you for your opinion on Kelsay, we see things entirely different and I'll leave it at that.

Man you nailed it right there. I'm sure Kelsay is a great guy but he was a below average DE and now he's a terrible LB. Kelsay played so tentative on sunday and was so afraid of losing contain that he wasn't squeezing the hole and wound up playing lateral to the line of scrimmage the whole game. The function of an 3-4 OLB is to get upfield but maintain outside contain. I've never watched another player who does that worse. He has no lateral quickness or speed and zero burst upfield. He got caught in space a few time as well and looked awful. They had him in man a few times too which teams will see on tape and exploit that all day long.

 

He's not a bad guy, just a terrible 34 OLB.