Its Official: Donte Whitner Is a Bust!

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I cannot believe what I am reading. NE ran for like 200 yards, 3 of the top 4 tacklers were Safeties and the linebackers were nowhere to be found and people want to gripe about Whitner??

 

 

Maybe the reason Donte is perceived as a bad safety is because he is busy playing linebacker while no one else is. I know his media personality, attitude and 9^th overall selection cause people to want to dislike him and find him accountable for poor defensive showings, but he is a good NFL safety and apparently the only safety that was able to cover NE’s tight ends, Wlison struggled in this regard. The guy is durable, and keeps showing up. He is one of the last places on the team to look when it comings to turning the team around.

 

 

[Big Buffalo]

Its obvious Donte is not a playmaker like the elite safeties. He is not even a punishing tackler. Average against the run, just pathetic in coverage playing over the cornerbacks. I don't even consider him to be up to the caliber of a starting safety in the league. Pathetic performance today.

 

Marv's debacle as G.M can be summed up with this one pick.

 

P.S. Maybin is a total non-factor.

You are absolutely right...he sucks.Imagine if we had picked Nata like everyone wanted.

[opfball91]

At least we got some playing time out of Whitner, Maybin's so terrible they won't even let him see the field. McCargo never had a chance to start in the NFL. McKelvin's finally starting to show some playmaking ability which is very nice to see, hopefully he'll be put out there over Drayton soon. Pos is a joke of a Penn State linebacker, sure he makes tackle...fifteen yards down the field, and don't get me started on coverage or his seemingly impossible proneness to injury. Lets face it guys, our drafting since we got Bruce, Kelly and the rest, has been absolutely awful. Can anyone name me one player that has stuck around this team besides Lee Evans, our only decent first round pick in twenty years? We've drafted guys who go on to have success in the NFL, just not in Buffalo. CJ Spiller will make some plays, Troup could go either way, I'm just rambling now, so I'm going to stop.

[HeHateMe]

It's tough to play safety in the NFL.

[Grimace]

The point of this thread is that Donte Whitner is "officially a bust". You yourself mention he is "an average safety". Average safeties are not drafted in the top 10... this is what identifies him as a bust. ...

 

I don't want to make any argument to the quality of the guy's play, but rather ask a simple question:

 

Why is the word "bust" becoming so incredibly overused?

 

I never heard the term before watching the Ryan Leaf fiasco in San Diego. It seems relevant when a team puts all their chips in on a guy who is supposed to carry their team for the next decade and he never makes a play in his career. Once a player who's considered an "average safety" (which would rank him as approximately 16th best in the NFL by definition of average) that's drafted as a #9 talent is qualified as a bust, we are speaking in hyperbole. This is comparable to watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, where everything is described as "awesome," "radical," or "excellent."

 

Just like a garage band isn't "excellent" and repetitive visits to waterslides don't count as "radical," an average player shouldn't constitute a "bust."

 

If he belongs in the same category as Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel, then so be it, but please don't make average = bust. The draft is a lottery. A "bust" should be a "sure thing" that became the complete opposite.

[DrDawkinstein]

Both of these...

 

1. We have no pass ruch. none. Zero.

 

2. We were playing Brady, Moss and Welker.

 

 

Ok in this thread, you have the predictable Bill talking about his annual shitfit he had draft after draft of 1st round DB's (rightly so). You have numerous people with their panties in a bunch because the D got torched by Tom Brady who has been doing the same thing for the past decade to a lot of other teams besides the Bills. The few voices of reason are getting shut down by the loonies here. and JSP made a good post just to get some poor treatment.

 

Fact of the matter is that Cindy Brady hardly had a hand touched upon her, save the one Kyle Williams sack. When your best pass rush is coming from your nose tackle, your pass rush is not getting it done. George Edwards was content with dropping 7or 8 into coverage and letting Brady pick that apart as opposed to a 5-6 man rush and having Brady beat the blitz.

 

For you guys that want to criticize Whitner for his play today, you should be criticizing Florence before him as Brady picked on him over the other DB's. That said, those who want Scott over Whitner. Scott was covering TE's because Kelsay couldn't keep up and the corners were too weak. You may also want to consider that a Strong Safety's job is more involved in covering underneath and run support in a 3-4, and Donte does lead the team in tackles. A Free Safety is supposed to hang back and play center field and allow the Strong Safety to be the punisher.

 

While I would agree that it was not the best pick in the draft, Whitner has not done bad by the Bills and is still getting better. So to call him a bust is just showing that you have to B word about something. Frankly I propose that the Bills just forfeit every first round pick so you guys can never B word about anything ever again EVER. What kills me, when I sort through the drivel that gets spewed on this board is that you guys can't be ever be content with watching the process and development of a player. It quickly goes from "I hope he's good" to "He sucks after 2 starts, let's get rid of him." With the perpetual rebuilding of this franchise, what hampers the Bills the most is the lack of development of players especially when they get lambasted by Jerry Sullivan and the fans to the point where I could understand why these players would want out.

 

So in closing, don't be criticizing one of the few players on the team that is busting his ass all over the field. You guys will whine when he is starring somewhere else. See Williams, Winfield, Leonhard, Bannan, Morris, McBadknee, Greer, etc....

[nemhoff]

I'd trade Whitner to Detroit for Ko Simpson, straight up; name Scott the starting SS, then cut Simpson.

 

Why not just cut whitner then and save everybody the trouble?

[Punch]

Why not just cut whitner then and save everybody the trouble?

 

It was intended as a joke because so many posters were saying he is utterly useless.

 

I don't want to make any argument to the quality of the guy's play, but rather ask a simple question:

 

Why is the word "bust" becoming so incredibly overused?

 

I never heard the term before watching the Ryan Leaf fiasco in San Diego. It seems relevant when a team puts all their chips in on a guy who is supposed to carry their team for the next decade and he never makes a play in his career. Once a player who's considered an "average safety" (which would rank him as approximately 16th best in the NFL by definition of average) that's drafted as a #9 talent is qualified as a bust, we are speaking in hyperbole. This is comparable to watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, where everything is described as "awesome," "radical," or "excellent."

 

Just like a garage band isn't "excellent" and repetitive visits to waterslides don't count as "radical," an average player shouldn't constitute a "bust."

 

If he belongs in the same category as Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel, then so be it, but please don't make average = bust. The draft is a lottery. A "bust" should be a "sure thing" that became the complete opposite.

 

I think most people resort to using the term "bust" when a player has simply not lived up to his draft billing rather than him proving to be a disaster, like Leaf. So, Donte is the best option for SS on the team at the moment and there's no way we need to add more needs to this roster. He's serviceable and, as I've said earlier in this thread, plays with a lot of heart and is a good guy overall. The question posed at the outset of the thread is whether or not he is a bust because he was picked at #8, which is a pretty high spot and a player that should be a difference maker. Well, dater 4 years he's never been a difference maker. His draftosition is not his fault.

 

The defense is not very good so maybe he'll suddenly turn out to be another Ed Reed once we can add a pass rush and competant underneath coverage.

[Mark Long Beach]

I don't want to make any argument to the quality of the guy's play, but rather ask a simple question:

 

Why is the word "bust" becoming so incredibly overused?

 

I never heard the term before watching the Ryan Leaf fiasco in San Diego. It seems relevant when a team puts all their chips in on a guy who is supposed to carry their team for the next decade and he never makes a play in his career. Once a player who's considered an "average safety" (which would rank him as approximately 16th best in the NFL by definition of average) that's drafted as a #9 talent is qualified as a bust, we are speaking in hyperbole. This is comparable to watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, where everything is described as "awesome," "radical," or "excellent."

 

Just like a garage band isn't "excellent" and repetitive visits to waterslides don't count as "radical," an average player shouldn't constitute a "bust."

 

If he belongs in the same category as Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel, then so be it, but please don't make average = bust. The draft is a lottery. A "bust" should be a "sure thing" that became the complete opposite.

 

Amen. He may only be an average starter, but that's NOT a bust. He can play. McCargo, Mike Williams, Jamarcus Russell can't play. They are busts. I don't think that anyone believes Whitner has lived up to (lofty) expectations, but I'm not worried about our safety play... Our linebacker play is what concerns me.

[JPicc2114]

Did you see that hit he layed on some dude in the game yesterday? It hurt me just looking at it.

[mabden]

I'd trade Whitner to Detroit for Ko Simpson, straight up; name Scott the starting SS, then cut Simpson.

 

Love this reply!

 

Did you see that hit he layed on some dude in the game yesterday? It hurt me just looking at it.

 

Yeah! It hurt me too because it was after the dude made a first down and he still hung onto the ball. Wow, that's a real display of first round talent.

[5 Wide]

Love him or hate him, if you were completely unbiased and you watched that game yesterday, you would not defend Donte Whitner. Whatever preconceived position you have on the guy (which seems like that's what everyone seems so fixated on in this thread) not a single person should be defending Whitner's game yesterday. There is a reason he was one of the first people out of the locker room....

Edited September 27, 2010 by 5 Wide

[NoName]

Huh? I'm obviously not defending Whitner as evidenced by my previous posts on this very page of the thread. I'm saying it's obvious he's not a good safety and there shouldn't be any problem in pointing that out.

 

 

 

The point of this thread is that Donte Whitner is "officially a bust". You yourself mention he is "an average safety". Average safeties are not drafted in the top 10... this is what identifies him as a bust. He makes tackles down the field because our linebacking crew is suspect (his hit/tackle on Hernandez was really nice, though). Whitner was definitely late to cover on the 2 Moss TDs, which is unacceptable for him to do on such a consistent basis.

 

If Jairus Byrd is given any leeway for liabilities in his coverage responsibilities it is because he has, in less than one full season, proven to be ballhawk capable of making big plays. How many interceptions does Donte have since his career began in 2006?

 

 

Is Byrd still a ball hawk?????????

 

Byrd sometimes has problems against the run and didn't play that well today either however he has done more in a single season than Whitner has done in his entire career. Byrd makes plays as was evident in all his interceptions last year and his fumble recovery today. Byrd has shown the ability to be a game changer in playing less than a full year than what Whitner has done with his tenure with the Bills so far. Elite safeties are playmakers and intimidating which show the ability to have impact on the outcome of games - neither qualities Whitner has shown with his super high draft status. In fact he was a liability today.

 

Byrd made most of intereceptions in two games......Byrd has been 100% invisible this year....bottom line....he has made zero plays.....there is no way a person who knows football can say that Byrd is having a better year than Whitner...I don't give a damn about last year....cause if we go by the past, then Edwards should be our starter based on him leading us to that 5-0 start.....I think Florence, McGee and Whitner and maybe Edwards(in no order) are the best players on the Bills defense

[CardinalScotts]

Its obvious Donte is not a playmaker like the elite safeties. He is not even a punishing tackler. Average against the run, just pathetic in coverage playing over the cornerbacks. I don't even consider him to be up to the caliber of a starting safety in the league. Pathetic performance today.

 

Marv's debacle as G.M can be summed up with this one pick.

 

P.S. Maybin is a total non-factor.

 

Whitner played well today...doesn't usually did today

[dave mcbride]

Whitner played well today...doesn't usually did today

I'm no fan of Whitner (although I think he's a starting-quality NFL player), but he was fine today. There were far bigger problems than him.

[ko12010]

Seriously, people need to just STFU about Donte Whitner. He is not bad. Yes, he was a reach at 8 but that's in the past. SHUT UP about our safeties. We need to build the lines and LB corps to have a F****** chance to even judge our secondary for real. Jeez do people even know jack Sh*t about football. Wow he whiffs a few tackles or misses a coverage. This is a DIRECT result of Zero pass rush and awful linebacking.

 

When our lines are rebuilt and we have some studs at LB I am positive Donte will shine.

 

 

All this complaining about Whitner just has to be a result of Bills fans being so negative and having so much time to think about the roster.

[cåblelady]

Seriously, people need to just STFU about Donte Whitner. He is not bad. Yes, he was a reach at 8 but that's in the past. SHUT UP about our safeties. We need to build the lines and LB corps to have a F****** chance to even judge our secondary for real. Jeez do people even know jack Sh*t about football. Wow he whiffs a few tackles or misses a coverage. This is a DIRECT result of Zero pass rush and awful linebacking.

 

When our lines are rebuilt and we have some studs at LB I am positive Donte will shine.

 

 

All this complaining about Whitner just has to be a result of Bills fans being so negative and having so much time to think about the roster.

My. My. My.......lil' Donte was out of position alot today. Same ol' same ol'.

[bladiebla]

I cannot believe what I am reading. NE ran for like 200 yards, 3 of the top 4 tacklers were Safeties and the linebackers were nowhere to be found and people want to gripe about Whitner??

 

 

Maybe the reason Donte is perceived as a bad safety is because he is busy playing linebacker while no one else is. I know his media personality, attitude and 9^th overall selection cause people to want to dislike him and find him accountable for poor defensive showings, but he is a good NFL safety and apparently the only safety that was able to cover NE's tight ends, Wlison struggled in this regard. The guy is durable, and keeps showing up. He is one of the last places on the team to look when it comings to turning the team around.

 

 

 

Finally someone who understands what's going on. Whitner is very much starting caliber.

[KOKBILLS]

Though i agree Whitner is average at best he is still only 25 years old and can get better. And not a punishing tackler? I guess you missed when he completely !@#$ed up hernandez today or a couple years back when he put ocho cinco on a stretcher

 

 

He's not getting any better...On a better Defense he would get picked on even more because he's a liability...He would be a big hitter if he was a Corner...But he's not...So he's really not a big hitter compared to quite a few SS's in the league...So he's made a couple big hits in 4 Years...Big deal...I still can't understand why he's on the field as much as he is...I'm not just saying this to hate, I truly believe George Wilson and Bryan Scott are better Players. I think both are more instinctive and if given the chance they'll make more plays than Lil' Donte...I'm guessing Donte is on the Field more due to his Leadership Position on the Team...Cause it's certainly not due to his play...He's constantly a day late and a dollar short out there...He would be average for the 8th Overall Pick in the 4th Round...He's a constant remainder of how terrible Levy and Jauron were in evaluating talent...It's a joke...

[JPS]

Dante Whitner is the least of our worries. How many sacks or even pressures did the Bills have? I can't believe how many posters have a woody for Whitner.

 

I can't take my eyes off Kelsay trying to play in space or Maybin on the sidelines.