Lee Evans

[C.Biscuit97]

I've a big Evans' fan but I can admit this has been a very down year for him. He has had more drops and fumbles than I've ever seen him have. However, the Evans bashing starts to get silly for a few reasons:

 

1) People complain about his salary. Yet, the same fans probably complain about RW being cheap. So when RW might have overpaid the receiver OFF TO THE BEST START OF ANY RECIVER IN BILLS' HISTORY, how can people complain?

 

What would the outrage be if we let Evans' walk and he became a flat out star on another team.

 

2) As others' have pointed out, Evans opens up the field for every other player. Ask teh Pats. For year, there plan was be take away Evans and let the other Bills' receivers beat them. Considering Losman couldn't throw to another player besides Evans or Edwards was scared to throw the ball down the field, it was an effective plan.

 

As great as SJ had been playing, his space would be a lot tighter without EVans. Have you seen Welker's numbers since Moss left?

 

3) Evans' class hurts him. He is still our #1 receiver. But he doesn't have the attitude of a typical #1. Most top receivers would have flipped out about their lack of opportunities. But because he is a humble and team oriented guy and doesn't complain. As a result, we don't force the ball to him like a lot of other teams do with their #1 receiver.

 

4) I know this isn't popular in the day of fantasy football, but watch Fred Jackson's long td catch. Evans has his man blocked for 50 yards. If Evans doesn't block his butt off, FJ doesn't score.

 

This hasn't be a good year for Lee, but the improvement we have seen in our offense wouldn't exist without him. He's probably overpaid but it's Ralph's money, which everyone complains about. But every team we play knows LE is a homerun on every play. He is very important to to this team and every person in that lockerroom will tell you that.

[TheBows]

I was all for trading Lee early in the season. I was thinking about draft picks at the time, but I like the direction we're moving on offense now. I'm not sure if getting rid of Lee is "addition by subtraction"...it's just subtraction. I could think of a few other players to drop this offseason.

[Fan in San Diego]

The production is just isn't there anymore. I would trade him for a draft pick and develop one of our young receivers. Chan's play calling just doesn't seem to call for a deep down the sideline very often. We need more variety of routes from our #1 WR.

[Sisyphean Bills]

No, it's not clear. I would be willing to wager that when Nelson is on the field, that Lee Evans is not even the second option much less the first. He is pretty much a one trick pony with great hands. I've seen him on more than a few occassions where he is matched up with one on one coverage and he simply isn't able to create separation. He also does warrant the criticism of not coming back to the ball on certain pass plays, this is two weeks in a row now that an announcer has pointed that out in a game.

 

How many times have you seen him catch passes going up the middle? Sure, there have been a few times that he has, but do you simply believe that is because our coaches don't run those patterns for him? I'm not buying it, I would say it probably has something to do with his level of uncomfort he displays (most likely beginning in practice) going up the middle. Perfect example was this last game, he seemed scared to allow both his hands to go after the ball, and in fact only went after it with one hand. Why do you think that is? Could it be that the criticism some of us have said about regarding his inability to go up the middle could possibly be true? Certainly looked that way on that play.

 

Does he deserve to start? Yes.

 

Does he help open up the field for our other WR's?

 

Yes

 

Is he more of a decoy than a true #1WR who finds ways to get the ball?

 

Yes

 

Is he overpaid for what he does?

 

Yes.

Good post. Lee Evans is playing in an NFL offense this year and Ryan Fitzpatrick is having a solid season, and yet Evans is once again the second option with barely more production than Roscoe. There were several times in the Pittsburgh game when the Bills went with a 3 WR package and Lee Evans wasn't one of them; they went with Johnson, Jones, and Nelson. The idea that the Bills might move on from Lee Evans doesn't mean he is being called "garbage" or that he isn't an OK player, like Peerless Price was in his role; it is a compliment to the young WRs on this team that have stepped up this year in this offense and produced.