Jump to content

Whitner coming un-hinged?


The Big Cat

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 109
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Donte isn't a top flight safety in the league, but the way he gets trashed around here is absurd. And if players do listen to the voice of the fans, and this board is probably one of the most accessible venues for that, I'm not surprised they aren't dying to re-sign.

 

I can imagine the convo with the agent: "So you mean I can play in a small market with no national coverage, play in the freezing ass cold, for a team that never makes the playoffs, for a meddling owner, and to top it off the fans will rage ad nauseum about how much I suck unless I'm a perennial pro-bowler (in which case half will complain about how overrated I am)? Where do I sign up?"

 

You're right. We should pay him as much as Polamalu because... he plays in a cold, small market team? Makes perfect sense! We should pay him like the best safety and just hope he becomes worth it. I'll start. Hoping. Here I go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you think Whitner was holding the Bills secondary together I think you need to re-evaluate your grasp on the game.

 

It seems that so much of the value assigned to Whitner by misguided fans(and himself) is based on some imaginary skill he brings to the field. The perception that he has always been the jack of all trades glue that held the secondary together is not based in fact. He can't play corner in the nickel or dime. He never made any plays as a FS. He is just an average to mediocre strong safety.

 

What is it that he does that impresses you? He doesn't play well at the LOS, so he complained that he was out of place in the tampa-2 even though he was the first damn pick of the tampa-2 regime. THEN, he gets the chance in this new defense that is supposed to allow him to play back more and make plays.............and he makes no plays.

 

There is no defense that is going to make Donte into the player he and you think he is. And if he lands on a great defense and starts making some more plays.....will it be as a $7M per year player? No. It would be because he is perceived as a weak link on a defense and gets the ball thrown his way as a result a la former Jet CB Otis Smith.

 

Exactly right on all points, but the 1st point was the strongest...I'm not sure exactly where this idea that Whitner is anything more than average comes from...It seems to me anyone with even a modicom of understanding of NFL Football would know this...It never ceases to amaze me...There are exaples out there of good to great Safeties...You can see them all over the league on most any Sunday...I just don't get it... B-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly right on all points, but the 1st point was the strongest...I'm not sure exactly where this idea that Whitner is anything more than average comes from...It seems to me anyone with even a modicom of understanding of NFL Football would know this...It never ceases to amaze me...There are exaples out there of good to great Safeties...You can see them all over the league on most any Sunday...I just don't get it... B-)

He's not a bad player and if one surrounds him with other standout defenders, like when he was at Ohio St., he can show his stuff. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't read every post here, but enough to see nothing has changed since the day he became a Bill. My Take: it seems in virtually every NFL game not involving the Bills, at least one of the teams has a daunting presence in the secondary. One who brings the big spank in run support and strikes the fear of God into WR's, turning them into jelly by the 4th quarter. Buffalo hasn't seen that kind of presence since Leonard Smith/Kurt Schultz. Witner is a sure tackler -I easily give him that. They're just soft tackles after many yards (pass or run) way down field. IMO, enough time has passed that where he was drafted is no longer of importance -just that he's a veteran who SIMPLY ISN'T very good.

 

I'm pretty confident he won't be back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...