5 reasons to re-sign Drayton Florence

[NewEra]

So lets resign Drayton Florence, but let Jabari Greer walk. Makes sense.

Greer is gone. We shouldve resigned him. We didnt. Dont make the same mistake again. Stop living in the past. What's done is done. So because we let one good player go, we should let every good player go? Go back under the bridge.

[Kelly the Dog]

I thought that Florence was mostly terrible the entire year last year, after a very good first year. But I would like to resign him, and think he would be a solid veteran back-up who would get on the field a lot and would end up starting some games due to injury. But McGee and Leodis could easily start if they are healthy.

 

Florence would be a good influence on AWilliams. I would be very happy with those four guys being our top four and let the best man win/play. AWilliams needs a lot of experience on the outside before he can be a three down player. I still think McGee can be a starter but he needs to be healthy and show he deserves it. Leodis, IMO, needs to be named the starter and keep him there. He sill has a chance to be a stud, even though he has his head up his ass WAY too many single plays. Reggie Corner, IMO, is only a #4 or #5 CB, and if Florence is back, that's where he remains. The #7 rook can be groomed on the PS.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

I know it's common for fans to bad mouth a player when it appears they could be out the door, but Flo was easily the best DB on this team last year.

This! Florence was our best defensive back all season long in 2010, period. No other corner or safety even came close! Considering how cheap he'll be and how inexperienced our 2011 secondary projects to be, it would be a real bonehead move to let him walk.

[Turbosrrgood]

I thought that Florence was mostly terrible the entire year last year, after a very good first year.

 

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I think you are in the minority on this one.

 

To me he looked solid in all aspects of his game, and in some instances was able to really shut down receivers...There was a reason why they were attacking McKelvin so much...Florence was good, McKelvin was not....

 

Actually I thought he was pretty good with SD, which is why I thought the Bills had a rare good move at a good price when they picked him up.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Turbosrrgood

[NewEra]

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I think you are in the minority on this one.

 

To me he looked solid in all aspects of his game, and in some instances was able to really shut down receivers...There was a reason why they were attacking McKelvin so much...Florence was good, McKelvin was not....

 

Actually I thought he was pretty good with SD, which is why I thought the Bills had a rare good move at a good price when they picked him up.

I thought he regressed a bit from 2009, where he was probably our best defensive player, but he was still solid. It seemed like he had more penalties and got beat a bit more last year than the previous year, but he was still solid, and our most consistent cb by a long shot. I'm praying we sign him.

 

This! Florence was our best defensive back all season long in 2010, period. No other corner or safety even came close! Considering how cheap he'll be and how inexperienced our 2011 secondary projects to be, it would be a real bonehead move to let him walk.

How cheap will he be?

[CardinalScotts]

Very solid reasons and I agree with all of them. I really hope we re-sign Drayton.

 

Of course we're not in the defensive huddle but Florence to me looks like a leader on the side of the ball that needs leaders I would keep him.

[Mark Vader]

I think it's imperative that we keep Florence. He's a veteran at the position and he's our best CB on the team at this time.

 

I would like to keep Whitner too, but I would not give him Polamalu type money.

 

McKelvin can be frustrating because he is inconsistent. However, I do think he can be the type of CB we expected him to be when we drafted him.

 

McGee is getting up there and his days as a starter are probably behind him, but I still think he can be a useful back-up.

 

Corner is by no means a starter, but he played much better last season than he has ever before. I think he can be a good nickel or dime back.

[BuffaloBillsMagic1]

Florence is solid as a rock as a DB. If he goes to Pitts or Jets he will be a superstar in their schemes. Re-sign the guy . Big, tough DB is what we always need.

[eball]

I don't think we have to worry, because Buddy clearly agrees. Hopefully $$ don't become a huge issue. I'm in the camp that expects to see a Florence/Williams starting CB tandem sooner rather than later this season, with McKelvin as the nickel.

[MyHorseAteTheKid]

1) He's a very physical, aggressive corner. It's becoming crystal clear that the new front office is intent on creating a tough physical defense and Florence fits this mold very well. His willingness to bang anywhere on the field makes him the kind of guy the Bills are already looking for so get him under contract and save yourself some work.

 

2) Terrence McGee is most likely done. His strength was always his ability to recover and make plays down the field but his weakness was always that he struggled in short area coverage. Between age and injury both of those facets of his game are probably going to take a significant hit and as such he is no longer a reliable option on the outside and never was on the inside. Barring a remarkable recovery, there may not even be a place for him on this roster going forward.

 

3) Leodis McKelvin is too inconsistent at this point in his career. One week he can play an outstanding 4th qrtr against Calvin Johnson and be a huge factor in a rare win, the next he can be out there spinning around trying to figure out where he's supposed to be. Until he proves to be more reliable he simply cannot serve as the Bills #1 corner by default.

 

4) The more starting caliber CB's the Bills have the farther down the depth chart it pushes Reggie Corner, and imo the farther down the depth chart he goes, the better off the Bills defense is. As inconsistent as McKelvin was, as invisible as McGee was, as much as Florence struggled at times, and as unreliable as Whitner was, Reggie Corner was still the biggest pigeon in the Bills secondary. When opponents spread the field he was target #1, primarily because the guy is a human 3rd down conversion.

 

5) Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Yes, Drayton had some issues last year (although I wonder if a lot of that was the fact that he had to spend so much time with his eyes in the backfield to support the Bills porous front7) but he's already familiar with what is likely to be an even more complicated system, he's a good fit with the kind of defense the Bills are trying to build, the staff is intimately familiar with his strengths and weaknesses and he's a veteran presence in what is going to be a very young secondary. The Bills have spent enough time creating holes for which they then need to commit limited assets to refill. If the kind of player you want is already in the neighborhood, there's no point in going out of town looking for somebody else.

 

It's not like the Bills would spend the money to sign anyone better..

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

How cheap will he be?

I'm no agent but I wouldn't think it'd take more than 2-3 million per season to retain Florence. Gotta get this done or you're leaving a ton of question marks at the CB position

 

I don't think we have to worry, because Buddy clearly agrees.

I wish I shared your confidence here, but after seeing them draft two corners (plus a safety that played corner) this year, and seeing Buddy talk about getting younger in the secondary, I'm not so sure.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Big Bad Boone

[Beerball]

5) Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

6) He's a pro.

[Sisyphean Bills]

6) He's a pro.

7) Buddy scouted him and the Chargers drafted him. He's a Buddy guy.

[BADOLBILZ]

1) He's a very physical, aggressive corner. It's becoming crystal clear that the new front office is intent on creating a tough physical defense and Florence fits this mold very well. His willingness to bang anywhere on the field makes him the kind of guy the Bills are already looking for so get him under contract and save yourself some work.

 

2) Terrence McGee is most likely done. His strength was always his ability to recover and make plays down the field but his weakness was always that he struggled in short area coverage. Between age and injury both of those facets of his game are probably going to take a significant hit and as such he is no longer a reliable option on the outside and never was on the inside. Barring a remarkable recovery, there may not even be a place for him on this roster going forward.

 

3) Leodis McKelvin is too inconsistent at this point in his career. One week he can play an outstanding 4th qrtr against Calvin Johnson and be a huge factor in a rare win, the next he can be out there spinning around trying to figure out where he's supposed to be. Until he proves to be more reliable he simply cannot serve as the Bills #1 corner by default.

 

4) The more starting caliber CB's the Bills have the farther down the depth chart it pushes Reggie Corner, and imo the farther down the depth chart he goes, the better off the Bills defense is. As inconsistent as McKelvin was, as invisible as McGee was, as much as Florence struggled at times, and as unreliable as Whitner was, Reggie Corner was still the biggest pigeon in the Bills secondary. When opponents spread the field he was target #1, primarily because the guy is a human 3rd down conversion.

 

5) Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Yes, Drayton had some issues last year (although I wonder if a lot of that was the fact that he had to spend so much time with his eyes in the backfield to support the Bills porous front7) but he's already familiar with what is likely to be an even more complicated system, he's a good fit with the kind of defense the Bills are trying to build, the staff is intimately familiar with his strengths and weaknesses and he's a veteran presence in what is going to be a very young secondary. The Bills have spent enough time creating holes for which they then need to commit limited assets to refill. If the kind of player you want is already in the neighborhood, there's no point in going out of town looking for somebody else.

 

Couldn't agree more. I'd also add that it is no guarantee that Aaron Williams will be any good. Williams is a corner with 4.5-4.6 speed so he doesn't even start out with the measurables you want.

[San-O]

I think it's imperative that we keep Florence. He's a veteran at the position and he's our best CB on the team at this time.

 

I would like to keep Whitner too, but I would not give him Polamalu type money.

 

McKelvin can be frustrating because he is inconsistent. However, I do think he can be the type of CB we expected him to be when we drafted him.

 

McGee is getting up there and his days as a starter are probably behind him, but I still think he can be a useful back-up.

 

Corner is by no means a starter, but he played much better last season than he has ever before. I think he can be a good nickel or dime back.

 

 

McLuvin must be kept off the field as much as possible. The dude seems to get toasted and cost points whenever he's out there.