San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 ESPN's Matt Williamson who is part of their Scouts Inc. group broke down the Bills tight ends. http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/29288/breaking-down-the-tight-ends-buffalo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Chris Cooley may be available if the season ever gets started Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollars 2 donuts Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 "...especially if Buffalo spends money in free agency to add a legitimate tight end. That would be a great move if Buffalo can pull it off." I have been discussing this with Bagel (a member of this board) for a while now. Everyone wants to get an OLman or pass rusher in free agency whereas I think our very first move once FA starts up again is to pay (maybe even over pay) for the best TE out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uticaclub Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 until we start winning or billicheat retires , were gonna have to overpay for any free agent to come here. We should get the best TE, pass rusher and OL we have the cap room. No stop gaps, no journeymen, we need the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 If only the Bills had drafted Brandon Pettigrew instead of Aaron Maybin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 The TE issue is overblown. To me there is no difference between a TE, WR, or a RB catching the ball. If you don't have a stud TE, then make plays with the players you have. TE is down the list of things to fix IMO. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 The TE issue is overblown. To me there is no difference between a TE, WR, or a RB catching the ball. If you don't have a stud TE, then make plays with the players you have. TE is down the list of things to fix IMO. PTR A tight end that could block and be a passing threat is something that is pretty special. The ability to block in the ground game and catch a pass is what makes a tight end work. IF you have a tight end that when the team lines up in the I formation can block on a play action and then go out for a pass it makes them so dynamic. Also tight ends that can pass protect help the offense as well. But if a tight end is mostly a receiver and not a competent blocker than yeah there isn't much separating them from a WR or running back. I do agree that there are more important issues facing the offense BUT there seems to be more Tight ends available in free agency this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EldaBillsFan Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 let Maybin try out for TE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz's Beard Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 a good, true tight end is critical for a team. They block on some running plays, then that helps set up play action (especially in the red zone) where they start a block, release, and are open to (hopefully) catch the pass. Do I think a tight end is the most critical puzzle piece? by no means. We need to address the TE positions AS WELL AS a good portion of our defense. I wish this damn lockout would end already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 The TE issue is overblown. To me there is no difference between a TE, WR, or a RB catching the ball. If you don't have a stud TE, then make plays with the players you have. TE is down the list of things to fix IMO. PTR You must be kidding? A RB, TE, and WR pose huge matchup issues, especially considering where they're lined up and how the defense reacts. Do you go man and put a nickel CB on the TE or use the SS, two players with different skill sets. A solid TE can also expose zone coverage, particularly the Tampa 2 that all teams at some point use in a season. I really don't think Gailey sees the TE position as anything more than another blocker. There likely won't be any significant signing in UFA for this reason. They're content with fringe NFL players like Stupar, Chandler, Caussin, David and Martin as blockers. All of them are low cost blockers who aren't all that great receiving. I had hopes for Nelson, but he's struggled mightily and may never be a receiving threat, especially in Gailey's offense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1B4IDie Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) The TE issue is overblown. PTR Agree 100% David Nelson runs the Dallas Clark seam route. Signing a FA TE isn't going to change the wins and losses much if at all. Although Luke Stocker at pick 100 was kind of a no-brainer. It's going to be interested to see how Josh Freeman uses another nice young weapon in Tampa and think we coulda . . . Edited June 7, 2011 by Why So Serious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 You must be kidding? A RB, TE, and WR pose huge matchup issues, especially considering where they're lined up and how the defense reacts. Do you go man and put a nickel CB on the TE or use the SS, two players with different skill sets. A solid TE can also expose zone coverage, particularly the Tampa 2 that all teams at some point use in a season. I really don't think Gailey sees the TE position as anything more than another blocker. There likely won't be any significant signing in UFA for this reason. They're content with fringe NFL players like Stupar, Chandler, Caussin, David and Martin as blockers. All of them are low cost blockers who aren't all that great receiving. I had hopes for Nelson, but he's struggled mightily and may never be a receiving threat, especially in Gailey's offense. I completely agree with the first paragraph. With respect to the second, upon what do you base your assumptions? At what point has Gailey ever said he views the TE as "another blocker" or that he is "content" with the players listed? Would it be better for him to publicly whine about not having Antonio Gates on the roster? If Chan is anything, he's a creative offensive minded coach. How you could presume he's not interested in having a versatile TE is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockinon Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I completely agree with the first paragraph. With respect to the second, upon what do you base your assumptions? At what point has Gailey ever said he views the TE as "another blocker" or that he is "content" with the players listed? Would it be better for him to publicly whine about not having Antonio Gates on the roster? If Chan is anything, he's a creative offensive minded coach. How you could presume he's not interested in having a versatile TE is beyond me. Bingo. I have seen quite a few posts stating that Gailey doesn't use TEs. It's really amazing how confused some people are about the position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 "Stating the obvious. The Bills tight ends...." suck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanC883 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 let Maybin try out for TE I 100% agree. He has a TE body, not an OLB body. It will prob not work, but why not try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Linen Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I 100% agree. He has a TE body, not an OLB body. It will prob not work, but why not try? Ugggghhhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I completely agree with the first paragraph. With respect to the second, upon what do you base your assumptions? At what point has Gailey ever said he views the TE as "another blocker" or that he is "content" with the players listed? Would it be better for him to publicly whine about not having Antonio Gates on the roster? If Chan is anything, he's a creative offensive minded coach. How you could presume he's not interested in having a versatile TE is beyond me. I base it off the receptions his TE's have had when he was an OC (PIT 96-97, MIA 00-01, and KC 08) then a HC (DAL 98-99 and BUF 10). Aside from Tony Gonzalez who is a sure-fire HOFer, he hasn't had 1 TE record 40 catches. And their YPC average is very low as well. One could say this was the era in the late nineties and early part of the 2000s, but not having that guy now hurts an offense. Discarding them as blockers demonstrates a lack of foresight for the supposed "offensive genius." Now, he didn't have the greatest talent, but he still has very much to prove. Some fans can say that a guy in the slot like David Nelson suffices, but he can never pose a match-up challenge like a physical TE such as Marcedes Lewis. Two completely different players and something an opposing defense has to account for. Ask the Bills who were torched in the first half of the season by every TE they played against. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1B4IDie Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) I base it off the receptions his TE's have had when he was an OC (PIT 96-97, MIA 00-01, and KC 08) then a HC (DAL 98-99 and BUF 10). Aside from Tony Gonzalez who is a sure-fire HOFer, he hasn't had 1 TE record 40 catches. And their YPC average is very low as well. One could say this was the era in the late nineties and early part of the 2000s, but not having that guy now hurts an offense. Discarding them as blockers demonstrates a lack of foresight for the supposed "offensive genius." Now, he didn't have the greatest talent, but he still has very much to prove. Some fans can say that a guy in the slot like David Nelson suffices, but he can never pose a match-up challenge like a physical TE such as Marcedes Lewis. Two completely different players and something an opposing defense has to account for. Ask the Bills who were torched in the first half of the season by every TE they played against. And this is where the overblown statements come in. David Nelson is 6-5 220. He can jump over a nickle back and is faster than a LB. Yes he isn't 270 pounds and can't man handle a nickle back like Lewis but he does pose a match-up problem when running routes that a traditional TEs would run. He has helped this offense. Getting a real TE that can block AND catch would be valuable but its not the end of the world or make a huge difference in wins and losses if the Bills use a platoon approach to the TE. When we were going "4-Wide" with Stevie Johnson, Evans (Donald Jones or Roosevelt) and David Nelson towards the end of the season. Nelson was running routes and lined up where a TE would have been. You can call it whatever you want the purpose was the same thing. Force the defense to use a nickel back or LB to cover Nelson because Nelson poses a matchup problem for either position. Edited June 7, 2011 by Why So Serious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrobot Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) More Info: The current combination of Bills TE's has the best "thrown to/caught" ratio in the NFL. Stupar was 2nd, Martin 4th in % caught. The problem isn't that Stupar/Chandler/etc. drop passes; they aren't being thrown their way. Stupar was FIFTY-THIRD among TE's in "Thrown At". 3 of the Top 5 TE's in run blocking face the Bills twice a season. The Bills don't have any TE's that have a positive run-blocking grade by Pro Football Focus. (BTW, Cooley doesn't either, but Zach Miller is Top 10 in run-blocking. Don't get your hopes up; Kleinsasser was last year's FA run blocker and he's still in MINN) Edited June 7, 2011 by Astrobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggieScooby Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Tight ends aren't important?!?! Really? Okay the New England Patriots got 2 great rookies in 2010 got a veteran in Alge Crumpler, and drafted another in 2011. Why the hell do we need a tight end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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