Marcell Dareus vs. AJ Green

[Juror#8]

We're 31% (or 26% percent depending on how ambitious you're feeling) of the way into the season. It's a good time to reflect on first round draft pick performance.

 

Not to be too revisionist here, but does anyone wish (even a teeny weeny bit) that we would have drafted AJ Green? I mean, at a minimum, wouldn't it be a wash - in that he would have had an equal offensive impact as Mr. Dareus has had defensively?

 

With that said, how often do truly stud, impactful, game-changing Wide Receivers surface? Once every 3-4 years I'd guess. What about DTs, similarly described? Once a year, me thinks.

 

Watching Calvin Johnson outrun a cover-two last night makes one salivate at the possibility of a big, strong, fast, receiver (he is the only receiver that I have ever seen outrun a cover-two btw). He can almost single-handedly impact the ebb and the flow of any one game (assuming someone is throwing to him).

 

Ultimately, I think Sir Dareus was the best choice, the right pick, and the best fit for this team. What say you?

[Hazed and Amuzed]

We're 31% (or 26% percent depending on how ambitious you're feeling) of the way into the season. It's a good time to reflect on first round draft pick performance.

 

Not to be too revisionist here, but does anyone wish (even a teeny weeny bit) that we would have drafted AJ Green? I mean, at a minimum, wouldn't it be a wash - in that he would have had an equal offensive impact as Mr. Dareus has had defensively?

 

With that said, how often do truly stud, impactful, game-changing Wide Receivers surface? Once every 3-4 years I'd guess. What about DTs, similarly described? Once a year, me thinks.

 

Watching Calvin Johnson outrun a cover-two last night makes one salivate at the possibility of a big, strong, fast, receiver (he is the only receiver that I have ever seen outrun a cover-two btw). He can almost single-handedly impact the ebb and the flow of any one game (assuming someone is throwing to him).

 

Ultimately, I think Sir Dareus was the best choice, the right pick, and the best fit for this team. What say you?

Personally I don't think WR is as important of position that you take it with in the first 10 picks. You start with the lines and QB and build outwards. Just my opinion. We seem to be doing fine with a bunch of 7th round and udfa WRs.

[Gugny]

To assess last year's draft picks 5 weeks into their first season is beyond ridiculous.

[Thoner7]

Nope. The only player I would have picked over Dareus was Fairly. He got his first game action last night and looked pretty good I thought. Fairly was/is more of an up the field penetrator than Dareus, who is more like a diesel truck.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Nope. The only player I would have picked over Dareus was Fairly. He got his first game action last night and looked pretty good I thought. Fairly was/is more of an up the field penetrator than Dareus, who is more like a diesel truck.

personally I like diesel trucks better. This team is being built right firm up the center positions ( guard and center on OL ) and ( NT, MLBs on defense )

[Webster Guy]

Its an interesting thing to consider, especially now that our deepest position is Dline and our weakest is WR. In training camp, our top 6 receivers were Evans, Stevie, Easley, Parrish, Jones, and Nelson.

 

We are down to two and we run a spread offense. We have a backup QB as one of our receivers and two guys that we cut back on the team. (I wonder if Fitz likes throwing to Ruvell Martin or Lee Evans better?)

 

But I still would rather have Dareus. He was the right pick.

Edited October 11, 2011 by Webster Guy

[silvermike]

Based on how Buddy finds star WRs, it seems like we should be reconsidering the Michael Jasper pick.

[Dorkington]

Dareus is an obvious bust, obviously.

[Juror#8]

To assess last year's draft picks 5 weeks into their first season is beyond ridiculous.

 

Really...you feel this way even though both look to be studs. It's not like I'm declaring either a bust after 5 games. Both have been proficient enough and flashed enough situational brillance that we can begin to understand their skill set and it's application to their respective teams.

 

Around draft time, there was a hardy contingent of folks here advocating for Green. Many felt that he was the best player in the draft. I think its interesting to ponder, given how the team has filled out and what Chan's game-day philosophy is, the question: what if we had had went for Green?

 

We're winning by out-scoring opponents and relying on opportunistic take-aways. We're not winning by grinding out games and hoping that the opponent has less yards then us and that that lack of yards translates favorably into lack of scoring opportunities and lack of opponent points.

 

Who best integrates into that style of play?

[bizell]

 

With that said, how often do truly stud, impactful, game-changing Wide Receivers surface? Once every 3-4 years I'd guess. What about DTs, similarly described? Once a year, me thinks.

 

Watching Calvin Johnson outrun a cover-two last night makes one salivate at the possibility of a big, strong, fast, receiver (he is the only receiver that I have ever seen outrun a cover-two btw). He can almost single-handedly impact the ebb and the flow of any one game (assuming someone is throwing to him).

 

Ultimately, I think Sir Dareus was the best choice, the right pick, and the best fit for this team. What say you?

AJ Green is awesome, no doubt, but I think our needs on defense were too glaring to pass a talent like Dareus.

and re: outrunning the cover-two, tillman was supposed to jam/redirect johnson at the line and didn't, giving him a free release (not to take anything away from johnson's prodigal talents)

[Juror#8]

Dareus is an obvious bust, obviously.

 

Yea...because your comment best summarizes my post.

[DrDawkinstein]

No, not in the least.

 

I watched AJ Green his entire college career. I knew how good he'd be. Dareus is still the correct pick there every single time.

 

WRs can be found later in the draft, or even undrafted. Getting TOP TIER talent in the middle of your DL is as important as it gets. Especially for the worst Run D in the league.

 

No to AJ Green.

No to Patrick Peterson.

 

YES MARCEL DAREUS!

[PromoTheRobot]

Some people have highlight-vision. They only see what ESPN shows as a highlight. Otherwise it didn't happen.

 

PTR

[Dorkington]

Yea...because your comment best summarizes my post.

Dareus has made plays.

 

We had WR depth on draft day and up until very recently.

 

Your post is typical hindsight bs.

[Chandemonium]

There was one game a couple weeks back where I wished AJ Green was on the opposite sideline in a blue and white uniform, but I'd still rather have Dareus overall.

[Juror#8]

Nope. The only player I would have picked over Dareus was Fairly. He got his first game action last night and looked pretty good I thought. Fairly was/is more of an up the field penetrator than Dareus, who is more like a diesel truck.

 

Prediction - Fairly will enjoy JaMarcus Russell money and JaMarcus Russell production...translated to DT play of course.

 

Dareus has made plays.

 

We had WR depth on draft day and up until very recently.

 

Your post is typical hindsight bs.

 

No, not "hindsight bs," as you put it; but we are having some fun with revisionist history -that is, if you'll oblige?

[Dorkington]

No, not "hindsight bs," as you put it; but we are having some fun with revisionist history -that is, if you'll oblige?

 

Sorry, I just grow weary of every other post here being "we should have drafted..."

[T master]

We're 31% (or 26% percent depending on how ambitious you're feeling) of the way into the season. It's a good time to reflect on first round draft pick performance.

 

Not to be too revisionist here, but does anyone wish (even a teeny weeny bit) that we would have drafted AJ Green? I mean, at a minimum, wouldn't it be a wash - in that he would have had an equal offensive impact as Mr. Dareus has had defensively?

 

With that said, how often do truly stud, impactful, game-changing Wide Receivers surface? Once every 3-4 years I'd guess. What about DTs, similarly described? Once a year, me thinks.

 

Watching Calvin Johnson outrun a cover-two last night makes one salivate at the possibility of a big, strong, fast, receiver (he is the only receiver that I have ever seen outrun a cover-two btw). He can almost single-handedly impact the ebb and the flow of any one game (assuming someone is throwing to him).

 

Ultimately, I think Sir Dareus was the best choice, the right pick, and the best fit for this team. What say you?

 

AW HELL TO THE NO !! WITH THE WAY OUR D IS PLAYING WE CAN WORRY ABOUT THAT NEXT YEAR AT THE DRAFT IF NEED BE !!!!!!!!!!

 

GO BILLS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Juror#8]

Personally I don't think WR is as important of position that you take it with in the first 10 picks. You start with the lines and QB and build outwards. Just my opinion. We seem to be doing fine with a bunch of 7th round and udfa WRs.

 

I may be in the minority, but if given the choice, I would take Calvin Johnson over Suh if both were in the same draft. Both are monsters and you can't go wrong with either. But I just feel that Johnson impacts a game single-handedly more so than does Suh.

 

In my opinion, impact is impact. However, defense relies more on unit-cohesiveness than does offense. Arguably one great player on defense can be neutralized more so than one great wide receiver on offense. Just ask Andre Johnson.

 

The above hypothetical notwithstanding, I WOULD STILL CHOOSE DAREUS OVER GREEN - all things considered.

 

There was one game a couple weeks back where I wished AJ Green was on the opposite sideline in a blue and white uniform, but I'd still rather have Dareus overall.

 

 

Some people have highlight-vision. They only see what ESPN shows as a highlight. Otherwise it didn't happen.

 

PTR

 

Not sure where you're going with this. Am I the "they," in your statement, and the only thing that they see is AJ Green making catches whereas Dareus has only one sack.

 

If that is what you're saying (and please note the conditional "if"), then you're wrong. Firstly, I think Marcell is better. Secondly, I realize that his impact can never be truly or fully appreciated by looking at the statistical sheet.

 

Dareus' near-sack of Michael Vick, myriad other QB pressures, and run-disrupting capability highlights that proposition quite well.

[Cash]

AJ Green is awesome, no doubt, but I think our needs on defense were too glaring to pass a talent like Dareus.

and re: outrunning the cover-two, tillman was supposed to jam/redirect johnson at the line and didn't, giving him a free release (not to take anything away from johnson's prodigal talents)

 

I'm guessing you meant prodigious, but I really like the idea of a guy with prodigal talents. "If you want to blow through some money, Megatron's your guy!" Come to think of it, Antoine Walker and MC Hammer had some prodigal talents.

 

No, not in the least.

 

I watched AJ Green his entire college career. I knew how good he'd be. Dareus is still the correct pick there every single time.

 

WRs can be found later in the draft, or even undrafted. Getting TOP TIER talent in the middle of your DL is as important as it gets. Especially for the worst Run D in the league.

 

No to AJ Green.

No to Patrick Peterson.

 

YES MARCEL DAREUS!

 

I would've been more or less fine with AJ Green because I viewed him as a blue-chip stud, and on a team that (I thought) was devoid of talent, you can always use a stud at any position. Plus, even with Lee Evans in the fold, I thought we could've used another outside receiver. So Green would've been a fine pick.

 

BUT!

 

Dareus was such a much better pick. A WR can be a crucial piece of success, but he's not a conditional piece - meaning he can't help the team without the O-line & QB. (Look at Steve Smith last year vs. this year.) DE/DTs like Dareus are foundational pieces. I believe that you start with the foundation, then add the skill pieces on top of it (which is why I didn't like the Spiller pick or Brad Smith signing). And on top of that, Dareus perfectly fit our biggest need - run defense - and somewhat fit another strong need in interior pass rushing. Dareus all the way, no hesitation. Only player I would have to maybe move ahead of him on my retroactive board would be Cam Newton.