Justice Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Yeah, but he has a really cool nickname so that makes up for it. How do you know this? Well, for one, in the NFL he will be getting paid. Money can be a great motivating factor and keep him away from the sticky icky. For two, this is only weed we're talking about. It's not like he's addicted to heroin. He can easily give it up. This IS his last chance. Worth the gamble in the third if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 It's refreshing to see such a logical move be made so early. Hopefully he can make a strong transition. It would be nice to see him blitz too. Knowing Pettine's propensity to use DBs as blitzers I think this team has quite a bit of athleticism right now to be good at it. It would certainly surprise some teams given that there is about 5 seconds of tape from the past 7 years of our guys blitzing. Who knows how good they could be at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maury Ballstein Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 whew......abooot time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 It's not drugs. It's weed. If you eliminated every NFL player who smoked weed you couldn't field a team. If you eliminated every prospect who smoked weed, you couldn't draft one either. That being said, this guy seems to be a playmaker. He may be too small and that would be my worry, but he can jump out of the gym. I'm always interested in playmakers. And just a reminder, Mathieu did keep Ron Brooks on the bench and we drafted him fairly high. Actually, yes, you could. 99% of guys find a way not to fail drug tests every year; the fact that this guy failed 10+ is a gigantic red flag. To me, it says that football is not a priority to him; I don't want to draft a guy like that. Setting that aside for a minute, this guy was away from football for what, more than a calendar year? During that time, the guy can't get in the gym enough to show off his stuff at the first possible opportunity? Again, to me that says the guy doesn't make football a priority, and I don't want to draft a guy like that. UDFA? Sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Actually, yes, you could. 99% of guys find a way not to fail drug tests every year; the fact that this guy failed 10+ is a gigantic red flag. To me, it says that football is not a priority to him; I don't want to draft a guy like that. Setting that aside for a minute, this guy was away from football for what, more than a calendar year? During that time, the guy can't get in the gym enough to show off his stuff at the first possible opportunity? Again, to me that says the guy doesn't make football a priority, and I don't want to draft a guy like that. UDFA? Sure. The bench press is meaningless when it comes to playing CB. As a matter of fact the bench press is the most over hyped activity at the combine, IMO. Lower body strength and core strength is what matters most in football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 The bench press is meaningless when it comes to playing CB. As a matter of fact the bench press is the most over hyped activity at the combine, IMO. Lower body strength and core strength is what matters most in football. Perhaps, but what it tells me is that the guy hasn't spent time in the gym. When a player has an entire year to prepare for the combine, especially as a result of being kicked out of a major University that's considered a football power, I expect him to prepare for the next available opportunity to showcase his abilities. He should be aiming to excel in everything if for no other reason than to show teams that he's taking his 11th chance seriously. He didn't, and to me that's too much of a red flag to draft the guy. Were the Bills a team that perennially contended for the Superbowl, I might think differently about investing a draft pick in a kid like Mathieu...they aren't, so I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FleaMoulds80 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Nah. Gilmore and McLuv'n are set at the corners, with Brooks as the nickle. Any dime or reserve help can come via the later rounds. That said, do they rely as much on Leodis in the return game now that he has full-time starting responsibilities? That will be interesting to watch at SJF... Don't kid yourself. Since when is McKelvin a legit cover CB? We need another CB outside of Gilmore. I will put money that either Lane Johnson, Dee Milliner, or Cordarelle Patterson will be our pick at 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Perhaps, but what it tells me is that the guy hasn't spent time in the gym. When a player has an entire year to prepare for the combine, especially as a result of being kicked out of a major University that's considered a football power, I expect him to prepare for the next available opportunity to showcase his abilities. He should be aiming to excel in everything if for no other reason than to show teams that he's taking his 11th chance seriously. He didn't, and to me that's too much of a red flag to draft the guy. Were the Bills a team that perennially contended for the Superbowl, I might think differently about investing a draft pick in a kid like Mathieu...they aren't, so I don't. I respect and understand your opinion, but as a 5'7" kid he really can't afford to add the mass that would come along with more bench press reps. He might lose flexibility and become more stiff which isn't good for a CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananathumb Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 OK< now tell Joe at WGR that they aren't taking a safety at 8, thank god. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 OK< now tell Joe at WGR that they aren't taking a safety at 8, thank god. Not so fast. They might be looking for Byrd's replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 I respect and understand your opinion, but as a 5'7" kid he really can't afford to add the mass that would come along with more bench press reps. He might lose flexibility and become more stiff which isn't good for a CB. I suppose that's possible...I guess my personal anecdotal evidence just doesn't match that supposition. I mean, I realize everyone's body develops differently, but I'm 5'6", 155 lbs, and I can literally bench twice that much, and I'm not in training to be a professional athlete (and while I won't win any twister competitions, I remain quite flexible). I know it can be silly to compare one's self to a pro athlete, but I guess I figure an NFL player that's bigger than I am should be stronger than me if he's hitting the gym hard. To me, it's all about the red flags...I think there are too many to spend a pick on this kid, even if what you've stated above is indeed the case. Not this team, and not this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills1960 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 I think this move indicates that, despite what Joe B thinks, SS will not be the pick in round one. They'll have two youngster battling it out for the spot in Searcy and Williams. If they want to take a guy in the later rounds that's fine, but hopefully the competition will allow one of the two (or three) to emerge as a starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Well, for one, in the NFL he will be getting paid. Money can be a great motivating factor and keep him away from the sticky icky. For two, this is only weed we're talking about. It's not like he's addicted to heroin. He can easily give it up. This IS his last chance. Worth the gamble in the third if you ask me. Seriously? There is tons of evidence that throwing gobs of money at uneducated problem children is almost always a recipe for disaster. And if he was so motivated by money and could easily give up weed, why didn't he do so before it cost him his college career and millions of dollars in draft position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Not so fast. They might be looking for Byrd's replacement. Probably a confluence of factors including that one. They know they have Byrd for one year. Can franchise him again. Try to work out a long term deal but right now they may not know. The way Williams plays this year at safety could have a significant affect on what they do next year if the long term deal hits a snag. It may make the Byrd deal a bigger necessity or a smaller one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkington Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Good move, but also probably means this year is his last year to actually make a difference on the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Wow! Can't say I saw this coming. Was hoping it would happen...one of his attributes coming out of college was his ability to blitz... He has skills. I really think it is tough to really scrutinize some of these guys (especially the corners) when the front 7 was so ineffective for most of the year. I think he, and McKelvin, both, just suffered the snow-ball effect from playing in bad schemes with verylimited talent around them. I still think Leodis can be a top flight corner. Williams played college ball here, and still does a lot of promtion and charity events in Austin. I think he is a good kid...but it is hard for some of these really young guys to take a lot of criticism while they are learning on the job. I don't think he relishes his role as whipping boy too much. Edited April 16, 2013 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santana Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) I'm glad to see that this coaching staff is showing some type of competency as far as personnel decisions go. I can't lie, I really have no complaints with any of the moves the Bills have made this off season. It may be due to the fact that my expectations are more realistic than they have been in recent years. All in all, great move to put A. Williams at safety because the whole world know's he can't play CB to save his life. Can't wait for the draft!!! GO BILLS!!! Edited April 16, 2013 by Lincoln Osiris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoppaBen Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Love this move...he was always getting burnt...We are hurting at CB though...McKelvin a starter? NOPE... Edited April 16, 2013 by PoppaBen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 He couldn't play corner to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Williams appears to be a bright kid, which I value in a defense that requires intelligence, which Pettine's does. And he's a rodeo guy. That's both a sign of toughness and of "independence of mind." None of that says he'll succeed at safety but I think it gives him an edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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