Heels20X6 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2013/8/15/4621408/marquise-goodwin-buffalo-bills-texas-longhorns-olympians-nfl?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=articlebottom Solid piece with thoughts from Marrone and Buddy Nix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOFO Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Nice...thanks for that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) "Track guys just have linear speed. I have proved I have more than linear speed," Goodwin previously stated in February from the combine. "I have good hands, I run routes, I get out of my breaks. I'm tough, I have taken on hits, I've blocked. I have even got MVP for blocking in one game and I didn't even touch a ball that game. I don't think a track guy could go out there and get MVP for blocking." Where's the evidence of that in preseason or at Texas? What, he runs good routes in practice? Great, I think we've seen enough of stuff like that. Of the 35 men before Goodwin to appear on the highest level of international competition and follow that up by playing in at least one regular-season professional football game, nearly a third were in out and of the league within two years. Sure, the list includes 11 Pro Bowlers, nine All-Pros and four Hall of Famers, but the odds of Olympic success leading to similar returns from the line of scrimmage are dubious. I'd like to know who those 11 Pro Bowlers and 9 All-Pros and four Hall of Famers are. The only ones I know, and it's not that many, were on the defensive side. I can't think of one single WR that ever had such track credentials without the associated receiving credentials that went on to stardom as a WR in the NFL. Either way, what happened at Texas? Strange how they don't explain why his track abilities didn't translate to much more than a few hundred yards and a pedestrian YPR average there. Oh well, I suppose we'll find out shortly. But right now his 7.0 yard average must be deceptive. We'll see, call me a major skeptic, but I expect to see him have a career returning kicks and maybe punts. Not sure we really needed that since we finished 4th last year in KRs and 1st in PRs, but what do I know. Edited August 19, 2013 by TaskersGhost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heels20X6 Posted August 19, 2013 Author Share Posted August 19, 2013 Well, here's his blocking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 "Track guys just have linear speed. I have proved I have more than linear speed," Goodwin previously stated in February from the combine. "I have good hands, I run routes, I get out of my breaks. I'm tough, I have taken on hits, I've blocked. I have even got MVP for blocking in one game and I didn't even touch a ball that game. I don't think a track guy could go out there and get MVP for blocking." Where's the evidence of that in preseason or at Texas? What, he runs good routes in practice? Great, I think we've seen enough of stuff like that. Of the 35 men before Goodwin to appear on the highest level of international competition and follow that up by playing in at least one regular-season professional football game, nearly a third were in out and of the league within two years. Sure, the list includes 11 Pro Bowlers, nine All-Pros and four Hall of Famers, but the odds of Olympic success leading to similar returns from the line of scrimmage are dubious. I'd like to know who those 11 Pro Bowlers and 9 All-Pros and four Hall of Famers are. The only ones I know, and it's not that many, were on the defensive side. I can't think of one single WR that ever had such track credentials without the associated receiving credentials that went on to stardom as a WR in the NFL. Either way, what happened at Texas? Strange how they don't explain why his track abilities didn't translate to much more than a few hundred yards and a pedestrian YPR average there. Oh well, I suppose we'll find out shortly. But right now his 7.0 yard average must be deceptive. We'll see, call me a major skeptic, but I expect to see him have a career returning kicks and maybe punts. Not sure we really needed that since we finished 4th last year in KRs and 1st in PRs, but what do I know. Jim Thorpe Bob Hayes Willie Gault Ron Brown Herschel Walker James Jett Jeff Demps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swnybillsfan Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Well, here's his blocking... this works for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Well, here's his blocking... After the Bills drafted him and I said to myself "great, another TJ Graham," I saw that clip and realized the kid is a football player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 After the Bills drafted him and I said to myself "great, another TJ Graham," I saw that clip and realized the kid is a football player. Go take a look at TJ's blocking against the Colts two weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Go take a look at TJ's blocking against the Colts two weeks ago. I don't have the game recorded. How was it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 I don't have the game recorded. How was it? First couple of plays were runs to Spiller; TJ sealed the outside beautifully. He's definitely been working on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 First couple of plays were runs to Spiller; TJ sealed the outside beautifully. He's definitely been working on it. Excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 Seems to be a solid article showing pros and cons of Olympians. So many full time college football players fail in NFL despite claims that will be all Pros by NFL evaluators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) First couple of plays were runs to Spiller; TJ sealed the outside beautifully. He's definitely been working on it. You know, it would be unusual, but I'm wondering if TJ Graham might be a surprise cut. He's been injured, so he hasn't been in the coaches' eyes. He's been dropping balls in practice. And if his blocking has improved due to injury, he hasn't had much of a chance to show it. From what I can tell, Goodwin has every bit as much or more speed, better moves, better hands. All that and he can block, too. It's a surprise when a player who is drafted in the 1st 4-5 rounds gets cut in their 2nd year, but we cut Tank Carder last year before the season started. Edited August 20, 2013 by Hopeful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 "Track guys just have linear speed. I have proved I have more than linear speed," Goodwin previously stated in February from the combine. "I have good hands, I run routes, I get out of my breaks. I'm tough, I have taken on hits, I've blocked. I have even got MVP for blocking in one game and I didn't even touch a ball that game. I don't think a track guy could go out there and get MVP for blocking." Where's the evidence of that in preseason or at Texas? What, he runs good routes in practice? Great, I think we've seen enough of stuff like that. Of the 35 men before Goodwin to appear on the highest level of international competition and follow that up by playing in at least one regular-season professional football game, nearly a third were in out and of the league within two years. Sure, the list includes 11 Pro Bowlers, nine All-Pros and four Hall of Famers, but the odds of Olympic success leading to similar returns from the line of scrimmage are dubious. I'd like to know who those 11 Pro Bowlers and 9 All-Pros and four Hall of Famers are. The only ones I know, and it's not that many, were on the defensive side. I can't think of one single WR that ever had such track credentials without the associated receiving credentials that went on to stardom as a WR in the NFL. Either way, what happened at Texas? Strange how they don't explain why his track abilities didn't translate to much more than a few hundred yards and a pedestrian YPR average there. Oh well, I suppose we'll find out shortly. But right now his 7.0 yard average must be deceptive. We'll see, call me a major skeptic, but I expect to see him have a career returning kicks and maybe punts. Not sure we really needed that since we finished 4th last year in KRs and 1st in PRs, but what do I know. He can play. He seems to me to have good vision. besides why not root for the guy? Not be a negative fan of a player for your team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Well, here's his blocking... So his blocking is summed up in a single play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Jim Thorpe Bob Hayes Willie Gault Ron Brown Herschel Walker James Jett Jeff Demps Thanks!!! I thought that Darrell Green may have been a track star too. Jim Thorpe (1920-1928) Bob Hayes (1965-1975) Willie Gault (1983-1993) Ron Brown (1984-1991) Herschel Walker (1986-1997) James Jett (1993-2002) Jeff Demps (2012 - ?) Those only account for 1 Hall of Famer, 6 Pro Bowls, and 4 All-Pros. Gault, Brown, Jett, and Demps have nothing. I'm not sure that's who the article was referring to. I'm guessing that Darrell Green was in there. Either way, there are no modern examples to my knowledge whereby a player that is "so blazing fast that no one catch him" one on one, that had almost no receiving credentials in college, that excelled in the NFL as a WR. Plenty have gone on to become great returners, but not receivers. That's the problem here, everyone's expecting the unprecedented to occur. Why? These things don't happen for a reason. The fact that this coaching staff thinks that they're different than the wad of other coaching staffs that tried the same yet failed should be concerning, particularly since it seems to be such a relevant part of their stated game plan. I was neutral on Marrone & Co. entering the season, but it's stuff like that that really makes me scratch my head. Do they not understand NFL history in that way? Do they not understand that the single biggest transition from the NCAA to NFL, as stated by everyone in the game, is the speed of the game and how incredibly faster it is? They're just questions. After the Bills drafted him and I said to myself "great, another TJ Graham," I saw that clip and realized the kid is a football player. Yeah, he's a special teamer. Did we really need to expend a 3rd round pick on a special teams player? Don't you think that we had much greater needs? What, we were a special teams player away from winning the division or something? Again, we finished 4th last season in KR avg. and 1st in PR avg. They didn't draft Goodwin to be a STs blocker. He can play. He seems to me to have good vision. besides why not root for the guy? Not be a negative fan of a player for your team? I get it, finally. It's all about the individual players. Got it. I have no trouble "rooting for the guy," but you know what, I'd rather root for the team. Unfortunately far too many people don't get the fact that just because you have a handful of good players, and even the Bills have had them, that that doesn't necessarily make the team good. I'd rather see the team in the playoffs because the FO and staff recognized their biggest weaknesses and drafted accordingly. Not drafting players to replace others that were their biggest strengths. Sorry, just a different philosophy I guess. Then again, for me it's all about the team winning, not about having individual players on the team putting up good stats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 You know, it would be unusual, but I'm wondering if TJ Graham might be a surprise cut. He's been injured, so he hasn't been in the coaches' eyes. He's been dropping balls in practice. And if his blocking has improved due to injury, he hasn't had much of a chance to show it. From what I can tell, Goodwin has every bit as much or more speed, better moves, better hands. All that and he can block, too. It's a surprise when a player who is drafted in the 1st 4-5 rounds gets cut in their 2nd year, but we cut Tank Carder last year before the season started. I agree on Graham, IMO he'll be cut. Goodwin's just like him but slightly faster. They don't need him on returns and didn't use him last year there so he's entirely expendable now. Goodwin will make the roster but primarily as a returner. I doubt he'll ever see much time, and little significant time, at WR. Obviously the team will keep Johnson and Woods. I'd guess Smith and Hogan too, and Easley due to the lack of other options. Goodwin will be listed at WR but he'll be STs and purely a limited use role player as a WR. Johnson's hammy had better heal up or it's gonna be a long season for the QBs Hammy injuries tend to nag all season long, let's hope that's not the case here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt in KC Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) I've seen both Goodwin and Woods be very aggressive about blocking, especially on running plays. Kudos to our coaching staff! I would have just credited the players, but both of them are off-the-charts for effort for rookies, the best I've seen. With the talk of TJ blocking more it sounds like it's coaching point of emphasis, not just the players we happened to land. Edited August 20, 2013 by Matt in KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 We'll see how and where Goodwin is used. To say he's just a ST'er is short-sighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 "Track guys just have linear speed. I have proved I have more than linear speed," Goodwin previously stated in February from the combine. "I have good hands, I run routes, I get out of my breaks. I'm tough, I have taken on hits, I've blocked. I have even got MVP for blocking in one game and I didn't even touch a ball that game. I don't think a track guy could go out there and get MVP for blocking." Where's the evidence of that in preseason or at Texas? What, he runs good routes in practice? Great, I think we've seen enough of stuff like that. Of the 35 men before Goodwin to appear on the highest level of international competition and follow that up by playing in at least one regular-season professional football game, nearly a third were in out and of the league within two years. Sure, the list includes 11 Pro Bowlers, nine All-Pros and four Hall of Famers, but the odds of Olympic success leading to similar returns from the line of scrimmage are dubious. I'd like to know who those 11 Pro Bowlers and 9 All-Pros and four Hall of Famers are. The only ones I know, and it's not that many, were on the defensive side. I can't think of one single WR that ever had such track credentials without the associated receiving credentials that went on to stardom as a WR in the NFL. Either way, what happened at Texas? Strange how they don't explain why his track abilities didn't translate to much more than a few hundred yards and a pedestrian YPR average there. Oh well, I suppose we'll find out shortly. But right now his 7.0 yard average must be deceptive. We'll see, call me a major skeptic, but I expect to see him have a career returning kicks and maybe punts. Not sure we really needed that since we finished 4th last year in KRs and 1st in PRs, but what do I know. Marrone clearly wants very fast skill players. I think Goodwin will have far more opportunity to put his speed to use than what you suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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