Draft Mike Evans (if there), make TE/WR

[BuffalothruMyVeins]

I am using Mike Evans as my example here because I really like his already established WR skill set, whereas someone like Benjamin from FSU is raw in all aspects of the game, but I really am getting excited about the idea of drafting Mike Evans, but not because we are bad at WR. Right now, I think that position is pretty solid. However, I really like the idea of taking a very large player of Mike Evans' skill set, who is already an accomplished pass catcher, and utilize that size as a mismatch as a slot WR/TE route runner. He probably doesn't need to be taught a ton more about WR skills, and instead would just focus on becoming an average blocker, to hold his own on run plays.

On red zone plays, the combination of Woods and Williams on the boundary, Stevie in the slot and Evans in a closer-to-the-line slot WR to not fully betray the pass play call, with either Chandler in-line on the other side, or CJ/Freddy in the backfield would be a massive struggle for a defense to cover. The hybrid nature of putting Evans in the slot/TE position is a matchup nightmare that allows us to throw it up the seam on go routes where he is bigger (catch radius-wise) than any line backer he would see, or slide outside and overload one side of the field.

 

Goodwin, Williams, and Evans in a trips bunch on the right side, with only 2 corners over there and a single high safety... Who draws the linebacker? The safety has to watch for Goodwin on the go-route, so he's accounted for, leaving Williams or Evans open underneath until a LB flexed to cover them, and a LB is a mismatch for Evans on short, intermediate, and long routes.

 

With the way the league is now, with the increase in passing, is there such thing as having too much skill to send out on a pass pattern? Yes, you do have to keep the defense honest to the threat of the run, that's why I would go best tackle available in Rd. 2 draft an insurance RB in 4th or 5th round, but a pick like Evans, as long as he's on board with being utilized in a non-conventional way all the time, would really be a show of force of our commitment to offense.

 

Plus, after this year, we could be without Fred, CJ (even though I think if CJ walks, we re-sign Fred), AND either Mike Williams or Stevie. That's a significant drop in talent, and would be just in time for Evans to step in as a full time WR, and keep the wheels going on offense without missing a beat, instead of having to retool and draft more talent again on offense which would need to contribute immediately to offset the losses of those players.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I like the sentiment, but am not sure Evans is the right guy. I view Evans as being pretty raw himself. He's certainly not the polished type of WR that a guy like Woods was coming out of school.

 

If we draft Evans, I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed in his lack of immediate production.

[Beerball]

SI lists Evans & Watkins as WR prospects 1 & 1A.

 

http://nfl.si.com/2014/04/11/2014-nfl-draft-position-rankings-wide-receivers/

[BuffalothruMyVeins]

SI lists Evans & Watkins as WR prospects 1 & 1A.

 

http://nfl.si.com/2014/04/11/2014-nfl-draft-position-rankings-wide-receivers/

 

Okay...? Are you saying you don't think he will be there at 9 to realize my scenario, don't think my plan would work with such a skilled player, or are you disputing JR's statement about him possibly being too raw for immediate production?

[Kellyto83TD]

The only way you take Evans is if Stevie is trade bait. Otherwise we are overloaded at WR and have a lot of money (esp. starting next year with Williams Contract) tied up in one position. And Honestly if we pick Evans Stevie is easily 3rd on the talent chart and making more than the rest of the WR's combined at this point.

[BuffalothruMyVeins]

Yes, I understand after the 2014 season, either Stevie or Williams will be probably let go, especially since they will need the money to extend Darius and CJ, but I don't understand how that precludes us from picking Evans. This offense has underwhelmed since Bledsoe's first year, and even then it was figured out by season's end, but if we pick Evans and put him into a slot TE role, I cannot imagine a better way to up the ante and tell the league we're committed to run a progressive, productive, and dangerously potent offense.

 

If we concentrate on OL in rounds 2-4 by grabbing a tackle prospect in Rd 2 and an interior prospect in rd 3 or 4, point to one position OTHER THAN QB (which they have already put their eggs in EJ's basket), that does not have above average talent? If the difference between a 1st round RT and a 2nd round RT is relatively nominal, I would MUCH rather add the potential PLAYMAKER in Rd. 1 to make us better in year 1, and allow us the depth in year 2 to make the Stevie/Williams decision without making a hole.

 

PS just to complete what I'm thinking, we all know how strong our defense is, I say we do the Evans then best RT/LT, then rd 3 best DE for our "4-3", and WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE HOLES ON THIS TEAM! Draft the interior line depth in round 4, RB depth to help with CJ/Freddie In round 5, then either BPA or punter to compete with aging Moorman with our 7th rounder. If you count on the scouting department to find the good players, then I would LOVE this draft.

[Beerball]

Okay...? Are you saying you don't think he will be there at 9 to realize my scenario, don't think my plan would work with such a skilled player, or are you disputing JR's statement about him possibly being too raw for immediate production?

I've said repeatedly that my choices for #9 are one of the top 2 tackles or Evans. I would be exceedingly happy with either.

[KDIGGZ]

I think T because we are committed to running the ball and protecting EJ but if the top 2 guys are gone I think WR or TE become more intriguing. We can speculate all we want but obviously it will all depend on how the draft goes and who is left at 9. If there is a run on QB's then maybe some of the top guys fall to us. That would be amazing!

[Donald Duck]

With the addition of Williams now, If we drafted Evans who doesn't play? SJ, Goodwin, Robert Woods?

 

I just don't see it happening fellas, because for one it wouldn't be fair to the guys we already have, and two, rookie WR's more often then not are not going to have an immediate impact on your football team, (something you would like to see out of a 1st rounder).

 

Eric Ebron makes better sense because we get the big body target we need without disrupting what in my opinion is already a talented, but very inexperienced WR corp

[RyanC883]

Evans stole the show at Texas A&M's pro day. One GM said he had soft hands, and hasn't seen a WR like that since Calvin Johnson. Benjamin reminds me more of Plexico. (the player). A little raw, but will become very very good after 1-2 years. I think Evans has an instant impact.

 

I am using Mike Evans as my example here because I really like his already established WR skill set, whereas someone like Benjamin from FSU is raw in all aspects of the game, but I really am getting excited about the idea of drafting Mike Evans, but not because we are bad at WR. Right now, I think that position is pretty solid. However, I really like the idea of taking a very large player of Mike Evans' skill set, who is already an accomplished pass catcher, and utilize that size as a mismatch as a slot WR/TE route runner. He probably doesn't need to be taught a ton more about WR skills, and instead would just focus on becoming an average blocker, to hold his own on run plays.

On red zone plays, the combination of Woods and Williams on the boundary, Stevie in the slot and Evans in a closer-to-the-line slot WR to not fully betray the pass play call, with either Chandler in-line on the other side, or CJ/Freddy in the backfield would be a massive struggle for a defense to cover. The hybrid nature of putting Evans in the slot/TE position is a matchup nightmare that allows us to throw it up the seam on go routes where he is bigger (catch radius-wise) than any line backer he would see, or slide outside and overload one side of the field.

 

Goodwin, Williams, and Evans in a trips bunch on the right side, with only 2 corners over there and a single high safety... Who draws the linebacker? The safety has to watch for Goodwin on the go-route, so he's accounted for, leaving Williams or Evans open underneath until a LB flexed to cover them, and a LB is a mismatch for Evans on short, intermediate, and long routes.

 

With the way the league is now, with the increase in passing, is there such thing as having too much skill to send out on a pass pattern? Yes, you do have to keep the defense honest to the threat of the run, that's why I would go best tackle available in Rd. 2 draft an insurance RB in 4th or 5th round, but a pick like Evans, as long as he's on board with being utilized in a non-conventional way all the time, would really be a show of force of our commitment to offense.

 

Plus, after this year, we could be without Fred, CJ (even though I think if CJ walks, we re-sign Fred), AND either Mike Williams or Stevie. That's a significant drop in talent, and would be just in time for Evans to step in as a full time WR, and keep the wheels going on offense without missing a beat, instead of having to retool and draft more talent again on offense which would need to contribute immediately to offset the losses of those players.

 

Love the analysis. You can't have too much talent in your passing game. Also, with future departures, I think Evans is a guy we both need now, and in the future. If he's there at 9 and we pass and don't take Mathews or Robinson, (or Mack if he is somehow there); I will be literally distraught---only for like 5 min or so, but very upset for those 5 minutes!

[BuffalothruMyVeins]

Love the analysis. You can't have too much talent in your passing game. Also, with future departures, I think Evans is a guy we both need now, and in the future. If he's there at 9 and we pass and don't take Mathews or Robinson, (or Mack if he is somehow there); I will be literally distraught---only for like 5 min or so, but very upset for those 5 minutes!

 

I don't usually get too much into picking out one guy pre-draft (as a Bills fan, this is probably a learned defense mechanism), but this year I'm all in on Evans. I like Mack, but more-so on last year's defense, not this year's. He seems too small to set the edge as a 4-3 defensive end, which I think would be his role on this team. He's wildly talented, so I would love to have him, but he won't make it to us. I think worst case scenario, Evans is (FOOTBALL-WISE) Aaron Hernadez in the slot TE spot, best case he develops to Jimmy Graham's level.

 

Plus, with people saying he's not great at avoiding the jam at the line getting off, moving him inside will expose him to more linebackers and 3rd or 4th cbs who are either undersized, or weaker at jamming, which makes his release better.

 

I really liked Nickell Robey this last year, but I would HATE for our defense to go against a team that had our offense, with Evans in that slot TE role. Our nickel CB is 5'7", 170lbs, and Evans is 6'5", 230lbs. Granted, our nickel CB is one of the smaller in the league, but THIS, guys, is a MATCHUP DISASTER to defend against. If he is still there, and the Bills utilize him as I suggested, I will be ecstatic, because our offense just became legitimately dangerous.

[1billsfan]

I'm not a huge Mike Evans fan, but I understand that there are a lot of people here who are and are still hoping that he somehow falls to #9 and the Bills pick him. What I don't understand are fans still thinking the odds are decent he makes it to #9. I think there's no chance he makes it to #9. Well, maybe a 5-10% chance. Unless the Bills trade up, Mike Evans is going to be a Raider, Buc or Eagle (in a trade up ahead of Buffalo).

 

The Bills are outside the bubble of the "elite" prospects. Many fans here are starting to realize this and are starting to scramble on what they think the Bills should do. IMO they should just draft Ebron. I think he'll have a better career and a greater impact than Evans anyways. While it sucks to be left outside the bubble, the good news is that you don't have to trade up to get the guy you like among the next level of talent. You're first in line. If not Ebron, I'm starting to like the thought of picking Aaron Donald at #9. The AFC East has the Pats and Jets who are going to be trying to run the ball down the Bills throats in both games they play them. Donald is great at both pass rush and run stuffing. If it's neither of those two then perhaps they can trade back and still get one of them along with adding a 2nd round pick. Although I think both are gone by pick 18, so getting a 2nd rounder and one of those players will be a stretch.

Edited April 15, 2014 by 1billsfan

[BuffalothruMyVeins]

I'm not a huge Mike Evans fan, but I understand that there are a lot of people here who are and are still hoping that he somehow falls to #9 and the Bills pick him. What I don't understand are fans still thinking the odds are decent he makes it to #9. I think there's no chance he makes it to #9. Well, maybe a 5-10% chance. Unless the Bills trade up, Mike Evans is going to be a Raider, Buc or Eagle (in a trade up ahead of Buffalo).

 

The Bills are outside the bubble of the "elite" prospects. Many fans here are starting to realize this and are starting to scramble on what they think the Bills should do. IMO they should just draft Ebron. I think he'll have a better career and a greater impact than Evans anyways. While it sucks to be left outside the bubble, the good news is that you don't have to trade up to get the guy you like among the next level of talent. You're first in line. If not Ebron, I'm starting to like the thought of picking Aaron Donald at #9. The AFC East has the Pats and Jets who are going to be trying to run the ball down the Bills throats in both games they play them. Donald is great at both pass rush and run stuffing. If it's neither of those two then perhaps they can trade back and still get one of them along with adding a 2nd round pick. Although I think both are gone by pick 18, so getting a 2nd rounder and one of those players will be a stretch.

 

I'm not looking to CALL YOU ON IT, or anything, because neither one of us are professional scouts, but more does Evans have to show you before you get in bed with him? The NCAA production is all there, I am not aware of any character issues, the prototypical size which has dominated the next level is there in spades, the combine measurable so all checked out to be good... Again, I'm no expert, but what did he fail to show you, that the other Top 5 to 10 WRs in the league all proved, in college?

[1billsfan]

I'm not looking to CALL YOU ON IT, or anything, because neither one of us are professional scouts, but more does Evans have to show you before you get in bed with him? The NCAA production is all there, I am not aware of any character issues, the prototypical size which has dominated the next level is there in spades, the combine measurable so all checked out to be good... Again, I'm no expert, but what did he fail to show you, that the other Top 5 to 10 WRs in the league all proved, in college?

 

I think the thing that scares me off of Evans is that he's widely looked at as a Vincent Jackson clone, and not a Calvin Johnson clone.

 

Vincent Jackson has been a fine pro, but that's not the home run impact player that I'm looking for. I want a guy who will be a matchup advantage each and every game for the opposing defense. I think Evans will be the kind of WR who has a few very big games, but who will also have too many average to bad games during the year. In short, he won't have the "high bar" consistency of an AJ Green or Calvin Johnson IMO.