Name team and 5 skill players better than Bills last 10 yrs

[NoSaint]

Yeah. Really tough call. If Gonzalez was a couple years younger I think it would be a clear Falcons choice. I also have an affinity for star players and I think the Bills, in Watkins and McCoy, have two star players. That Falcon team had one, in Jones. I'm not sure Gonzalez was still a star player at that time, maybe slightly below. Turner was very good but not a star.

i think you are forgetting how good roddy white was. he had a 6 year stretch that 1153 yards as his lowest season and 6 tds as the lowest. he averaged 1295 and 8tds over a 6 year span.

[Kelly the Dog]

i think you are forgetting how good roddy white was. he had a 6 year stretch that 1153 yards as his lowest season and 6 tds as the lowest. he averaged 1295 and 8tds over a 6 year span.

Perhaps. I think he's pretty good and probably very good. He's very consistent, which is super important. I don't really see him completely taking over games, being unstoppable, and I don't think he is a star.

[NoSaint]

Perhaps. I think he's pretty good and probably very good. He's very consistent, which is super important. I don't really see him completely taking over games, being unstoppable, and I don't think he is a star.

115 catch season for 1400 yards and 10 tds as the high water mark..... If we had a guy hit those numbers this yea at wr you'd be petitioning the hall of fame committee (just having fun here). Dude is an idiot and no longer great but he was a fantastic wide receiver for a long stretch.

Edited April 23, 2015 by NoSaint

[dave mcbride]

No, I'm saying that GMs and HCs and OCs look at everything when it comes to veterans. Short term, mid term, long term. Most importantly being short term. And I'm talking watching games. And I'm talking everything concerned. Anquan Boldin has never even been a #1 WR on a team, even though he is great and even though he produces, and even though he is one of the toughest WRs ever.

 

If you posed a question, "Going into the fourth quarter of a playoff game, who are your top ten WR you would want?", he may make the list.

 

Somehow, he is one of the most underrated players in the last 20 years and you're overrating him.

Anquan Boldin will in all likelihood pass Andre Reed next season in most major categories. He's a lot better than you think others think he is!

[Kelly the Dog]

Anquan Boldin will in all likelihood pass Andre Reed next season in most major categories. He's a lot better than you think others think he is!

This from the guy who constantly harps on the differences in the passing games in the eras?

 

I would bet you that I have watched more Anquan Boldin games than you have.

 

Boldin was great. Is good. Great guy. Very good blocker. Tough as nails. Also is not fast, decent but not great YPC, not a deep threat, not a prolific TD guy, drops passes, and will fumble.

[dave mcbride]

This from the guy who constantly harps on the differences in the passing games in the eras?

 

I would bet you that I have watched more Anquan Boldin games than you have.

 

Boldin was great. Is good. Great guy. Very good blocker. Tough as nails. Also is not fast, decent but not great YPC, not a deep threat, not a prolific TD guy, drops passes, and will fumble.

I see him as HOF player, although I know he won't get in barring some sort of explosion in his final 1-2 seasons. All I hope for at this point is for you to agree that going into 2013 he was a more appealing receiver than the mostly unproductive Percy Harvin going into 2015. That's all I ask.

 

And you're wrong about the drops: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/07/02/three-years-of-drop-rate-wide-receivers/

Edited April 23, 2015 by dave mcbride

[Mr. WEO]

I was trying to think of those LT Charger teams because LT and Gates were both stars. And Sproles was so good too. But not as good as Harvin.

 

They were as talented or more. That's another very good one. Gates being so good and so much better than Clay may put them over the top. You may not take them only because you can't really play all five at once. I guess sometimes LT and Sproles played together but neither of them were really all that great split out wide (decent though). Their damage in the pass game was out of the backfield.

 

I think you can do more with our five. But that five may have been as talented.

 

That said. If you line them up one on one, we win three (Watkins, Woods, Harvin), they win one (Gates) and one wash (LT McCoy).

 

 

I would take a prime Sproles over Harvin. He did it all: catch run, returns punts and kicks. HArvin hasn't played a full season in 4 years. Not much since his career year in 2011.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

 

I would take a prime Sproles over Harvin. He did it all: catch run, returns punts and kicks. HArvin hasn't played a full season in 4 years. Not much since his career year in 2011.

Sproles plays RB though. He's not nearly as good or dangerous as a WR or when split wide as Harvin is. When you had LT there, they really didn't play them all that much together and it wasn't all that effective. Sproles is a very, very effective player though on a play by play basis catching passes out of the backfield. Harvin is a better KR but doesn't return punts. Sproles is a very average PR and always has been, and a pretty good KR. I would take Harvin as a five on the field guy.

 

 

And you're wrong about the drops: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/07/02/three-years-of-drop-rate-wide-receivers/

Those stats are old. The last few years are when he has had a bit of the dropsies. He has a pretty good percentage but two of the last four years he was in the top ten in number of drops. He's pretty sure handed though, and makes ridiculous catches at times, so it's not like it's a huge worry. But he's not an elite receiver for a lot of reasons. He's at the top of the league as a possession receiver.

[....lybob]

Chicago last year was Brandon Marshal WR, A Jeffery WR, M Bennett TE, Zach Miller TE, Matt Forte RB at the start of course Marshal and Miller were injured but that was a pretty awesome five on paper we also have a pretty impressive 5 .............on paper.

[Rob's House]

I think going into last year the Bears top 5 looked better on paper than ours, but it's nice (kind of amazing actually) that we're even having this discussion. Especially considering offense is supposed to be our weakness.

[billsfan89]

Watkins and Shady are legit star players. Woods is a potential really good WR, Harvin is a good offensive weapon but has issues staying healthy, Clay is a legit tight end but not quite a top 5 player at his position. I really do like the top 5 offensive weapons but lets see how this team come together.

 

Look at the Eagles a few years ago. They had DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Shady, Brent Celek, and Riley Cooper. Of course Maclin got hurt out the gate but still they had loaded offensive rosters. The Falcons had a lot of great players on offense 1 to 5. The Colts in the middle of the Manning era (Which holy **** was 10 years ago had staked offensive rosters. I like the Bills talents on offense but let's not get carried away.

[Kelly the Dog]

I think going into last year the Bears top 5 looked better on paper than ours, but it's nice (kind of amazing actually) that we're even having this discussion. Especially considering offense is supposed to be our weakness.

I was thinking about that one, too.

 

I would say, however...

 

Watkins slightly over Marshall

Jeffrey clearly over Woods

Harvin solidly over Wheaton.

Clay and Bennett wash (with Clay actually slightly better for our offense than Bennett would be)

McCoy slightly over Forte.

 

I would still prefer the Bills because I think I would rather have Woods and Harvin over Jeffrey and Wheaton. Jeffrey, however, is very good.

[Rob's House]

I was thinking about that one, too.

 

I would say, however...

 

Watkins slightly over Marshall

Jeffrey clearly over Woods

Harvin solidly over Wheaton.

Clay and Bennett wash (with Clay actually slightly better for our offense than Bennett would be)

McCoy slightly over Forte.

 

I would still prefer the Bills because I think I would rather have Woods and Harvin over Jeffrey and Wheaton. Jeffrey, however, is very good.

I'd put Marshall over Watkins without much hesitation based on his past performance whereas we're banking on potential and progress with Watkins, although you could argue a higher ceiling for Watkins.

 

I was also comparing Jeffrey to Harvin with Jeffrey winning out soundly and Woods with the edge at 3rd WR, which I give less weight to b/c less snaps.

 

At RB & TE I give us a very slight edge, but not enough to make up the gap at WR1 & WR2.

 

 

LMO

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Look at the Eagles a few years ago. They had DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Shady, Brent Celek, and Riley Cooper. Of course Maclin got hurt out the gate but still they had loaded offensive rosters. The Falcons had a lot of great players on offense 1 to 5. The Colts in the middle of the Manning era (Which holy **** was 10 years ago had staked offensive rosters. I like the Bills talents on offense but let's not get carried away.

Who would you take if you were head coach or GM of the Bills? Jackson, Maclin, Celek and Cooper? Or Watkins, Woods, Harvin and Clay? I think the Bills four are easily better as a group.

 

Harry Douglas is a "great" player?

 

The Colts is a good one. A couple years they had four, with James, Wayne, Harrison, and Clark at TE. But I don't know if they ever had five.

[Mr. WEO]

Sproles plays RB though. He's not nearly as good or dangerous as a WR or when split wide as Harvin is. When you had LT there, they really didn't play them all that much together and it wasn't all that effective. Sproles is a very, very effective player though on a play by play basis catching passes out of the backfield. Harvin is a better KR but doesn't return punts. Sproles is a very average PR and always has been, and a pretty good KR. I would take Harvin as a five on the field guy.

Those stats are old. The last few years are when he has had a bit of the dropsies. He has a pretty good percentage but two of the last four years he was in the top ten in number of drops. He's pretty sure handed though, and makes ridiculous catches at times, so it's not like it's a huge worry. But he's not an elite receiver for a lot of reasons. He's at the top of the league as a possession receiver.

 

 

You have to be on the field every week to be dangerous. Harvin hasn't been as valuable as Sproles for years.

[Kelly the Dog]

I'd put Marshall over Watkins without much hesitation based on his past performance whereas we're banking on potential and progress with Watkins, although you could argue a higher ceiling for Watkins.

 

I was also comparing Jeffrey to Harvin with Jeffrey winning out soundly and Woods with the edge at 3rd WR, which I give less weight to b/c less snaps.

 

At RB & TE I give us a very slight edge, but not enough to make up the gap at WR1 & WR2.

 

 

LMO

Unfair! Ha. Woods is the #2 and outside WR. The comparison is to Jeffrey. Harvin is the slot guy, gadget, #3 although he will play outside at times.

 

Marshall has always been an enigma. Even when he was at Miami and putting up very good numbers I don't think he was ever as good as Watkins is right now, and I never even worried about him. Very talented, surely. I'll call that a wash, but even as a rookie, not even counting how old they are, if I were a coach I would have picked Watkins over Marshall.

[Mr. WEO]

Who would you take if you were head coach or GM of the Bills? Jackson, Maclin, Celek and Cooper? Or Watkins, Woods, Harvin and Clay? I think the Bills four are easily better as a group.

 

Harry Douglas is a "great" player?

 

The Colts is a good one. A couple years they had four, with James, Wayne, Harrison, and Clark at TE. But I don't know if they ever had five.

Stokely?

[Kelly the Dog]

 

 

You have to be on the field every week to be dangerous. Harvin hasn't been as valuable as Sproles for years.

The question, however, is which five guys as a group. You cannot play Sproles and a RB much together.

 

If you were Rex Ryan or Doug Whaley, and you had Watkins, Woods, McCoy and Clay, would you rather add Percy Harvin or Darren Sproles to that group. I think it's a no brainer, and Sproles is very good. Sproles might not even play 33% of the snaps this year barring injury.

Stokely?

He was okay. Compared to Harvin it's not even close. Wayne and Harrison are better than Watkins and Woods. Clark and Clay I would call a wash. McCoy maybe slightly better than James but I would call that a wash more than McCoy is clearly better. James was great in his prime.

 

I think if I wanted to play it safe and conservative, I would take the super solid Colts four with Stokely as the better five. And that may have been the way to go. If I wanted to be a little more of a gunslinger and go for it all, I would take the Bills five with Harvin as the wild card.

[Mr. WEO]

The question, however, is which five guys as a group. You cannot play Sproles and a RB much together.

 

If you were Rex Ryan or Doug Whaley, and you had Watkins, Woods, McCoy and Clay, would you rather add Percy Harvin or Darren Sproles to that group. I think it's a no brainer, and Sproles is very good. Sproles might not even play 33% of the snaps this year barring injury.

He was okay. Compared to Harvin it's not even close. Wayne and Harrison are better than Watkins and Woods. Clark and Clay I would call a wash. McCoy maybe slightly better than James but I would call that a wash more than McCoy is clearly better. James was great in his prime.

 

I think if I wanted to play it safe and conservative, I would take the super solid Colts four with Stokely as the better five. And that may have been the way to go. If I wanted to be a little more of a gunslinger and go for it all, I would take the Bills five with Harvin as the wild card.

Then you have changed the question somewhere after your first post:

 

 

If you want to go 6-7 deep maybe add Felton and Freddy.

 

Please, please do not say anything about QBs, this thread is just about the five skill players other than QBs.

 

Who is or was better than our five guys in total, that you would trade five for five.

 

 

And Clay vs Clark "a wash"? Clay has had 2 seasons a starter all season. From 2008-2010 Clark had 2600 yds, 235 catches and 27 TDs.

[Kelly the Dog]

Then you have changed the question somewhere after your first post:

 

 

 

And Clay vs Clark "a wash"? Clay has had 2 seasons a starter all season. From 2008-2010 Clark had 2600 yds, 235 catches and 27 TDs.

The original question was which 5? That's the title and the thesis and core question. Obviously because 5 skill players are on the field at the same time on every play pretty much.

 

Then I said if you want to go 6-7 players, a different question, add Felton and/or Freddy to the mix on the Bills.

 

That's not changing the question. People weren't offering 6 or 7 guys in their scenarios.

 

Clark caught 100 balls after they no longer had James and they had no running game. The Joseph Addai years. When they had James he was a 30 catch guy for about four years.

Clay is actually better now than Clark was in the James years.