Duke Williams-" I Can Play If I Stay Out Of Trouble"

[Gugny]

3 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

Many insightful posts and maturely contributed by all. 

 

Challenge accepted!

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

FWIW, these are two WR's in camp with uniquely different crossroads......the signs at Duke's crossroads say, "Welcome to the NFL"...OR...."Welcome BACK to the CFL"....ball is in HIS court to decide.......as far as Zay, his signs say, " You're Still A Bill" or "Call Mayflower and Start Packin'"......MAJOR decisions for BOTH and I sure as hell hope they make the RIGHT one to fulfill their NFL dreams...good luck fellas.....

Edited May 6, 2019 by OldTimeAFLGuy

[3rdand12]

On 5/6/2019 at 5:02 PM, Gugny said:

 

Challenge accepted!

add this to the list as one of the many reasons I love you ; )

On 5/6/2019 at 5:08 PM, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

FWIW, these are two WR's in camp with uniquely different crossroads......the signs at Duke's crossroads say, "Welcome to the NFL"...OR...."Welcome BACK to the CFL"....ball is in HIS court to decide.......as far as Zay, his signs say, " You're Still A Bill" or "Call Mayflower and Start Packin'"......MAJOR decisions for BOTH and I sure as hell hope they make the RIGHT one to fulfill their NFL dreams...good luck fellas.....

on the cusp as one might say ?

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

1 minute ago, 3rdand12 said:

add this to the list as one of the many reasons I love you ; )

on the cusp as one might say ?

....pot of gold awaits if you choose the "right path"...AND perform.......

[3rdand12]

good things happen when good people focus on doing good things

 : )

 Hard work is often it's own reward though.

[Young]

For the love of God coach.....dont make me watch another Benjamin stink up my field!   Look how long I had to watch THAT freakshow! If he cant come to play, CUT HIM!

[One Buffalo]

John Wawrow story on Duke with quotes from minicamp today- https://apnews.com/31ce09ec664f4ccfa9c73ca5ffd83214

 

Can't help but root for this guy to succeed.  

[Gambit]

1 hour ago, One Buffalo said:

John Wawrow story on Duke with quotes from minicamp today- https://apnews.com/31ce09ec664f4ccfa9c73ca5ffd83214

 

Can't help but root for this guy to succeed.  

Amazing read, thanks for posting it. I truly hope he succeeds for not only us, but himself too. I think if he reaches his potential, we could have a very good duo with him and Foster.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

...sounding like Duke gets "IT".................

 

“I’ve made my mistakes and I’ve learned from them, so I’m just grinding right now,” said Williams. “That’s in the past. I can’t even worry about that. I have to get better and attack each and every day. Now that I know every day it’s in the back of my head to go get it. I’ve got no more chances to mess up or slip, so I’m just grinding and having fun with it.”

[maryland-bills-fan]

I don't know if this was posted yet.   Looks like he can block when motivated.

 

https://3downnation.com/2018/10/21/b-c-lions-defensive-back-taunts-esks-player-gets-trucked-goes-viral/

 

[NoSaint]

On 5/6/2019 at 2:48 PM, Shaw66 said:

As I just wrote to Hapless, yes, I think that is the issue.   No, I'm not saying that he won't improve.  My view is that although he may improve, he's not going to improve so much that he's a significant contributor to the team.  How do I know that?  I don't, it's just my opinion.   He just hasn't shown me much to get excited about.   He'll be a nice receiver, have a 6 or 8 year career, maybe a little longer, but he isn't going to strike fear in the hearts of anyone. 

 

 Comparisons to Moulds just don't make much sense to to me.   He was a a top talent coming out of college, he was a serious kickoff return threat in his first couple of years.   His talent was obvious, as well as his size.   Jones isn't anything like that.   Lots of people would have been surprised if Moulds didn't develop into a valuable player, because his special qualities were on display his first two years.   Very few people will be surprised if Zay doesn't succeed.   My cousin told me early last season that Zay didn't even deserve to be in the league.   I disagreed with him, but nobody was saying that about Moulds in his second season.   

 

 

I don’t dig the straight to moulds jumps to excuse every underperforming WR 

 

but i do think it’s important that his salary is $1m and we save peanuts cutting him. As we have seen even in this thread- $1m for a WR3-4 is still a relative bargain. Unless he’s legit beat out by both a udfa  AND a guy in a futures contract from the CFL, there’s not any motivating factor to move him unless he’s some sort of trouble behind the scenes we don’t know about. Him only being a 4 would be a scouting disappointment but the beauty of picking a WR there is that even a disappointment is a great value in the cap as long as not a complete disaster 

[Cripple Creek]

On 5/6/2019 at 11:00 AM, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Bottom line: you're creating this whole logic train based on a speculative, and potentially flawed, series of premises. 

This is a new phenomenon for this site. I do hope that it does not become a trend. 

[Alphadawg7]

Duke and Oliver were standouts in first day of camp according to tweets showing up on Bleacher Report

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Duke and Oliver were standouts in first day of camp according to tweets showing up on Bleacher Report

Yes, altho apparently Duke stood out because he isn't a rookie and everyone else is.  That makes his standing out a little less impressive, but it still answers one question about him.  Whatever he is, he isn't raw and isn't a rookie.   It's what I thought - he's played two seasons of professional football in Canada, and that's serious football.  The talent level is down a notch, but what they expect players to do isn't.   He thrived in a competitive football environment, and my guess is that he'll thrive in the NFL too. 

[Alphadawg7]

8 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yes, altho apparently Duke stood out because he isn't a rookie and everyone else is.  That makes his standing out a little less impressive, but it still answers one question about him.  Whatever he is, he isn't raw and isn't a rookie.   It's what I thought - he's played two seasons of professional football in Canada, and that's serious football.  The talent level is down a notch, but what they expect players to do isn't.   He thrived in a competitive football environment, and my guess is that he'll thrive in the NFL too. 

 

I wasn’t trying to read into it, just sharing that the 2 people that stood out were those two guys.  Nothing more, nothing less, just that’s the comments showing up on Twitter.  

 

Means nothing long term, just good to see him and Oliver starting fast

Edited May 11, 2019 by Alphadawg7

[Shaw66]

6 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I wasn’t trying to read into it, just sharing that the 2 people that stood out were those two guys.  Nothing more, nothing less, just that’s the comments showing up on Twitter.  

 

Means nothing long term, just good to see him and Oliver starting fast

Yup.  

 

I;m high on Duke, because he seems to be high on football. 

[Warcodered]

17 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yes, altho apparently Duke stood out because he isn't a rookie and everyone else is.  That makes his standing out a little less impressive, but it still answers one question about him.  Whatever he is, he isn't raw and isn't a rookie.   It's what I thought - he's played two seasons of professional football in Canada, and that's serious football.  The talent level is down a notch, but what they expect players to do isn't.   He thrived in a competitive football environment, and my guess is that he'll thrive in the NFL too. 

I mean yeah he has more experience with his time in the CFL and has a head start in the system, but I think it's a good sign that he did stand out. I mean we might not of noticed if he didn't but that wouldn't of been good sign if he didn't stick out compared with rookie UDFAs with the advantages he's got going in.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

7 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I wasn’t trying to read into it, just sharing that the 2 people that stood out were those two guys.  Nothing more, nothing less, just that’s the comments showing up on Twitter.  

 

Means nothing long term, just good to see him and Oliver starting fast

 

..so let's diminish Duke already, right?........SMH.....he's a minor leaguer in his FIRST SHOT at the "Bigs"........a rookie at THIS level IMO unless CFL=NFL.........

[Shaw66]

No one is declaring him a bust or an all pro.  We're just talking about what it means that he stood out on his first day on the field.  

Edited May 11, 2019 by Shaw66

[MakeBuffaloGreatAgain]

Maybe he can be our Cameron Wake, Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, etc... or maybe he can be a solid #3 WR... or maybe our other WRs outplay him. Either way, I do really like bringing in a guy who can play with something to prove. This guy will bring an intensity and competition needed for our young players to follow. Even if he doesn’t make the team, this was a great addition. 

[Lurker]

Just for perspective, this is from one year ago...

 

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/bills/joe-b-5-takeaways-from-buffalo-bills-rookie-minicamp-2018

 

5) Proehl’s route running stands out
- You always look for something that stands out during practices like these, especially when it’s so far removed from the finished product of the game of football. However, you can sometimes see some little traits that will translate into the real game, and what stood out most to me was the route running ability of seventh-round selection Austin Proehl. On many reps, Proehl’s ability to stop on a dime and turn his route from the inside out was enough to gain him quite a bit of separation from the defender. While we’ll have to see what he can do in pads, it was hard to ignore his quickness and route running — especially for a position that needs those two traits as much as the slot receiver. Now, he is listed at what looks to be a generous 5-foot-9, so his lack of height could be something that holds him back. However, if you had to ask me for a standout from the first day, my answer would be Austin Proehl.

[One Buffalo]

 

 

Quote

“I play with a lot of emotion. I play like a dog,” Williams told NYUP.comafter his first practice as a Bill. “Off the field I’m quiet. But when I’m on that field that’s when my emotions come out. I’m not sparing nobody, because nobody wants to spare me. When I see the defender coming all I see is red, and I gotta go get him.”

 

Quote

“Part of my game is physical. I will play physical all day long,” he said. “I’m not the fastest cat on the field, but I can get open. I’m still getting my feet wet. I’m not comfortable yet. ... I play big, fast and strong.”

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by One Buffalo

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

8 minutes ago, MakeBuffaloGreatAgain said:

Maybe he can be our Cameron Wake, Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, etc... or maybe he can be a solid #3 WR... or maybe our other WRs outplay him. Either way, I do really like bringing in a guy who can play with something to prove. This guy will bring an intensity and competition needed for our young players to follow. Even if he doesn’t make the team, this was a great addition. 

...perhaps, perhaps he has come "south of the border" with a real deal commitment attitude...sure as hell does NOT appear to be a Chris Carter kid high maintenance type....and of course the naysayers rose to the task to downplay his day 1 mini camp role (as expected)......honorable mention to other TBD pundits who said "camp fodder"....gotta love those pigeon stains on the "Red Welcome Carpet".....

[Lurker]

1 minute ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

...and of course the naysayers rose to the task to downplay his day 1 mini camp role (as expected)......honorable mention to other TBD pundits who said "camp fodder"....gotta love those pigeon stains on the "Red Welcome Carpet".....

 

LOL.  A 27-year old WR with two years of professional experience caught four balls against 22-year old camp invitees who will be starting their real life's work next week--selling insurance or working at Lowe's.    Check out last year's day-1 WR standout and get back to us 'naysayers' with how that worked out...

[Shaw66]

3 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

LOL.  A 27-year old WR with two years of professional experience caught four balls against 22-year old camp invitees who will be starting their real life's work next week--selling insurance or working at Lowe's.    Check out last year's day-1 WR standout and get back to us 'naysayers' with how that worked out...

The best you can do on this day is standout.  He stood out.  That's worth something. It's better than to have people say about him he didn't stand out. 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

11 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

LOL.  A 27-year old WR with two years of professional experience caught four balls against 22-year old camp invitees who will be starting their real life's work next week--selling insurance or working at Lowe's.    Check out last year's day-1 WR standout and get back to us 'naysayers' with how that worked out...

...um...ok ...you win...fell better I presume.............

[Warcodered]

44 minutes ago, Lurker said:

Just for perspective, this is from one year ago...

 

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/bills/joe-b-5-takeaways-from-buffalo-bills-rookie-minicamp-2018

 

5) Proehl’s route running stands out
- You always look for something that stands out during practices like these, especially when it’s so far removed from the finished product of the game of football. However, you can sometimes see some little traits that will translate into the real game, and what stood out most to me was the route running ability of seventh-round selection Austin Proehl. On many reps, Proehl’s ability to stop on a dime and turn his route from the inside out was enough to gain him quite a bit of separation from the defender. While we’ll have to see what he can do in pads, it was hard to ignore his quickness and route running — especially for a position that needs those two traits as much as the slot receiver. Now, he is listed at what looks to be a generous 5-foot-9, so his lack of height could be something that holds him back. However, if you had to ask me for a standout from the first day, my answer would be Austin Proehl.

For what its worth the tone doesn't sound the same. With Proehl it sounded like they were looking for a guy that stood out and what he did well but with Duke he was a guy that stood out to them. One of them said that he looked out of place with the rookies and that doesn't really sound the same to me at all. I mean it's the first day of rookie mini camp this matters the most for the UDFAs that were signed and the camp invites.

[One Buffalo]

Most of the articles I have read, along with many of the posters here acknowledge that he has a difficult task ahead.  Of course we need to keep our expectations in check.  But so far he is doing and saying all the right things.  We will see where he lands in August.  

[without a drought]

1 offseason and camp with the Rams in 2016 and 2 seasons in the CFL is a huge advantage.

 

But all anyone can hope for is that he did what would be expected. He's not really a rookie and it showed...next step.

 

I wish him best of luck but he has a long road ahead.

Edited May 11, 2019 by without a drought

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

56 minutes ago, One Buffalo said:

Most of the articles I have read, along with many of the posters here acknowledge that he has a difficult task ahead.  Of course we need to keep our expectations in check.  But so far he is doing and saying all the right things.  We will see where he lands in August.  

 

..epitome decision of "do or die".....DO = NFL...die = back to CFL for any takers....real gold versus fool's gold.....

[Alphadawg7]

4 hours ago, Lurker said:

 

LOL.  A 27-year old WR with two years of professional experience caught four balls against 22-year old camp invitees who will be starting their real life's work next week--selling insurance or working at Lowe's.    Check out last year's day-1 WR standout and get back to us 'naysayers' with how that worked out...

 

Geezus, what’s the point of crapping on positive news?  Seriously man, no one is saying he’s gonna be a pro bowler because he stood out early in rookie camp.  

 

But damn, would you rather he not?  Seriously, some of you need to get a grip with trying to crap on every positive news story.  It’s good he stood out.  Means nothing, but a positive moment is a positive moment.  Hopefully he keeps them coming.  

 

You got all of camp and preseason to rail against him, you guys don’t need to spend so much energy now trying to dismiss positive signs coming in early.  This is a great example of just trying to force your negative narrative by attempting to to discredit anything positive so you can stick to your “naysayer” opinion.

 

And your opinion is fair, he has to prove himself still.  But just don’t see why everyone feels compelled to argue and rail against a small positive sign, especially when no one else is making a big deal out of it as if it means he’s going to be a star.  Just nice to see he is starting strong and hopefully he keeps building on it.

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Alphadawg7

[Alphadawg7]

4 hours ago, Lurker said:

Just for perspective, this is from one year ago...

 

https://www.wkbw.com/sports/bills/joe-b-5-takeaways-from-buffalo-bills-rookie-minicamp-2018

 

5) Proehl’s route running stands out
- You always look for something that stands out during practices like these, especially when it’s so far removed from the finished product of the game of football. However, you can sometimes see some little traits that will translate into the real game, and what stood out most to me was the route running ability of seventh-round selection Austin Proehl. On many reps, Proehl’s ability to stop on a dime and turn his route from the inside out was enough to gain him quite a bit of separation from the defender. While we’ll have to see what he can do in pads, it was hard to ignore his quickness and route running — especially for a position that needs those two traits as much as the slot receiver. Now, he is listed at what looks to be a generous 5-foot-9, so his lack of height could be something that holds him back. However, if you had to ask me for a standout from the first day, my answer would be Austin Proehl.

 

Lmao.  Proehl was no where near the prospect Duke is.  

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

5 hours ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

..so let's diminish Duke already, right?........SMH.....he's a minor leaguer in his FIRST SHOT at the "Bigs"........a rookie at THIS level IMO unless CFL=NFL.........

 

SECOND SHOT at the "Bigs".  Williams was signed to a 3 year contract as an UDFA by the Rams in '16, and met the Turk instead of the 53 that September.

I mean, I'm fine calling him a rookie, but this is his 2nd NFL training camp, not his first.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Duke and Oliver were standouts in first day of camp according to tweets showing up on Bleacher Report

 

More on first day here, Duke Williams is Item 4:
https://www.buffalobills.com/news/top-5-observations-from-bills-rookie-minicamp

[Nervous Guy]

33 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Geezus, what’s the point of crapping on positive news?  Seriously man, no one is saying he’s gonna be a pro bowler because he stood out early in rookie camp.  

 

But damn, would you rather he not?  Seriously, some of you need to get a grip with trying to crap on every positive news story.  It’s good he stood out.  Means nothing, but a positive moment is a positive moment.  Hopefully he keeps them coming.  

 

You got all of camp and preseason to rail against him, you guys don’t need to spend so much energy now trying to dismiss positive signs coming in early.  This is a great example of just trying to force your negative narrative by attempting to to discredit anything positive so you can stick to your “naysayer” opinion.

 

And your opinion is fair, he has to prove himself still.  But just don’t see why everyone feels compelled to argue and rail against a small

positive sign, especially when no one else is making a big deal out of it as if it means he’s going to be a star.  Just nice to see he is starting strong and hopefully he keeps building on it.

 

Bravo!  Thank you for taking the time to post this!!!  I usually just shake my head at posts like that....seriously, kudos!!!!

[Buffalophil1948]

11 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

SECOND SHOT at the "Bigs".  Williams was signed to a 3 year contract as an UDFA by the Rams in '16, and met the Turk instead of the 53 that September.

I mean, I'm fine calling him a rookie, but this is his 2nd NFL training camp, not his first.

I'm ok with this loophole. It gives our coaches a bigger look at what they have. They really need to pick the right 5 or 6. Besides who hear doesn't love an underdog.story

[Alphadawg7]

17 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

More on first day here, Duke Williams is Item 4:
https://www.buffalobills.com/news/top-5-observations-from-bills-rookie-minicamp

 

Good read on all the points.  I really think this is going to be a fun camp and preseason watching these battles play out, seeing our 2nd year guys develop in Allen, Foster, and Edmunds and really seeing how the OL comes together.

 

As far as Duke goes, something feels special about him and his story.  I have a feeling he is going to turn some heads when the pads go on.  He’s got a lot of work to do, but I love his passion, hunger, fiery play, and chip on his shoulder to prove he belongs.  And with that he has all the self awareness of his past and what he has to do as a man off the field and earn his place here.  

[Hapless Bills Fan]

55 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Good read on all the points.  I really think this is going to be a fun camp and preseason watching these battles play out, seeing our 2nd year guys develop in Allen, Foster, and Edmunds and really seeing how the OL comes together.

 

As far as Duke goes, something feels special about him and his story.  I have a feeling he is going to turn some heads when the pads go on.  He’s got a lot of work to do, but I love his passion, hunger, fiery play, and chip on his shoulder to prove he belongs.  And with that he has all the self awareness of his past and what he has to do as a man off the field and earn his place here.  

 

I hope you're right.  We need last year's better WRs and at least one more guy to step up in addition to the B's we signed.

[billrooter]

On 5/4/2019 at 11:13 AM, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

.....better put on the big boyz' pants lad because this may be your ONLY shot at the NFL.....be smart and good luck.....

Bills’ former CFL star Duke Williams: I can play in the NFL, if I stay out of trouble

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 4, 2019, 8:07 AM EDT

 

Bills wide receiver Duke Williams knows he’s running out of chances as a football player.

 

Williams was kicked off the team at Auburn after a bar brawl that saw him punch four people, but he was able to revive his football career in the Canadian Football League and led the league with 1,579 receiving yards last year. That got the Bills’ attention, and they signed him in January.

 

Williams told the Buffalo News he knows he’s going to have to prove himself off the field just as much as on the field.

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/04/bills-former-cfl-star-duke-williams-i-can-play-in-the-nfl-if-i-stay-out-of-trouble/

 

Wow that is encouraging and sounds like a process guy! I do like the signing, but is he unsure he can stay out of trouble, WTF?

[Shaw66]

On 5/11/2019 at 5:52 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

 

 

As far as Duke goes, something feels special about him and his story.  I have a feeling he is going to turn some heads when the pads go on.  He’s got a lot of work to do, but I love his passion, hunger, fiery play, and chip on his shoulder to prove he belongs.  And with that he has all the self awareness of his past and what he has to do as a man off the field and earn his place here.  

What's special is that the guy had the kind of raw physical talent that made him a likely first or second round pick, had his career not gone sideways.   That's what I think some people are overlooking.  Why did he come to dominate the Canadian league?  Because the guys with his kind of physical talent aren't playing in that league.