Can Christian Wade be the 53 man roster this year

[Nextmanup]

3 hours ago, bargepole said:

 

Thanks for the welcome. I do often watch NFL games, which are shown on Sky Sports here in the UK, usually late on Sunday nights due to the time zone difference.

 

One thing I can never quite understand, is when it gets to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, and the team which is leading have the ball, they can eat up the clock by 'taking a knee for three downs. That seems to me to be deliberate time-wasting, and they should change the rules to penalise that.

That's an interesting take.  No reason why the rules couldn't be written to outlaw this behavior, but as it is, this is not against the rules. 

 

I agree it would add something to the show (maybe not much, but something) if teams had to run a play and taking a knee to kill clock was not permitted.

 

 

[Augie]

 

 

Old Man Freddie Jackson was worth the look we gave him, I’d say. Again, not saying he makes the 53, just saying it’s a fun story and don’t write him off just because of preconceived notions. No stone unturned, you just never know! That’s one thing I like about this FO. 

[Augie]

4 hours ago, bargepole said:

i must admit, I have no idea about the intricacies of how NFL teams select their 53-man active roster, or under what circumstances PS players can be promoted to the active squad.

 

But I can tell you this. When he was playing Rugby for us at Wasps, and we needed a score, there was only one call from the playbook - "Give it to Christian'.

 

As I said on another thread, you Bills fans ain't seen nothing yet, this guy will do things that most others can't do. Sure he has a lot to learn about your game, but in simple terms. when he has the ball in his hand, with defenders to beat and the goal line in sight, he will get there more often than not, regardless of which set of rules he's playing under.

 

Welcome! It’s nice to get a report from someone who has followed Christian. I like what I hear, and I loved not just his one big play, but also his rugby highlights. Good stuff! (I played rugby in college and have an appreciation for play at that level. WOW stuff!) 

 

But the other reason I’m posting this to our new friend Bargepole is to tell you how you and our dear @ExiledInIllinois just might become fast friends! 

 

?

 

[Rocket94]

3 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

 

Old Man Freddie Jackson was worth the look we gave him, I’d say. Again, not saying he makes the 53, just saying it’s a fun story and don’t write him off just because of preconceived notions. No stone unturned, you just never know! That’s one thing I like about this FO. 

What difference does it make anyway. If a man can still play at a high level, who cares if he is 23 or 30? It also depends on the team and system and how the rb will be employed. 

[co_springs_billsfan]

The way I understood the rules as he can either:

 

A) make the 53-man roster

B) be an 11th man on the practice squad

 

Then, if the Bills go with 'B' he cannot be elevated to the active roster this season.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

If Wade has a few more runs like that then I do think he’ll make a team. 

[Augie]

4 hours ago, bargepole said:

 

Thanks for the welcome. I do often watch NFL games, which are shown on Sky Sports here in the UK, usually late on Sunday nights due to the time zone difference.

 

One thing I can never quite understand, is when it gets to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, and the team which is leading have the ball, they can eat up the clock by 'taking a knee for three downs. That seems to me to be deliberate time-wasting, and they should change the rules to penalise that.

 

Taking a knee does come at a small cost. You lose a couple yards every time you do it. If you have gained sufficient score advantage that you can afford this, and the other team has wasted their Time Outs to prevent runoff on the clock, well.....that’s the price each team pays. Be ahead so you can afford to waste some yards, and don’t blow your timeouts early - you may need them later.

 

Sloppy teams sometimes waste timeouts because they lined up wrong, or have the wrong personnel on the field, etc. There is, and should be, a price for that. There have been cases where a team tried to run a play rather than kneel down, fumbled the hand off and lost the game as a result. Oops! I have no problem with the rule as it is. 

 

 

Also, it’s not just the 4th quarter. Sometimes you just want to get to halftime if you are deep in your end of the field and don’t want to take the risk of a turnover. Just get to the locker room and let’s talk about this. 

[mmichii]

he's old for a running back BUT he's never played American football.  he hasn't had all the wear and tear the body takes playing through highschool, college etc. also, this guy is an elite rugby player.  he is an elite athlete.  he may not have known what to do after he scored but flip it around and im sure almost every player on both sides would be just as clueless if they were playing rugby. all I know is I saw a guy take off like he was shot out of a cannon after he made that cut.  

[John from Riverside]

The question is if he can’t be pilfered by another team why would you

 

2 future hof guys

singletary

probably perry for sts

[Augie]

54 minutes ago, co_springs_billsfan said:

The way I understood the rules as he can either:

 

A) make the 53-man roster

B) be an 11th man on the practice squad

 

Then, if the Bills go with 'B' he cannot be elevated to the active roster this season.

 

OK.....he can be added as an EXTRA PS player if you wish. Might he also be eligible for one on the normal PS spots, and therefore eligible to bring up?  I don’t think this is very clear yet. 

[Jay_Fixit]

No.

[Rocket94]

18 minutes ago, mmichii said:

he's old for a running back BUT he's never played American football.  he hasn't had all the wear and tear the body takes playing through highschool, college etc. also, this guy is an elite rugby player.  he is an elite athlete.  he may not have known what to do after he scored but flip it around and im sure almost every player on both sides would be just as clueless if they were playing rugby. all I know is I saw a guy take off like he was shot out of a cannon after he made that cut.  

Shot out of a cannon? ha! haven't heard that in years! It did look that way!

2 minutes ago, Rocket94 said:

Shot out of a cannon? ha! haven't heard that in years! It did look that way!

Well said. The wear and tear factor may not apply to Wade. I need to see more of him.

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, Rocket94 said:

Shot out of a cannon? ha! haven't heard that in years! It did look that way!

Well said. The wear and tear factor may not apply to Wade. I need to see more of him.

Umm....did you just quote and compliment yourself at the same time? Not unheard of, but rare.   ?

[Rocket94]

1 minute ago, Augie said:

Umm....did you just quote and compliment yourself at the same time? Not unheard of, but rare.   ?

I like myself pretty much...but thats not what happened. Some times when I respond too quickly, they group together...has that happened to you? I responded to the other poster with a laugh.

[Augie]

2 minutes ago, Rocket94 said:

I like myself pretty much...but thats not what happened. Some times when I respond too quickly, they group together...has that happened to you? I responded to the other poster with a laugh.

 

I kid! Stuff happens! 

 

And I agree regarding the Wade wear and tear factor. 

[Rocket94]

6 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I kid! Stuff happens! 

Well anyway, I like myself, and I found the analogy "shot out of a cannon" funny! Yes, just from the brief glimpse of Wade, he appears preserved. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Rocket94

[Augie]

Just now, Rocket94 said:

Well anyway, I like myself, and I found the analogy "shot out of a cannon" funny! 

 

I take it you didn’t grow up in the circus? 

 

We lived in Sarasota, FL for 18 years before moving to Atlanta. Sarasota was home to Ringling Bros. My kids grew up with friends from Carnie families. You could drive down the road and see houses with trapezes and nets in the backyard. It was weird to me at first, but then it becomes normal.  

[Rocket94]

Just now, Augie said:

 

I take it you didn’t grow up in the circus? 

 

We lived in Sarasota, FL for 18 years before moving to Atlanta. Sarasota was home to Ringling Bros. My kids grew up with friends from Carnie families. You could drive down the road and see houses with trapezes and nets in the backyard. It was weird to me at first, but then it becomes normal.  

No...I was never pressured in to a life in the circus. Ha! My late grandfather liked the circus and I went with him a few times. Have your children kept in touch at all with the Carnies?

[Augie]

1 minute ago, Rocket94 said:

No...I was never pressured in to a life in the circus. Ha! My late grandfather liked the circus and I went with him a few times. Have your children kept in touch at all with the Carnies?

There were only a few that we knew. They all went to the same Catholic school. Yes, they are still loosely in the loop when my son gets back to town, but just if they cross paths. The older brothers buddy was about 5’10”, well over 300# and could bench 400+ without warming up. Brought a baby alligator to our house in a Dillards bag one night. I’ll generously call it....”character”. 

 

My wife grew up with a horse. Still loves the smell. If she had to shovel up after an elephant she might have lost interest. 

[Rocket94]

8 minutes ago, Augie said:

There were only a few that we knew. They all went to the same Catholic school. Yes, they are still loosely in the loop when my son gets back to town, but just if they cross paths. The older brothers buddy was about 5’10”, well over 300# and could bench 400+ without warming up. Brought a baby alligator to our house in a Dillards bag one night. I’ll generously call it....”character”. 

 

My wife grew up with a horse. Still loves the smell. If she had to shovel up after an elephant she might have lost interest. 

That is definately an interesting family...different than the norm. My father owned horse farms all over NYS and he raced them. It was a different time.

[LABILLBACKER]

7 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Exactly. None of the 8 players have played football at even a D1 level

 

This is to acclimate top athletes to the game over a year period and see how they progress

 

He is certainly a great candidate for PS RB with his speed and quickness and vision

Just teach him to be a FB and cut Dimarco....problem solved.

[MJS]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I didn’t bother looking it up, but I thought he was 28, which with wear and tear adjustments might feel like 26. I’m not advocating for a guy I saw make one long run, just saying it was entertaining and I’d like to see more. Of course it’s a serious loooong shot. I just want to see a little more. Is that so wrong? 

 

EDIT: he just turned 28 in May. 

Yes, I said he was 28 earlier. That means he's only 2 years away from teams doubting his abilities.

[bargepole]

2 hours ago, Rocket94 said:

It may seem that way. However, we all know that men age differently and Wade's legs have not been subjected to a prolonged NFL pounding. I don't know much about rugby...is it as gruelling on the body as NFL football?

 

The big difference between Rugby and American Football, is that in Rugby, we don't have different sets of players for offence, defence, special teams etc. The same 15 players stay on the field for the whole game, except when substituted by one of the 8 players on the bench.

 

In all the time I watched Wade play at Wasps, he hardly ever missed a game through injury, and was rarely substituted during an 80-minute game. He was often hit by, or tackled, some really big guys, but would bounce up again like a rubber ball. 

 

If there's any way he can make the 53 (and I'm as confused about the rules as everyone else seems to be), your head coach really should roll the dice, because you may just have a weapon that the other 31 NFL teams won't be used to defending against.

[Rocket94]

55 minutes ago, bargepole said:

 

The big difference between Rugby and American Football, is that in Rugby, we don't have different sets of players for offence, defence, special teams etc. The same 15 players stay on the field for the whole game, except when substituted by one of the 8 players on the bench.

 

In all the time I watched Wade play at Wasps, he hardly ever missed a game through injury, and was rarely substituted during an 80-minute game. He was often hit by, or tackled, some really big guys, but would bounce up again like a rubber ball. 

 

If there's any way he can make the 53 (and I'm as confused about the rules as everyone else seems to be), your head coach really should roll the dice, because you may just have a weapon that the other 31 NFL teams won't be used to defending against.

Welcome from across the pond. To be honest with you, I am still confused myself. While I do understand that it is good for a player like Wade to be acclimated to the NFL game for a year, what if his performance in the pre season begs otherwise? I don't really know if the Bills can roll the dice.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Rocket94

[The Bills Blog]

9 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

 

Its the Program. 

Will he commit himself to this Program?

[The Bills Blog]

10 hours ago, MJS said:

He can't BE the 53 man roster. But he sure can MAKE the 53 man roster.

 

That's what they've been saying on the radio at least.

I know a lot of people have been questioning whether we'd keep five or six WRs, but here's how I see the 53 shaking out.

 

QB: Wade / Wade

 

RB: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

FB: Wade

 

OL: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

TE: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

WR: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

DL: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

LB: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

CB: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade 

 

S: Wade / Wade / Wade / Wade

 

LS: Wade

 

P: Wade

 

K: Wade

 

Don't forget that we also have 11 PS spots available as well:

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade

Wade (bonus international player allocation)

[skibum]

How is he not eligible for the 53? Can’t teams sign basically anyone they want to, including clowns, house cats, Peterman, etc?

[Doc]

13 hours ago, bargepole said:

One thing I can never quite understand, is when it gets to the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, and the team which is leading have the ball, they can eat up the clock by 'taking a knee for three downs. That seems to me to be deliberate time-wasting, and they should change the rules to penalise that.

 

That's part of the game.  If you couldn't outscore the team with the ball in the first 58+ minutes, oh well.  And I'm sure rugby has ways for the leading team to waste time during/at the end of matches.

[MAJBobby]

2 hours ago, skibum said:

How is he not eligible for the 53? Can’t teams sign basically anyone they want to, including clowns, house cats, Peterman, etc?

 

He can make the 53 out of camp. If he doesn’t he goes to the PS via the international program exemption. And he stays there for the year. 

 

I dont think he even is exposed to waivers to go to the PS. (Unless he initially makes the 53 the. It cut same rules as all players apply I believe)

[ALF]

I would like to see how he can do on PR and KR if he is sure handed or not. 

[Doc]

Can he punt?

[MDH]

I’ll rain on the parade. Wade has zero chance of making the active roster this year.  I doubt he’ll ever make an active roster. 

 

Its a a great story and I admire the hell out of Wade for walking away from a sport he was fantastic at to start at the bottom in a totally new sport...but being a great athlete isn’t nearly enough to make a roster. The NFL is full of world class athletes who have played the sport their entire lives.

 

Throw Gurley or Zeke or any top tier RB into rugby and they’d have zero chance of making a team too.

 

 

 

[co_springs_billsfan]

9 hours ago, Augie said:

 

OK.....he can be added as an EXTRA PS player if you wish. Might he also be eligible for one on the normal PS spots, and therefore eligible to bring up?  I don’t think this is very clear yet. 

I didn't believe that is possible, or I would have included it as option 'C'.

 

But I could be wrong.

[dje85]

Te rules are he can make the 53 roster out of training camp. If he doesn't he has to clear waivers. But any team that claims him has to put him on their 53 man roster. If no team claims him he reverts to or practice squad where we get an extra spot for him but he can not be activated to the 53 man roster all year.

 

 

*If a team does claim him then drop him from their 53 he also reverts back to our practice squad the rest of the year as well I believe. - This one I'm not positive about the rest I am sure of. Sal Capaccio covered this in tweets earlier in the offseason to get clarity on the situation but I don't know how to post tweets on this site.

[Mat68]

 

Bold to think.  When's the last time Buffalo had a guy break off a long TD run in the preseason?  Fred Jackson?  It's been a while I feel like.  Simplistic schemes and plays.  Wade showed alot of ability.  He looks like the most explosive back on the roster.  1 carry so who knows.  He has my attention.  Hes not a gimmick or waste of time.  The coaching, the leaders on the team need to get him to a level of understanding.  He shows more throughout the preseason I would find a way to put him on the team.  If he can catch, I would consider keeping 5 or 6 Wrs.  Now I would give him more carries the next couple of games to see how he handles contact.  He does that well color me intrigued.

  

[HOF4LOU]

The Bills sign him to 53 and they instantly acquire millions of new Bills fans....$$$$$$$

[Mat68]

3 minutes ago, MDH said:

I’ll rain on the parade. Wade has zero chance of making the active roster this year.  I doubt he’ll ever make an active roster. 

 

Its a a great story and I admire the hell out of Wade for walking away from a sport he was fantastic at to start at the bottom in a totally new sport...but being a great athlete isn’t nearly enough to make a roster. The NFL is full of world class athletes who have played the sport their entire lives.

 

Throw Gurley or Zeke or any top tier RB into rugby and they’d have zero chance of making a team too.

 

 

 

It happens every couple of years.  Usually, dlineman. Heck offensive line even.  Football is not as overly complex as some think or make it out to be.  He showed good vision, and burst to pull off that run.  That's about 60% of playing running back.  If he can hold onto the ball and take contact well he will be fine.

[MDH]

Just now, Mat68 said:

It happens every couple of years.  Usually, dlineman. Heck offensive line even.  Football is not as overly complex as some think or make it out to be.  He showed good vision, and burst to pull off that run.  That's about 60% of playing running back.  If he can hold onto the ball and take contact well he will be fine.

 

It happens when they’re younger. I’ve seen it a few times at TE where a special athlete is a rarity. At RB, most NFLers are great athletes.

 

The other day Wade hit a mammoth hole against Colts defenders who also won’t be on the active roster when opening day arrives. 

[ddaryl]

15 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Exactly. None of the 8 players have played football at even a D1 level

 

This is to acclimate top athletes to the game over a year period and see how they progress

 

He is certainly a great candidate for PS RB with his speed and quickness and vision

 

 

With that speed and rugby back ground he is prime for special teams return duty IMO. The guy is 3rd all time for tries as a rugby player, so he knows how to crash some bodies without pads, and his strength in his game was/is speed and evasion.  It will be a fun underdog story to follow next camp. Can they turn him into a NFL player ?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiership_Rugby#Tries

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/rules_and_equipment/4204010.stm

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

31 minutes ago, Doc said:

Can he punt?

 

Do they kick the ball in Rugby ? or is it Aussie Rules Football?