Internally there’s some love for Tee Higgins

[KOKBILLS]

Just now, PIZ said:

What info did Joe Marino pass on?

 

 

I'm paraphrasing here so...

 

Marino said an NFL insider...a name we would all know...pulled him aside to tell him he might have to get over his lack of enthusiasm for Higgins because the Bills really like him...?

[Logic]

14 minutes ago, par73 said:

He was invisible against Ohio St., LSU (teams that were really physical with him) and the combine (needed to rest). My least favorite Day 1 prospect.

89 yards from scrimmage and a TD against LSU. Not out of this world production, but not "invisible".

[jwhit34]

3 hours ago, The Firebaugh Kid said:

The basketball background is attractive. 

Still....if he runs a 4.6 or worse I'm taking a shot at somebody with more speed and explosiveness. 

 

I don't know if Higgins is the right one, but the obsession with 40 times is amusing to me. I thought the consensus was that they needed a big target with a big catch radius to complement the shorter Brown and Beasley. I thought that is why so many have a crush on Duke Williams.

 

There have been plenty of WRs who ran 4.6 or slower that had excellent NFL careers:

 

Anquan Boldin 4.61

Jerry Rice  4.7

Larry Fitzgerald 4.63

Cris Carter 4.63

 

Speaking of Duke Williams, he ran a 4.7.

 

 

[Teddy KGB]

17 minutes ago, par73 said:

He was invisible against Ohio St., LSU (teams that were really physical with him) and the combine (needed to rest). My least favorite Day 1 prospect.

Thats definetly not true.     He had 90 yards and also had a 70 yard bomb called back over a penalty.  

[Logic]

Higgins is certainly not my favorite WR prospect in this draft.

HOWEVER...

It's hard to argue with an 18.1 yds career receiving average (better than Hopkins, Watkins, Williams), 27 TDs (tied with Hopkins and Watkins), and hard to argue with the size and deep ball ability, too. And one more thing to keep in mind: McDermott, when asked what is important to him in a wide receiver, said "let's start with being able to catch the football". Now with that quote in mind, go watch Higgins highlights. He's a great hands catcher. 

Given the total package of traits, Higgins' ability to catch any ball in his area code (which is where lots of Allen's passes tend to end up -- just in the area code), the way he would complement our existing WR corps, and the recent NFL production history of Clemson WRs...I can't really find any reason that the Bills SHOULDN'T draft Higgins. If they could trade down a few spots and still snag him, that would be even better.

[Mr. WEO]

43 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

The only WRs he's drafted are McCloud and Proehl. Can't really complain about a 6th rounder and a 7th rounder not working out.

 

39 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Brown and Beasley are a good start.  He failed year 1 with KB being his only add in a tear down season.  Did well very last season getting Beasley and brown on very team friendly contracts that both outperformed imo.  
 

he hasn’t taken many swings.  That’s probably his biggest issue with WR.

 

Yeah, he's ignored the position until now--certainly in the draft.

[qwksilver]

Didn't TBD let Beane know he's not our favorite! If Higgins is drafted I will get on board quickly. Especially if 4.55 or better at pro day.

Also, seen a couple of mocks where Lamb makes it to 17. If so, Beane has to get to 16 and take him.

 

 

[PIZ]

14 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

Thats definetly not true.     He had 90 yards and also had a 70 yard bomb called back over a penalty.  

Yes! That penalty on the bomb shouldn’t have been called. At least I didn’t think so at the time. 
 

 

[NewEra]

5 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Yeah, he's ignored the position until now--certainly in the draft.

In the draft, he hasn’t taken very many swings....that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to evaluate the WR prospects.  That seems like an unknown at this point.  
 

in free agency at WR, I’m very happy with what he’s done.  Whereas he hasn’t swung in the draft, he took 2 swings in free agency last offseason (brown and Beasley) and both were both hits.  Now he just needs to get the guy to compliment them.  
 

based on everything else he’s done, I have confidence.  He completely turned this team upside down and now almost every player has his fingerprint on them. While doing what he did, it’s expected that he leave some moves for this year and next. Just so happens that finishing off the WR unit is up next. He’s done a masterful job with this roster. 

[purple haze]

2 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I don’t understand why many here have such a negative opinion of Higgins.  OK, he is probably not in the Lamb, Jeudy, Ruggs tier, but he sure looks like a very good prospect still.

 

The Bills are positioned in the bottom 1/3 of each round - not the top 1/3 as we grew used to for many years.  The prospects available at that spot are different than what we are used to.

We don't know what he'll be.  He could wind up the best of all the WRs drafted.  I like the top 3 guys, and I think Shenault would be dynamite, but I'd be cool with Higgins.  He's a proven, good prospect.  And I don't care about the combine stuff.

[Dkollidas]

I’m Not a huge fan... but like many here, I wasn’t a fan of Allen. I wasn’t a fan of trading down for Tre. I had no idea who Poyer and Hyde were... so I’ll let Beane and McDermott make their pick.

 

I also believe Beane & McDermott are big on “fit”. How does the player fit into their role within the scheme. The role that was played by Duke Williams in that playoff game, could be well fit by Higgins. 
 

I also trust their interview process, and the fact that maybe someone like Higgins isn’t the perfect locker room guy, but having guys like Allen, Brown & Beasley around him, along with McDermott running the show, could keep a guy like Higgins in line and help him see the light. 

[Don Otreply]

The remark by SM that the first receiver trait he looks for is catching the ball, not his 40 time says a lot imo.  Being that our team has been plagued by drops for the last two seasons, they may very well be looking his way. That and he would upgrade the room immediately. Our best receivers by catch percentage are Brown Beasley and Williams, all of which are over 60%.  We shall see... 

 

Go Bills!!!

Edited March 7, 2020 by Don Otreply

[NewEra]

45 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

He's def gun shy at the position.... at least his comments prior to last years draft indicate that. 

He’s really had 2 off seasons. His first offseason wasn’t really his.

2017 he was in Carolina for the draft and free agency. He dumped sammy and his focus wasn’t building the WR group, it was straightening out the cap and evaluating what he had.  We had more glaring holes and we had just draft Zay.  He swung and missed on KB to help in the playoff run
 

2018

Draft:   sorry wr, you had to take a backseat to trading up for the QB’s of our O and D while adding 2 need positions in Nickel and DT (phillips and johnson).  He swung and missed on 6th and 7th rd picks Ray Ray and proehl.  Most are missed in those rounds.

 

Free agency-  the top FA WR’s:  Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Terrell Pryor, Paul Richardson, donte moncrief and John Brown. 
We tried for brown but he chose the ravens because of their qB.  He has said as much.  Not on Beane.  Who else in that WR group would you like?  Robinson?  Yeah, he’s ok.  But he’s still have to sign to play here with no QB.  The rest are bleh. There were no options.......what was he supposed to do?  He snagged mckenzie mid season and UDFA Robert foster showed promise

 

2019-

Draft:  We weren’t taking a WR rd 1.  None worthy of it.  Rd 2, we took what Beane though would be Allens RT for the next 10 years.  And he’s got a nasty streak which is needed.  Sorry DK, building a beast OL > a WR coming off season ending neck surgery.  Deebo was gone anyway.  grabbing Singletary shocked everyone....and I’m glad we did.  He’s a helluva player.  Better than kelvin Harmon and that tall lanky kid drafted by the cardinals that missed the season (his name is escaping me atm).  Knox looks to be a capable starter for the foreseeable future.  I expected a WR to be drafted and was shocked when we didn’t take one.  Lots speculated that it may have had to do with this years stacked class of WRs.

 

Free agency-  he signed Brown and Beasley to great contracts that every bills fan is happy with.  Other top free agent WRs:  Golden Tate, Tyrell Williams, Adam Humphries, devin funchess, Cobb, moncrief, crowder.  Which one of those guys did we miss the boat on?  I’m glad he didn’t take any swings by overpaying for those guys.  Foster was coming off what some had thought was a breakout season.  Some had held out some hope that Zay would improve.  When he didn’t, he traded him first chance he could.  
 

While he hasn’t developed the WR unit as much as we’d have liked in 2 offseason, I just didn’t see the right opportunities to get that WR that we all wanted. He made a play on AB, then AB turned into AB. Good thing we didn’t.  OBJ, but the price was too high. Cooper, but we were already out of the playoff mix that year and weren’t giving up a top 10 pick for him.  Landry, **** that ****** ******* *******!

 

 

[mannc]

1 hour ago, gobills404 said:

The only WRs he's drafted are McCloud and Proehl. Can't really complain about a 6th rounder and a 7th rounder not working out.

I think the complaint is about the guys he DIDN’T draft...

[par73]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

89 yards from scrimmage and a TD against LSU. Not out of this world production, but not "invisible".

His one play of the game was on a thirty yard reverse, I believe. Nothing really through the air. Let's call him barely visible.

1 hour ago, Teddy KGB said:

Thats definetly not true.     He had 90 yards and also had a 70 yard bomb called back over a penalty.  

He had one big running play, and pretty much nothing through the air.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 

PERRY TUTTLE

 

C.J. SPILLER

 

SAMMY WATKINS

 

Do we really want to go down this road... AGAIN?  

 

Hard pass.

[Chicken Boo]

I feel that Higgins is the best fit for Allen and this team.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

In the draft, he hasn’t taken very many swings....that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to evaluate the WR prospects.  That seems like an unknown at this point.  
 

in free agency at WR, I’m very happy with what he’s done.  Whereas he hasn’t swung in the draft, he took 2 swings in free agency last offseason (brown and Beasley) and both were both hits.  Now he just needs to get the guy to compliment them.  
 

based on everything else he’s done, I have confidence.  He completely turned this team upside down and now almost every player has his fingerprint on them. While doing what he did, it’s expected that he leave some moves for this year and next. Just so happens that finishing off the WR unit is up next. He’s done a masterful job with this roster. 

 

 

He passed on 3 good ones in the 2nd to pick Ford last year

 

[Teddy KGB]

14 minutes ago, par73 said:

His one play of the game was on a thirty yard reverse, I believe. Nothing really through the air. Let's call him barely visible.

He had one big running play, and pretty much nothing through the air.

88 yards and this monstrosity of a call below that cost him a second td and another 40-50 yards. 
 

 

This stuff is on the internet.    You can’t just make things up.  
 

https://www.12up.com/posts/clemson-tee-higgins-pass-interference-lsu-video-01dyh69hq84a

Edited March 7, 2020 by Teddy KGB

[BuffaninATL]

4 hours ago, whorlnut said:

I can certainly understand the buzz about Higgins. He might be the best in the class at catching area code balls which Allen usually throws. Especially down the field. Wouldn’t be shocked one bit if he is their target. The only thing that concerns me is his mysterious absence at the on field workouts at the combine...

 

there was no mystery - he said he wasn't physically prepared. It would have been a mystery had he not explained his absence

[mannc]

23 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

He passed on 3 good ones in the 2nd to pick Ford last year

 

At least...And traded up

[dje85]

4 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Higgins shouldn’t be picked in the first round.  He’s pretty much a one trick pony at WR.  

 

And that one trick is being good at wr. 

[Dafan]

5 hours ago, whorlnut said:

I can certainly understand the buzz about Higgins. He might be the best in the class at catching area code balls which Allen usually throws. Especially down the field. Wouldn’t be shocked one bit if he is their target. The only thing that concerns me is his mysterious absence at the on field workouts at the combine...

Burrows did the same thing and used the same reasoning but no one is all over him for it.

[NewEra]

15 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

He passed on 3 good ones in the 2nd to pick Ford last year

 

So you’re saying that he doesn’t know how to evaluate WRs because of one draft pick?  Because he took a RT that had a first rd grade according to many, coming off a season in which we had maybe the worst running game and offensive line I’ve ever seen.  We NEEDED a RT.  While Ford may not have been very effective at RT, that has more to do with his OL scouting proficiency than it does his WR scouting proficiency.  He may have very well had high grades on the WRs, but he obviously thought that getting ford to play RT was more important.

 

I can’t really argue with that, especially when you consider the fact that the best WR, Aj brown (imo), was considered a slot wr and we had just signed Beasley for that role. mclaurin is very similar to a WR we just signed in Brown and Metcalf was coming off season ending neck surgery and had many flags according to many, which was shown when every team passed on him, many 2-3 times

[TigerJ]

I'll wait till his  pro day to decide what I think of him,  I want to see his 40, of course, but I'd also like to see his 3 cone drill, his weight and his bench press.  Speaking of which, his pro day is next Thursday.

Edited March 7, 2020 by TigerJ

[whorlnut]

56 minutes ago, BuffaninATL said:

 

there was no mystery - he said he wasn't physically prepared. It would have been a mystery had he not explained his absence

There was no indication that he wasn’t prepared going into the combine. And since you brought it up, that’s even more concerning. He had how long to “be prepared”?  Not a good look...

26 minutes ago, Dafan said:

Burrows did the same thing and used the same reasoning but no one is all over him for it.

Burrows is the unquestioned number one overall pick. He literally has nothing more to prove. Completely different...

[stuvian]

he's getting way more love than this Tee ever got 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tee_Martin

 

[Mr. WEO]

32 minutes ago, NewEra said:

So you’re saying that he doesn’t know how to evaluate WRs because of one draft pick?  Because he took a RT that had a first rd grade according to many, coming off a season in which we had maybe the worst running game and offensive line I’ve ever seen.  We NEEDED a RT.  While Ford may not have been very effective at RT, that has more to do with his OL scouting proficiency than it does his WR scouting proficiency.  He may have very well had high grades on the WRs, but he obviously thought that getting ford to play RT was more important.

 

I can’t really argue with that, especially when you consider the fact that the best WR, Aj brown (imo), was considered a slot wr and we had just signed Beasley for that role. mclaurin is very similar to a WR we just signed in Brown and Metcalf was coming off season ending neck surgery and had many flags according to many, which was shown when every team passed on him, many 2-3 times

 

This will be his 3rd draft.

 

We needed a WR and they were there in that draft.

 

Ford will likely be moved to G.

 

Tennessee didn't consider AJ Brown. slow WR (who did?).

[gobills404]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

He passed on 3 good ones in the 2nd to pick Ford last year

29 teams passed on AJ Brown before the Titans took him and 31 teams passed on DK Metcalf before the Seahawks took him. Stop acting like Beane obviously should've known they would've been as good as they were. And who was the 3rd receiver he missed?

[NewEra]

8 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

This will be his 3rd draft.

I realize this is his 3rd draft.  I’ve mentioned that in previous posts in this thread.

 

We needed a WR and they were there in that draft.

We needed a RT and there was one with a first rd grade in the 2nd rd.

Ford will likely be moved to G.

That has absolutely nothing to do with his ability to scout WRs

 

Tennessee didn't consider AJ Brown. slot (fixed) WR (who did?).

Every scouting report I’ve read on him.  His coach at Ole Miss.  Vrabel.  He played a lot of slot.  They just made a mistake signing Humphries and then drafting him.  Humphries was wasted.   

 

.

 

[NoSaint]

6 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

He’s not my favorite prospect but I defer to Beane on all things. He’s done a nice job in the draft. I’ll trust him and not complain. 

WR is a little discomfort in there but my own worry fixes nothing 

[Mr. WEO]

16 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

29 teams passed on AJ Brown before the Titans took him and 31 teams passed on DK Metcalf before the Seahawks took him. Stop acting like Beane obviously should've known they would've been as good as they were. And who was the 3rd receiver he missed?

 

This is always a weak argument.  It should be obvious not every team has the same need with their 1st 2 picks in the draft.  Why even repeat this?

[mannc]

18 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

29 teams passed on AJ Brown before the Titans took him and 31 teams passed on DK Metcalf before the Seahawks took him. Stop acting like Beane obviously should've known they would've been as good as they were. And who was the 3rd receiver he missed?

Terry McLaurin, Mecole Hardman...want me to keep going?

[Mr. WEO]

12 minutes ago, NewEra said:

.

 

 

On the one hand, you say Ford had a 1st round grade.  Then you say maybe Beane wasn't so good at scouting O-line.  Right...

 

As for Brown, I had to go only as far as the first link that pops up re: his speed, on NFL.com "Built for the NFL with outstanding lean muscle mass over compact frame. Elevated competitiveness and determination. Routes are fast, but he adds speed variance when needed."

 

CBS.com had the Bills as his most likely spot.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Mr. WEO

[Captain Murica]

5 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Higgins shouldn’t be picked in the first round.  He’s pretty much a one trick pony at WR.  

I'm not big on Higgins but they said the same thing about Metcalf being a one trick pony. That worked out well for Seattle. If they do choose Higgins hopefully it’s one hell of a trick. 

[NewEra]

7 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

On the one hand, you say Ford had a 1st round grade.  Then you say maybe Beane wasn't so good at scouting O-line.  Right...

And?  I said ford had a first rd grade according to many, because he did.....

I said maybe Beane wasn’t so good at scouting Oline based on what I saw from ford last year.  Not sure what your inferring

Quote

 

As for Brown, I had to go only as far as the first link that pops up re: his speed, on NFL.com "Built for the NFL with outstanding lean muscle mass over compact frame. Elevated competitiveness and determination. Routes are fast, but he adds speed variance when needed."

So because you picked out one sentence on the internet.........now aj brown wasn’t seen by many as a great fit in the slot?  Wtf are you even talking about?  Go read more maybe? K thanks 

 

WHO EVER SAID BROWN WAS SLOW?  I said SLOT

Edited March 7, 2020 by NewEra

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

He passed on 3 good ones in the 2nd to pick Ford last year

 

The O line was the obvious priority, teams are built from the lines out, not the WRs in.  Beane has done a very good job. We went 10-6 and went to the playoffs on the quality of the FA acquisitions, and that draft, It was a successful draft and season.  Having a GM with a viable plan is helpful, now we have a super deep WR draft, and the coin to get the right free agents, perfect timing don’t you think? 

We are light years ahead of the stupid that went on for seventeen straight years. 
 

Go Bills!!!

[Lurker]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

89 yards from scrimmage and a TD against LSU. Not out of this world production, but not "invisible".

 

3 for 52 as a receiver in the 2020 national championship game, with only one catch in the second half.     

3 for 81 as a receiver in the 2019 national championship game, with only one catch in the second half.

 

Small sample, but interesting nevertheless...

[gobills404]

20 minutes ago, mannc said:

Terry McLaurin, Mecole Hardman...want me to keep going?

Every single team passed on McLaurin, and Hardman caught 26 passes in the pass happy Chiefs offense. I'd hardly consider him someone we missed out on.

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by gobills404

[NewEra]

9 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

3 for 52 as a receiver in the 2020 national championship game, with only one catch in the second half.     

3 for 81 as a receiver in the 2019 national championship game, with only one catch in the second half.

 

Small sample, but interesting nevertheless...

Julio Jones had

1 catch for 21 yards in his bowl game his sophomore year

3 catches 49 yards in his bowl game his junior year

0 touchdowns.

 

not like it means anything