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Duke should definitely be part of the WR's this year


LB48

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He's big.  He gets open despite not having break away speed.  Excellent route running skills and great hands. 

IF he's cut another team will scoop him up right away.

 

Robert Foster has had his chances.  Isaiah Hodgins was a 6th round pick with 4.61 speed in the 40 yard dash.  As the Bills get better talent all over the field a draft choice won't necessarily make the final roster.

 

Beasley, Brown, Diggs, Roberts, McKenzie, Davis AND Duke form a uniquely talented group of of wide-outs!   All don't have to dress each game - and - injuries happen!

 

 

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A clod with behavioral issues who can’t run the route tree “should definitely be part of the WR’s this year”?? Why? Are Brown, Beasley, Diggs, McKenzie, Roberts & our rookies not good enough for you? 

 

Just stop the nonsense.

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2 hours ago, LB48 said:

 

Duke should definitely be part of the WR's this year

 

 

 

The word "definitely" simply does not belong in that sentence.

 

Perhaps "could possibly" would fit better.

 

I don't think they keep seven. If they do, Duke could well be the 7th.

Edited by Thurman#1
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Let me see if I understand here: Hodgins is summarily dismissed because he is a 6th round pick with 4.6 speed...but Duke (who went undrafted and ran even slower) is a great route runner that gets open despite his lack of speed?

 

Duke is in the conversation for the WR6 spot; that’s about as much as one could expect at this point.

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He could possibly make the Jets....not that he would help them much.

 

A big slow body is just not needed at WR.....way to much talent on this team now at that position. 

6 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

Let me see if I understand here: Hodgins is summarily dismissed because he is a 6th round pick with 4.6 speed...but Duke (who went undrafted and ran even slower) is a great route runner that gets open despite his lack of speed?

 

Duke is in the conversation for the WR6 spot; that’s about as much as one could expect at this point.

 

Can he play ST? he isn't fast enough to gun or return.

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Based upon what Duke did when he “got his chance” in the playoffs last season, he’s lucky he is still on the training camp roster.  How would you justify keeping Duke over Hodgins — a man who dropped a total of THREE passes over his entire college career and plays the “big man” role?

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Duke, Da’rick, Reily, all should be starting on this team RIGHT NOW. 
Seriously, Duke can make some circus catches, that’s about it. He’s not some special hidden talent, he’s a below average professional wide receiver who is a one trick pony. Can that be used? Sure. Is it needed over young and fresh talent? Nope. 

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I was pro-Duke a year ago because he brought something no one else in the WR room did - a big-bodied receiver who could make contested catches.  I like this type of receiver in the red zone, where the spaces get tighter. 
 

This year, both rookies offer big frames while having more speed and better separation from defenders. 
 

I appreciate how aggressively Duke fights for the football, but the competition for WR5&6 is tougher now than it was for WR 2&3 a few years ago.  I just don’t think there’s room for him on this year’s roster. 
 

Edited by Forward Progress
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I think Daboll wants to run even more 11 personnel this year so for that reason and the talent we now have at the position, I want the Bills to keep 7 WRs.

 

However, I'd much rather keep Hodgins than Duke. From the little info we've been given this year, I think it's fair to say they've both made some great plays and battled to a draw. Tie goes to the rookie in my opinion and I value Hodgins' height and 'big slot' potential more than what Duke brings to the table.  

 

You also made the case about Hodgins being a sixth round pick. However, this year's WR class was the deepest in recent memory, Hodgins easily would have been a 4th-5th rounder in other years. Also don't forget that he was widely considered to have the best hands in the class and his agility drills at the combine were fantastic for an athlete his size. 

 

Nothing against Duke, I like his backstory and was happy when he made the team last season. But we've seen what he offers and I think Hodgins has a great chance to be the better WR for this team in 2020 and in the coming years. 

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I don’t think he makes the initial 53. I like him but it’s PS for Duke again. I think the last spot if they keep 6 is going to be between mckenzie and foster. Foster for ST and mckenzie for the role he plays and as backup returner. If Foster can do the mckenzie role he probably makes it plus he’s John browns backup 

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Nice guy nice story, pretty much a one trick pony.  A summary as all this was said before I posted.  I do not for the life of me get the man love this guy gets year in and year out.  He had a chance - it didn't work....Bills move on.

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You know how Duke could have made sure he was "definitely" part of this roster? Come up big in the biggest moment of the year when your Quarterback hits you in the hands in the endzone. Instead he dropped it. And the Bills went and drafted two young guys with versions of his skillset. That is what life for an undrafted guy is like in the NFL. The chances are fleeting. If you don't take them they might not come again. 

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Hers the thing, he is slow. Yes he is big and can make some catches, but are those catches that someone else could of made and picked up more yards? Duke is always going to struggle getting separation.  
Duke is fighting for one of the last spots. I think Hodgins  and Roberts get that for potential and ST’s play. 

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1 hour ago, Rc2catch said:

Duke, Da’rick, Reily, all should be starting on this team RIGHT NOW. 
Seriously, Duke can make some circus catches, that’s about it. He’s not some special hidden talent, he’s a below average professional wide receiver who is a one trick pony. Can that be used? Sure. Is it needed over young and fresh talent? Nope. 

Don't forget Cam Phillips.  Some were ready to leap from a tall building when he was released and I believe he was better than Duke.

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36 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

You know how Duke could have made sure he was "definitely" part of this roster? Come up big in the biggest moment of the year when your Quarterback hits you in the hands in the endzone. Instead he dropped it. And the Bills went and drafted two young guys with versions of his skillset. That is what life for an undrafted guy is like in the NFL. The chances are fleeting. If you don't take them they might not come again. 

I figured he was on the outside looking in when McD was asked at the combine what he looked for in a WR and all he said was “well, he needs to be able to catch the ball.”

 

he probably still sees that dropped TD In his nightmares 

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4 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

A clod with behavioral issues who can’t run the route tree “should definitely be part of the WR’s this year”?? Why? Are Brown, Beasley, Diggs, McKenzie, Roberts & our rookies not good enough for you? 

 

Just stop the nonsense.

 

I see that you left out Bob Foster 

 

@Mike in Horseheads would agree

Edited by SlimShady'sSpaceForce
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Might be somewhere, probably won’t be in buffalo though
 

 

6 minutes ago, ExWNYer said:

I don't get the love on this board by so many for Duke Williams. His is a nice underdog story but, at the end of the day, he's JAG. This team has better WRs and is past the reclamation project stage.

It’s been a consistent, no.... pathological trait... 

Edited by Over 29 years of fanhood
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There's a reason Buffalo traded for Diggs, then drafted another guy in the 4th round.  And it's not because they believed in last year's WR group.

 

Lumbering receivers who struggle to separate are not the typical receiver anymore.  

 

Furthermore, the Bills aren't going to spend more time developing a veteran like Duke who has been a pro for 4+ years.  If it comes down to him versus the draft picks, they'll go with the latter.  

 

He's a nice story, but the emotional tug of a guy going from 5 star recruit to the CFL to the NFL isn't enough to keep him on the game day roster. 

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If Duke stays but Foster goes, Sky Diver will return to throw LB48 out of an airplane without a chute.  And LB48 needs to send his resume to GR 55, just to keep ahead of Phil the Thrill's efforts to land the 7-9 p.m. gig.

11 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Continues to not get separation?

Nice use of colour to highlight the point!  Can you be my A.V. Squad captain?!

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1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

You know how Duke could have made sure he was "definitely" part of this roster? Come up big in the biggest moment of the year when your Quarterback hits you in the hands in the endzone. Instead he dropped it. And the Bills went and drafted two young guys with versions of his skillset. That is what life for an undrafted guy is like in the NFL. The chances are fleeting. If you don't take them they might not come again. 


Nailed it. 

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2 hours ago, eball said:

Based upon what Duke did when he “got his chance” in the playoffs last season, he’s lucky he is still on the training camp roster.  How would you justify keeping Duke over Hodgins — a man who dropped a total of THREE passes over his entire college career and plays the “big man” role?

Why aren't you saying this about John Brown? Duke made several key catches in that game that no one else on the roster last year would have made, and it's like everyone forgets it because he failed to make a spectacular catch in the end zone. The criticism of Duke Williams is over the top and makes no sense.

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The Duke love is the gift that keeps on giving...and is in the tradition of longshot WR love.

 

Reality is if it was Duke vs. Hodgins, Hodgins is the same size, is a little faster, has better hands, runs better routes and is younger. Add in he's a draft pick and I don't think the decision is even close. Hodgins may not even make it, they like McKenzie. Duke is most likely #8 at this point with Foster 9th. 

 

The 6th WR will probably not be active for games, let alone a 7th, so I doubt they keep 7. Diggs, Brown, Beasley, Davis and Roberts (for returns) will be active. The 6th, be it Hodgins or McKenzie, will probably be inactive unless they have a bunch of injuries. 

 

 

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