Will Christian Wade make the Bills' final 53 in 2021?

[RyanC883]

2 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

Do you really think the game is so simple that it can be easily learned, from scratch, at the professional level, in just a couple seasons? Really?

 

 

 

A total guy of the street no.  But,  If you're 100% focused on it and already have a similar athletic background (rugby for Wade).  Also, there are examples of guys coming to US in High School and then getting big D1 offers only playing 1-2 years.  

 

 

[bigK14094]

It would be fun to see what he can do....but, I suspect the wear and tear of the hits are to much.  Preseason will tell.  If the Bills got a roster exemption in the regular season for him, I would favor giving him a shot.  Jacksonville becones.....as the London games will need a local fav to sell out.  He fits that bill.

[Purplebulldog]

yawn

[LeGOATski]

Don't think so, but it'd be a great story. 0-25%

[TBBills]

I thought he had that gig hosting the show. Don't think he needs to be on the 53 for that.

 

[CSBill]

I was just thinking, here we are half way through March and no Christian Wade thread. 

[Beast]

No.

[White Linen]

Antonio Williams showed a heck of a lot more "flashes" than Wade.

[machine gun kelly]

He seems like a nice kid.  I don’t think he makes it, like Jasper, and others, but I’ll root for him.  I really want to be wrong.  The kid has grit.  It’s not like the team doesn’t want him.  Sounds silly, but they put him in their little promo song for 12 days Xmas.  A little thing, but that tells me they really want him to win.  It’s just such a hard leap to get American football in two years.

[Locomark]

His elusiveness and speed is positive but a rugby player never learns to field high floating punts under duress so I would never roll the dice on this... 

[gonzo1105]

1%

[Wizard]

No. However, if we are going to go outside the box, we might as well get Usian Bolt (not Marquise Goodwin) or whomever is the top sprinter in the world. 😀

[Mr. WEO]

I don't understand why they need him. 

 

This is the 3rd off season in a row where he would be a "good story"?

[Beerball]

71% is pretty resounding. The last time 71% of the people here agreed on something was...never.

[benderbender]

There has to be a reason he’s been occupying a PS spot. McBeane and Co don’t seem to be the type to make a meaningless roster move. With as much as everyone is sucking down the process, I think there’s a plan for him.

[Shaw66]

32 minutes ago, benderbender said:

There has to be a reason he’s been occupying a PS spot. McBeane and Co don’t seem to be the type to make a meaningless roster move. With as much as everyone is sucking down the process, I think there’s a plan for him.

He wasn't occupying a PS spot.  He is part of a special NFL program to introduce athletes to football.  Bills essentially had an extra PS spot for him, but the Bills couldn't activate him like other guys on the practice squad.   He was more like an intern, following the players around and trying to play the game.   

[klos63]

9 hours ago, Rhode Island Red said:

For purposes of this poll, I choose to be as optimistic as possible!

 

He’s talented out the wazoo, an exemplary teammate, and a great breakfast emcee; how can he miss?!

 

besides, if he does put it all together I want to be on the list of those that said he would…fatalism be d@@@ed...

If he was 'football' talented out the wazoo, he'd be playing. He's not.

[benderbender]

36 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

He wasn't occupying a PS spot.  He is part of a special NFL program to introduce athletes to football.  Bills essentially had an extra PS spot for him, but the Bills couldn't activate him like other guys on the practice squad.   He was more like an intern, following the players around and trying to play the game.   

I understand that it was an extra spot, but it still doesn’t follow their m.o. If there was no smoke and no fire, I’d think that they’d clap him on the back last year and say “thanks for hanging out,” and wish him cheerio on his trip back over the pond instead of stringing him along. That’s all. I am biased, I’ll admit. I like his personality and appreciate the chance he’s taking with his career.  I’m rooting for him. 

[Bakin]

But have you seen his wife?

OMFG 

[Jpsredemption]

A nice fun story but that’s about it. 

[T master]

I'm not going to vote because i don't know what his chances are but i hope he  does he should know the offense very well now & when he has been on the field he has flashed very well i think he could be at least as good as either back they used last season .

[Shaw66]

11 hours ago, benderbender said:

I understand that it was an extra spot, but it still doesn’t follow their m.o. If there was no smoke and no fire, I’d think that they’d clap him on the back last year and say “thanks for hanging out,” and wish him cheerio on his trip back over the pond instead of stringing him along. That’s all. I am biased, I’ll admit. I like his personality and appreciate the chance he’s taking with his career.  I’m rooting for him. 

I don't think that's McD's style.  He wants to do the right thing, and if the league wants to promote this sort of experiment - or public relations gimmick, take your pick - that McD won't pull the plug early.  After all, the guy doesn't get in the way - he's just an extra body in the meeting rooms.  And, as it turned out, he came in useful running the scout team as the Lamar Jackson stand in, and probably at other times when the team was down a running back or two and needed a body to fill in.  

[Simon Says]

On 3/19/2021 at 11:46 AM, Shaw66 said:

I think you underestimate the level of his talent.   When the Bills were preparing for the Ravens, Wade was the guy who played Lamar Jackson on the scout team, because he was the only guy the Bills had with that combination of quickness and speed.   

 

The guy is really talented.   It's only a question of whether he can learn enough to play the game. 

I thought it was Ray Ray McCloud who portrayed Lamar Jackson

[John from Riverside]

I would love to see what Wade could do as a returner

[Simon Says]

On 3/19/2021 at 11:00 AM, Shaw66 said:

I keep coming back to Wade.  We saw the flashes of his talent in the 2019 preseason - he has NFL speed and escapability.   Obviously, he has zero football experience.  

 

His talents would be a great addition in the Bills' backfield, but does his inexperience make him a liability?   He has said that the hardest thing for him to learn has been blocking.  I'm sure Josh Allen loves to hear that.   

 

Bills need a punt returner and kick returner, and his skills fit there, too.   But are the Bills really going to trust him to make the right decisions on those plays?

 

Missing the 2020 preseason really hurt him.  

 

As much as I like the idea, I think he's less than 25%.

He is almost 30. By the time the game comes naturally to him,I think his skills will have diminished 

On 3/19/2021 at 12:20 PM, Shaw66 said:

I didn't know that.   That pretty much closes that door for Wade, and I'm not surprised. 

Didn't see that. McKenzie might be able to handle punts, still need someone to return kickoffs. Could be a rookie 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Georgie

[Chandler#81]

I’d love to see it. I think too much emphasis has been placed on him fully comprehending a pro playbook -and he had more than 2 years to learn it anyway. I believe he’s capable of being a very good RB -even in a limited role. The man has mad talent. How much ‘seasoning’ does a KR need? Try to follow blocks and run like Hell to the other goal line! 

[whatdrought]

His path is special teams, but I doubt that works for him. It’s a good story, but it’s hard to play in the NFL. 

[Thurman#1]

On 3/20/2021 at 12:00 AM, Shaw66 said:

I keep coming back to Wade.  We saw the flashes of his talent in the 2019 preseason - he has NFL speed and escapability.   Obviously, he has zero football experience.  

 

His talents would be a great addition in the Bills' backfield, but does his inexperience make him a liability?   He has said that the hardest thing for him to learn has been blocking.  I'm sure Josh Allen loves to hear that.   

 

Bills need a punt returner and kick returner, and his skills fit there, too.   But are the Bills really going to trust him to make the right decisions on those plays?

 

Missing the 2020 preseason really hurt him.  

 

As much as I like the idea, I think he's less than 25%.

 

 

25% sounds like the right area to me.

 

I think it's not as impossible as many people believe after two years. But it will be tough.

[skibum]

I don't see why he couldn't be a return specialist and occasional gadget player. 

[Shaw66]

37 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

25% sounds like the right area to me.

 

I think it's not as impossible as many people believe after two years. But it will be tough.

I agree.  Not quite as impossible as many people think.  

[Punching Bag]

On 3/19/2021 at 12:16 PM, dbfla10 said:

"90% of the game is half mental"

 

Well there are a lot of mental players in NFL.

[Thurman#1]

On 3/20/2021 at 2:08 AM, Shaw66 said:

I agree.  Just think about punt returns.    Just learning to judge the flight of the ball requires a lot of work, doing it from scratch.  Remember, this isn't a guy who grew up shagging fly balls like most American kids.  So, he has to learn the flight of the ball, how it curves, how to read the spin, all of that.   He has to learn to look away from the ball to gauge where the coverage is, then find the ball.  Then catch the ball under pressure, learn when to take the fair catch, learn how to play the ball close to the sideline.   Then he has to not fumble when he gets hit two seconds after catching it.   A team can tolerate maybe one mistake in any of that process a season; the rest of the time, all of that has to be done right.   I don't think that's something you just practice and learn to do without having done it under live fire.   

 

 

Rugby guys spend an awful lot of time practicing kicking and catching. The kicking is punt-style and the balls are pretty close to football-shaped. I doubt this took him more than about ten reps to say, "OK, pretty much the same." Oh, and the rugby guys also have guys running at them full-speed and hitting them after they catch it. 

 

EDIT: I see this has already been addressed, but to add on ... KRs don't have terribly technical jobs, not that much thinking to do. It's mostly instinctual avoidance of running bodies and dealing with big hits where the mistakes can be made, and those instincts he has in spades. RBs have more thinking to do, as far as hitting the right hole, but it's not the kind of thinking a QB has to do or anything. Once  you know the right hole you just have to decide whether or not the hole's there. Again, a lot of it is the instinct of running for daylight.

 

Rugby players react differently to being tackled but two years should be plenty to develop those instincts. IMO 25% is a solid guess.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Thurman#1

[Brand J]

18 hours ago, Georgie said:

I thought it was Ray Ray McCloud who portrayed Lamar Jackson

Ray Ray wasn’t with the squad. I heard it was Isiah McKenzie.

 

EDIT: yep, it was McKenzie - https://billswire.usatoday.com/2021/01/17/isaiah-mckenzie-happy-act-lamar-jackson-buffalo-bills-jerry-hughes/

[NoSaint]

On 3/19/2021 at 10:51 AM, BornAgainBillsFan said:

He'd have to WOW them again in the preseason, including seeing what he can do at PR and KR.

 

Have they announced yet whether or not there'll be a preseason?

there will be - not to be political but full vaccination will be a thing by then 

5 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

I’d love to see it. I think too much emphasis has been placed on him fully comprehending a pro playbook -and he had more than 2 years to learn it anyway. I believe he’s capable of being a very good RB -even in a limited role. The man has mad talent. How much ‘seasoning’ does a KR need? Try to follow blocks and run like Hell to the other goal line! 

we see guys step in on special teams with little to no experience there. 

[Don Otreply]

Yes, he will be our starter,  

 

 

I heard this during at high level meeting...

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

Ray Ray wasn’t with the squad. I heard it was Isiah McKenzie.

 

EDIT: yep, it was McKenzie - https://billswire.usatoday.com/2021/01/17/isaiah-mckenzie-happy-act-lamar-jackson-buffalo-bills-jerry-hughes/

I was wrong.  Thanks.

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Rugby guys spend an awful lot of time practicing kicking and catching. The kicking is punt-style and the balls are pretty close to football-shaped. I doubt this took him more than about ten reps to say, "OK, pretty much the same." Oh, and the rugby guys also have guys running at them full-speed and hitting them after they catch it. 

 

EDIT: I see this has already been addressed, but to add on ... KRs don't have terribly technical jobs, not that much thinking to do. It's mostly instinctual avoidance of running bodies and dealing with big hits where the mistakes can be made, and those instincts he has in spades. RBs have more thinking to do, as far as hitting the right hole, but it's not the kind of thinking a QB has to do or anything. Once  you know the right hole you just have to decide whether or not the hole's there. Again, a lot of it is the instinct of running for daylight.

 

Rugby players react differently to being tackled but two years should be plenty to develop those instincts. IMO 25% is a solid guess.

In his podcast interview with some guy in England, Wade said it wasn't easy learning to catch a football.  

 

I don't think the issue with punt and kick returns is that it's technical.   The issue that it is very high risk.    One mistake can be a 50-yard turnover.   It's a high-pressure, three-second-or-less play where you have to make the right decision, every time.   It's why I always breathe easy when Hyde goes back to return punts.   He has excellent hands and makes the right decision virtually all the time.   Roberts was excellent at it, too.   

 

Wade simply has never - not once - stood under a punt with even NCAA Division I players coming at him, with decisions to be made about catch or not, fair catch or not, how to play the sideline.  He didn't do it his first season, he might have done it if he had a preseason in 2020 but he didn't.   I just don't see how McD can decide to go into 2021 season taking that risk on punts.   Kickoffs, maybe, but not punts.  One turnover on punts and kickoffs is too many, two would be completely unacceptable.  

 

Now, the guy is a veteran professional athlete, and he will have had two years of various kinds of opportunities to learn the game, so maybe, just maybe he can do it.  Still, like you, I'd call no better than 25%.

[ExWNYer]

Nice guy, nice story, next to no chance of making the final roster. 25% is way too generous. He'll be 30 in May and has little to no experience playing the game. His 15 minutes are almost up. Kudos for even giving it a shot, Christian, and good luck to you.

[GunnerBill]

Sadly it remains a long shot.