Your All Time 53 Man Bills Roster…Whose on it?

[DieHardBillsFan]

10 minutes ago, Wizard said:

All great insights and points made. Thanks!

 

A couple general thoughts as I read comments.

 

1. Appreciate those who have the personal historical knowledge to give a player in the 60s, 70s, or early 80s their due as I have seen very little or bits and pieces.

 

2. Talley was unintentionally left off. My bad. He would replace Milano.

 

3. I found the notable cuts list to be getting so large and demanding that I left off or removed names from the notable list. Great counters and points in replies.

 

4. Players were not put into a depth chart, per se. I would have Cookie as my FB/3rd down option or #3 overall in his position group.

 

5. So much depth at all positions in team history, however, I honestly thought about not have a TE on my team at all. 

 

Curious to see your team and comments.

Go ahead and make the change. Just show the corrections so people see you changed it. Definitely Talley on there! Also Travis Henry over FredEx. We love him, but that would be like putting Fitz on here.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

I'd have put the guy the K gun was named for Keith McKeller on the 53, maybe cut one lineman.

 

How can you leave the legend of Kiko off the all time roster??

[chris heff]

6 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Oh man, this will be tough.  Let me give it a shot:

 

QB:  Kelly, Kemp 

RB:  Simpson, Thomas, Gilchrist

FB:  Braxton

WR:  Reed, Moulds, Butler, Diggs, Dubenion, Tasker

OL:

 

Wasn’t Gilchrist a FB?

[Kelly the Dog]

17 minutes ago, chris heff said:

Wasn’t Gilchrist a FB?

Yep. In general, in 1963 Ed Rutkowski of all people, then a rookie, was the main RB. In 64, it was Bobby Smith. Gilchrist was the fullback but the main ball carrier and threat. Just a great player.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

QB - Kelly, Allen

HB - Simpson, Thomas, McCoy, Lynch, Cribbs, Jackson

FB - Gilchrist

TE - Metzelaars, Riemersma

WR - Reed, Diggs, Moulds, Lofton, Evans, Tasker

OT - Peters, Barber, Wolford, Devlin

OG - Shaw, DeLamielleure, Richter, McKenzie

C - Hull, Wood 

 

DT - Smerlas, T. Washington, P. Washington, P. Williams

DE - Smith, Hansen, Schobel, Hughes, Williams

LB - Bennett, Talley, Spikes, Conlan

CB - White, Odomes, Clements, Winfield, Byrd, McGee

S - Saimes, Jones, Kelso, Byrd

 

K - Christie

P - Moorman

LS - Dorenbos

Edited September 6, 2021 by JohnBonhamRocks

[oldmanfan]

32 minutes ago, chris heff said:

Wasn’t Gilchrist a FB?

He and Wray Carleton flip flopped a bit.  Cookie was my Bettis type RB.

[chris heff]

5 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

He and Wray Carleton flip flopped a bit.  Cookie was my Bettis type RB.

But technically he was listed as a FB, however it was a different position in those days. Kelly the Dog is right about who the HBs were on those teams.

[oldmanfan]

1 minute ago, chris heff said:

But technically he was listed as a FB, however it was a different position in those days. Kelly the Dog is right about who the HBs were on those teams.

It’s my team, I’ll pick who I want.  I watched those teams and Cookie was a fantastic runner.

[chris heff]

3 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

It’s my team, I’ll pick who I want.  I watched those teams and Cookie was a fantastic runner.

That’s when I became a fan, Cookie was an angry runner and a big man. Jim Brown was also listed as a FB, different era.

[oldmanfan]

6 minutes ago, chris heff said:

That’s when I became a fan, Cookie was an angry runner and a big man. Jim Brown was also listed as a FB, different era.

Absolutely.  I wish some of the younger folks here would have gotten the opportunity to watch the AFL teams.

[BearNorth]

When he was so motivated Cookie was a phenomenal blocker.  Remember he was the size of most of the Offensive Tackles in the league at the time.  I remember watching him run for 243 yards in a game on a field that today would be called unplayable.

 

[sherpa]

Any list that does not have Robert James as the primo CB is not informed.

He wasn't just a shut down CB, he was a shut out CB.

Teams simply did not throw his way.

 

In my view, here are the musts:

 

Robert James

OJ Simpson

Mike Stratton

Bruce Smith

Tom Sestak

Thurman Thomas

Kelly, Josh Allen

Cookie Gilchrist

Joe DeLamielleure

Kent Hull

Billy Shaw

Andre Reed

Steve Christie

Special consideration Steve Tasker

 

Guys who have been mentioned that should not be:

Stew Barber

Don Beebe

 

Edited September 6, 2021 by sherpa

[Kelly the Dog]

6 minutes ago, sherpa said:

Any list that does not have Robert James as the primo CB is not informed.

He wasn't just a shut down CB, he was a shut out CB.

Teams simply did not throw his way.

 

In my view, here are the musts:

 

Robert James

OJ Simpson

Mike Stratton

Bruce Smith

Tom Sestak

Thurman Thomas

Kelly, Josh Allen

Cookie Gilchrist

Joe DeLamielleure

Kent Hull

Billy Shaw

Andre Reed

Steve Christie

Special consideration Steve Tasker

 

Guys who have been mentioned that should not be:

Stew Barber

Don Beebe

 

Yeah there were entire games teams didn’t throw one pass Robert James’ way. Fans around the league didn’t even know much about him because you would watch a Bills game and never hear his name mentioned. He was that good. Sucks injuries cut his career in half. 

[sherpa]

Just now, Kelly the Dog said:

Yeah there were entire games teams didn’t throw one pass Robert James’ way. Fans around the league didn’t even know much about him because you would watch a Bills game and never hear his name mentioned. He was that good. Sucks injuries cut his career in half. 

 

You must have seen those games, as I did.

As a kid, at the stadium, I would watch his matchup and they would always go to the other side of the field.

 

 

[Bob in STL]

14 hours ago, Wizard said:

With 50+ years of AFL and NFL history and probably 1,500 or so players that have represented the Bills in a game, who would be your all-time 53 man roster? You can find my attempt at building what I consider to be the best overall roster.

 

How many quarterbacks do you keep? Which great player gets left off because of positional depth? Is your team represented throughout the decades or does it represent the time you first became a fan? Curious to hear your process and all-time team!

 

Resource and Criteria

1.  I used this database to help me remember and comb through names…https://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/buffalo-bills/alltime-roster?letter=B

2.  My Criteria for choosing players was based on 4 things

• The player spent 2 or more years on the roster
• I picked players I thought would be quality players regardless of era or football rules. These players would fill their role well in any era.
• Position mattered. I was looking for my best team. I would rather have that 6th CB over say my 8th top RB in Bills history.
• I tried to look at what the player did as a Buffalo Bill and not based on what they may have done before or after their time with Bills.

 

Offense (26)

QB: Allen, Kelly

RB:  Simpson, Thomas, McCoy, F. Jackson, C. Gilchrist

WR:  Reed, Diggs, Lofton, Moulds, Evans, Beebe, Tasker

TE: Metzelaars, Riemersma
OT: Peters, Ballard, Fina, Wolford, Glenn (G/T)

OG: Joe Delamielleure, R. Brown, Shaw 

C. Hull, Wood
 

Special Teams (2)

K. Christie

P. Moorman

ST: Tasker/T. McGhee (both listed on offense or defense unit)

 

Defense (25)

DE: Bruce Smith, Paup, Hughes, M. Williams, P. Hansen

DT: S. Adams, Smerlas, K. Williams, T. Washington, P. Williams

LB: Bennett, Conlan, Fletcher, Milano, Spikes

CB/DB: N. Clements, A. Winfield, T. White, “Gilmore Girl”, T. McGhee, Odomes

FS/SS: B. Byrd, H. Jones, Poyer, Hyde

 

My Last 10 Cuts 

• Ferguson, MaGuire, Edwards, Schobel, Lynch, K. Davis, Beasley, Dawkins, Richter, M. Patton

 

Notable Defense Cuts: Handful of DB’s (tempted to keep Ko Simpson. He’s worth millions.), Cunningham, Edwards, Haslett, Guidry, Stratton, Patton, MaGuire,Dunaway, Kadish , P. C. Kelsay, Schobel, Jeffcoat

Notable Offense Cuts:

Joe Ferguson, Frank Reich, Marshawn Lynch, K. Davis, Henry, McGahee, Beasley, Owens (1 year), Watkins, K. McKellar, B. Rolle, C. Dawkins, R. McKenzie, Ritcher,  Parker, Bemiller, Grant, Morse

Notable ST Cuts: Lindell, Bass, C. Mohr

 

What’s your team all-time Bills team?
 

Let’s Go Buffalo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good effort but not enough knowkedge of the great 60’s and 70’s players.  
 

You don’t even mention Tom Sestak, the best DT in the AFL, far better than Dunaway, injuries cut his career short?  He led  our defense to two AFL championships.  
 

Corner Booker Edgerson was a shut down CB.  Butch Byrd was not a safety but George Saimes was.  No Ernie Warlich mention.   Elbert Dubenion.?   Robert James?  Ron McDole?  
 

From the 70’s what about Jerry Butler?  Better than many in later era. 

Edited September 6, 2021 by Bob in STL

[BearNorth]

Re: All time Kicker, that is a close call. Lindell played 10 seasons 152 games, made 83.3% of his FG's, and Missed ONE of his 306 XP attempts.

Christie Played 9 seasons 144 games, made 78.3% of his FG's and Missed four of 313 XP attempts.  For Lindell to be that consistent during the playoff drought is remarkable.  Tough to compare TB% on Kickoffs since the league has messed around with the kickoff spot over the years.

[Beast]

QB: Kelly, Allen

RB: Simpson, Thomas, Cribbs

FB: Gilchrist

WR: Reed, Diggs, Moulds, Dubenion, Lofton, Butler

TE: Warlick, McKeller, Metzelaars

T: Wolford, Peters, Ballard, Devlin

G: Shaw, Joe D., Brown, McKenzie

C-Hull, Montler

K- Christie

Defense to come.

 

 

 

[mannc]

16 hours ago, cwater10 said:

QB: Kelly, Allen

RB: Thomas, Simpson, Gilchrist, Cribbs

FB: Braxton

OL: Wolford, McKenzie, Dellamielliure, Shaw, Hull, Ritcher (flex G/C) Ballard

WR: Reed, Moulds, Butler, Chandler, Diggs (if eligible) , F Lewis

TE:  Metzellars, Seymour (blocking), McKellar, Rolle (red zone)

 

DL: Bruce, K Williams, F Smerlas, M Kadish, T Washington, J Hughes, P Hansen, A Schoebel

LB: Bennet, Talley, Haslett, Conlan, S Nelson, T Spikes

CB: R James, T White, N Odomes, N Clemments, A Winfield, C Romes

S:  T Greene, B Byrd, H Jones, Saimes, M Hyde (difficult cut: J Nixon)

 

P: Moorman

K: Christie

ST: Tasker

Returns: T McGee (W Francis - Practice Squad)

 

 

 

21 hours ago, Wizard said:

With 50+ years of AFL and NFL history and probably 1,500 or so players that have represented the Bills in a game, who would be your all-time 53 man roster? You can find my attempt at building what I consider to be the best overall roster.

 

How many quarterbacks do you keep? Which great player gets left off because of positional depth? Is your team represented throughout the decades or does it represent the time you first became a fan? Curious to hear your process and all-time team!

 

Resource and Criteria

1.  I used this database to help me remember and comb through names…https://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/buffalo-bills/alltime-roster?letter=B

2.  My Criteria for choosing players was based on 4 things

• The player spent 2 or more years on the roster
• I picked players I thought would be quality players regardless of era or football rules. These players would fill their role well in any era.
• Position mattered. I was looking for my best team. I would rather have that 6th CB over say my 8th top RB in Bills history.
• I tried to look at what the player did as a Buffalo Bill and not based on what they may have done before or after their time with Bills.

 

Offense (26)

QB: Allen, Kelly

RB:  Simpson, Thomas, McCoy, F. Jackson, C. Gilchrist

WR:  Reed, Diggs, Lofton, Moulds, Evans, Beebe, Tasker

TE: Metzelaars, Riemersma
OT: Peters, Ballard, Fina, Wolford, Glenn (G/T)

OG: Joe Delamielleure, R. Brown, Shaw 

C. Hull, Wood
 

Special Teams (2)

K. Christie

P. Moorman

ST: Tasker/T. McGhee (both listed on offense or defense unit)

 

Defense (25)

DE: Bruce Smith, Paup, Hughes, M. Williams, P. Hansen

DT: S. Adams, Smerlas, K. Williams, T. Washington, P. Williams

LB: Bennett, Conlan, Fletcher, Milano, Spikes

CB/DB: N. Clements, A. Winfield, T. White, “Gilmore Girl”, T. McGhee, Odomes

FS/SS: B. Byrd, H. Jones, Poyer, Hyde

 

My Last 10 Cuts 

• Ferguson, MaGuire, Edwards, Schobel, Lynch, K. Davis, Beasley, Dawkins, Richter, M. Patton

 

Notable Defense Cuts: Handful of DB’s (tempted to keep Ko Simpson. He’s worth millions.), Cunningham, Edwards, Haslett, Guidry, Stratton, Patton, MaGuire,Dunaway, Kadish , P. C. Kelsay, Schobel, Jeffcoat

Notable Offense Cuts:

Joe Ferguson, Frank Reich, Marshawn Lynch, K. Davis, Henry, McGahee, Beasley, Owens (1 year), Watkins, K. McKellar, B. Rolle, C. Dawkins, R. McKenzie, Ritcher,  Parker, Bemiller, Grant, Morse

Notable ST Cuts: Lindell, Bass, C. Mohr

 

What’s your team all-time Bills team?
 

Let’s Go Buffalo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sam Cowart (LB) is a glaring omission.  And Don Beene?  Really?

Edited September 7, 2021 by mannc

[Sherlock Holmes]

21 hours ago, Wizard said:

With 50+ years of AFL and NFL history and probably 1,500 or so players that have represented the Bills in a game, who would be your all-time 53 man roster? You can find my attempt at building what I consider to be the best overall roster.

 

How many quarterbacks do you keep? Which great player gets left off because of positional depth? Is your team represented throughout the decades or does it represent the time you first became a fan? Curious to hear your process and all-time team!

 

Resource and Criteria

1.  I used this database to help me remember and comb through names…https://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/buffalo-bills/alltime-roster?letter=B

2.  My Criteria for choosing players was based on 4 things

• The player spent 2 or more years on the roster
• I picked players I thought would be quality players regardless of era or football rules. These players would fill their role well in any era.
• Position mattered. I was looking for my best team. I would rather have that 6th CB over say my 8th top RB in Bills history.
• I tried to look at what the player did as a Buffalo Bill and not based on what they may have done before or after their time with Bills.

 

Offense (26)

QB: Allen, Kelly

RB:  Simpson, Thomas, McCoy, F. Jackson, C. Gilchrist

WR:  Reed, Diggs, Lofton, Moulds, Evans, Beebe, Tasker

TE: Metzelaars, Riemersma
OT: Peters, Ballard, Fina, Wolford, Glenn (G/T)

OG: Joe Delamielleure, R. Brown, Shaw 

C. Hull, Wood
 

Special Teams (2)

K. Christie

P. Moorman

ST: Tasker/T. McGhee (both listed on offense or defense unit)

 

Defense (25)

DE: Bruce Smith, Paup, Hughes, M. Williams, P. Hansen

DT: S. Adams, Smerlas, K. Williams, T. Washington, P. Williams

LB: Bennett, Conlan, Fletcher, Milano, Spikes

CB/DB: N. Clements, A. Winfield, T. White, “Gilmore Girl”, T. McGhee, Odomes

FS/SS: B. Byrd, H. Jones, Poyer, Hyde

 

My Last 10 Cuts 

• Ferguson, MaGuire, Edwards, Schobel, Lynch, K. Davis, Beasley, Dawkins, Richter, M. Patton

 

Notable Defense Cuts: Handful of DB’s (tempted to keep Ko Simpson. He’s worth millions.), Cunningham, Edwards, Haslett, Guidry, Stratton, Patton, MaGuire,Dunaway, Kadish , P. C. Kelsay, Schobel, Jeffcoat

Notable Offense Cuts:

Joe Ferguson, Frank Reich, Marshawn Lynch, K. Davis, Henry, McGahee, Beasley, Owens (1 year), Watkins, K. McKellar, B. Rolle, C. Dawkins, R. McKenzie, Ritcher,  Parker, Bemiller, Grant, Morse

Notable ST Cuts: Lindell, Bass, C. Mohr

 

What’s your team all-time Bills team?
 

Let’s Go Buffalo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couple notes...

 

Lindell would be my first cut. Also how do you cut Schobel and Beasley?

 

Why no Jabari Greer love?

 

You didn't roster a long snapper...

[st pete gogolak]

 

QB - Kelly, Ferguson, Kemp (not leaving off a QB who took us to back-to-back AFL Championships)(Josh will be on this list soon enough, maybe after this year.

RB - Simpson, Thomas, Cribbs

FB - Gilchrist, Braxton

WR - Reed, Dubenion, Butler, Moulds

TE - McKellar, Metzelars (what a black hole of a position) (should have drafted Gronk just to add a legitimate name to this list)

OL - Devlin, Shaw, Hull, Joe D., Ballard, Wolford, Richter, McKenzie, D. Green (I'm leaving Peters off the list for same reason as leaving Lofton and Lynch off - HOF but mostly for different teams).

 

DL - Bruce, Sestak, T. Washington, McDole, Hughes, P. Williams, Smerlas, Hansen

LB - Bennett, Stratton, Spikes, Talley, Haslett, Conlan

DB - James, Edgerson, Winfield, Clements, Saimes, T. Greene, H. Jones, Hyde

 

K - Christie

P - Moorman

LS - one of these guys can learn to snap the ball