The Christian Wade experiment

[jimmy10]

1 hour ago, The Jokeman said:

Clearing up a roster spot for who? Let the rumors begin.

I’m still holding out hope for John Skelton. 

[transient]

[Simon Says]

1 hour ago, The Jokeman said:

My comment was steeping with sarcasm. 

Kwame Cavil is still waiting for his chance.

So was mine. 

[Don Otreply]

2 hours ago, Success said:

As long as Da'Rick is still on the roster....

And Duke, damn it! 

[Pirate Angel]

4 hours ago, Warcodered said:

I mean it's not surprising they'd let him go, it just seems kind of random at the moment, like why now specifically.

Most likely they're going to sign/draft rbs, we dont have a established starter so they'll make.it a competition 

[BillsfaninChicago]

He belongs on the preseason message board heroes Mount Rushmore along with Michael Jasper, Da’Rick Rogers, and Martin Nance!

Edited April 2, 2022 by BillsfaninChicago

[astb41]

After the 30 for 30 on why Duke Williams didn’t get more playing time for the Bills, the Christian Wade story is the next episode I want to see.

[sirebors]

Alas poor Yorick, We Hardly Knew Thee

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by sirebors

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

I honestly hope Wade does get an opportunity somewhere in the NFL.....great story

 

I think I saw an article about him recently, where he was talking about looking for the next phase of his life and what it would be.  This was a month or two ago - so it sounded like he was planning to move on to new endeavors well before this.

 

Edit: here it is.  From mid-March:

Quote

Though currently injured, he has enjoyed the experience: “My time with the Bills has been a whirlwind of emotions and I’ve built some great relationships and memories with players, staff, and coaches.”

But NFL was more different from rugby than he expected: “You can sit in meetings all day. The attention to detail is crazy but necessary and a big adjustment for me, as rugby doesn’t have extensive playbooks to learn and most of the gameplay is free flowing.

“Life in the US has also been great – like a home away from home. I’m very privileged to have a wife who was born and raised in Queens, New York.”

The lady in question is Lisa Ramos, who shot to fame on the hit US show America’s Next Top Model.

As Wade begins to prepare for life beyond sport, he spoke warmly of their relationship: “Lisa supports me in everything I do and it’s been a load off my back to have her by my side as I look to move into other things.

“My first love is music and while I grew up in the UK and now live in the US, I can also draw on a plethora of genres from our family roots in the Caribbean – mum’s family is from St Vincent and The Grenadines, while dad’s come from Anguilla and Montserrat.”

An accomplished drummer, who also helped younger brother Adam, 26, establish a successful career as a professional drummer – he plays for singer songwriter Craig David who tours the UK in April – Wade has now launched a company Next Generation Collective to create a performance events platform for new music talent.

 

He didn't explicitly say that he was moving on from NFL football, but it mentioned touring as a drummer in April (when OTAs are starting up) and talked about "as I look to move into other things"

[wppete]

Really hope he finds a team and gets to play this year in a meaningful way. All the best to him. 

[BuffaloBill]

13 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

The Brits reacted with understood ire:

 

 

 

Is it 1812? 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

6 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I think I saw an article about him recently, where he was talking about looking for the next phase of his life and what it would be.  This was a month or two ago - so it sounded like he was planning to move on to new endeavors well before this.

 

Edit: here it is.  From mid-March:

 

He didn't explicitly say that he was moving on from NFL football, but it mentioned touring as a drummer in April (when OTAs are starting up) and talked about "as I look to move into other things"

Bass guitar, too.  Watch out Draconator, the name draw of an ex Bill might result in you being 'Peter Best-ed'! 😁

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[CSBill]

13 hours ago, JohnNord said:

The best was when the Bills run game sucked and fans called for the Bills to start Wade.  He wasn’t even eligible!

 

What???? He wasn't eligible? Can you explain?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 minute ago, CSBill said:

 

What???? He wasn't eligible? Can you explain?

He was on 'double secret probation'.

[Mr. WEO]

Certainly one of the more bizarre Bills roster moves (keeping this guy around so long) in memory. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Vague Title 

 

put the man’s name in it

 

How soon before the Putz grab him 

[benderbender]

The experiment is over. Can’t help feeling underwhelmed. Would really like to know what really happened.

 

[Don Otreply]

We likely will never know, but on the bright side, he pocketed a few hundred thousand dollars to work out, so it was a really good gig for him. 

[Green Lightning]

There's more than running to play running back in the NFL.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Green Lightning

[GunnerBill]

Just now, Don Otreply said:

We likely will never know, but on the bright side, he pocketed a few hundred thousand dollars to work out, so it was a really good gig for him. 

 

And his fiance (maybe now wife?) is American so I imagine riding the last two years out with her in the States was preferable to a long distance relationship from London.

[MasterStrategist]

15 minutes ago, benderbender said:

The experiment is over. Can’t help feeling underwhelmed. Would really like to know what really happened.

 

Wasn't his "free" international player designation over?  Not sure there is much to uncover....he is a talented athlete but FO didn't see enough to let him be part of the 90 heading to camp.  Pretty simple.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

20 minutes ago, benderbender said:

The experiment is over. Can’t help feeling underwhelmed. Would really like to know what really happened.

 

I had a thread this AM too until I saw one CLEARLY misleading 

 

It's the end of an era
 

The search feature doesn’t read Tweets 

 

[JGMcD2]

BUST.

 

 

Just now, JGMcD2 said:

BUST.

 

 

Only kidding. A player who is a wild card like this can never be a bust… it’s like a 7th round pick. They can’t be a bust. 
 

 

[Freddie's Dead]

COVID happened.  No preseason in 2020, then the injury last year did him in.  I hope he catches on somewhere, dude got skeels.

 

[Jay_Fixit]

Just now, Freddie's Dead said:

COVID happened.  No preseason in 2020, then the injury last year did him in.  I hope he catches on somewhere, dude got skeels.

 

Sure he does. Just not football skills.

Covid and injury had nothing to do with him not making the team.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

3 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

COVID happened.  No preseason in 2020, then the injury last year did him in.  I hope he catches on somewhere, dude got skeels.

 

He definitely has skeels. Rugby skeels. 

[Rocky Landing]

Christian Wade, Efe Obada, Duke Williams-- I'm a sucker for these "feel good" stories. I root for them, follow them on social media, talk about them around the craft service table, hoping... but they never seem to work out.

 

So, who's the underdog story going to be this season? (Please don't tell me Isaiah Hodgins. I'm bored already...)

[Sierra Foothills]

10 hours ago, wppete said:

Really hope he finds a team and gets to play this year in a meaningful way.

 

Even if he doesn't want to play football anymore?

 

Do you also want him incarcerated in a labor camp?

 

🤪

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

And his fiance (maybe now wife?) is American so I imagine riding the last two years out with her in the States was preferable to a long distance relationship from London.

Apparently, she now is his wife, so he got US citizenship, which means he can stay in the US.  

 

I thought his comments about how difficult is were interesting.   The details he had to master overwhelmed him - in rugby, you just have to know the rules and go play, and he had the athletic ability to do that.   In football, he was way behind the curve, and couldn't catch up.  

 

If you think about it, college basketball players who become tight ends are about the only athletes who make it in pro football without having played football through high school and college.  Even someone like Marquise Goodwin, who split his time between football and track, always struggled with being a fully-developed football player.  

 

Playing at the NFL level is much more specialized than it looks to us, just sitting in front of the TV.  

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

Apparently, she now is his wife, so he got US citizenship, which means he can stay in the US.  

 

I thought his comments about how difficult is were interesting.   The details he had to master overwhelmed him - in rugby, you just have to know the rules and go play, and he had the athletic ability to do that.   In football, he was way behind the curve, and couldn't catch up.  

 

If you think about it, college basketball players who become tight ends are about the only athletes who make it in pro football without having played football through high school and college.  Even someone like Marquise Goodwin, who split his time between football and track, always struggled with being a fully-developed football player.  

 

Playing at the NFL level is much more specialized than it looks to us, just sitting in front of the TV.  

 

There are guys who have made it, but it is exceptionally difficult to transition to American Football. Especially as late in your career as Christian was trying to. He faced an uphill battle from the start but curtailed pre-season and camp arrangements because of covid definitely reduced his already minimal chance to zero. Still, he will always have that pre-season touchdown from a few years back to cherish. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Fair to wonder if he would have provided more than Moss these last two seasons and going forward. I'm not sure he was even eligible to play though these last two seasons?

Edited April 2, 2022 by Sammy Watkins' Rib

[Shaw66]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

There are guys who have made it, but it is exceptionally difficult to transition to American Football. Especially as late in your career as Christian was trying to. He faced an uphill battle from the start but curtailed pre-season and camp arrangements because of covid definitely reduced his already minimal chance to zero. Still, he will always have that pre-season touchdown from a few years back to cherish. 

Sports Illustrated did an article a month or two ago about all the guys (about 10) whose entire NBA career consisted of playing one game and recording no stats.   Signed to a 10-day contract, get into one game at mop-up time, ran up and down the floor a few times, and soon were out of the league.  As you say, Wade had two nifty runs and a touchdown.  I would like to have been in his skin for those moments. 

[Milanos Milano]

Dude could run, sadly when we draft runners like Moss, things like this are questionable. Maybe Wade just couldn’t learn the nuances. Wade is a much better runner than Moss or even Singletary. Sad. Hope some other club picks him up. 
 

I would have much rather have kept Wade than Moss. But we know Beane wouldn’t do that because of ego and where he drafted Moss would be admitting to a mistake. 

[bigK14094]

Great athlete but his lack of football experience could not be overcome on a practice squad, even for three years.  You gotta play to know the game.

[skibum]

Bummer. I'm such a homer, I was holding out hope that he would be the secret weapon this year. 

[BillsBlue]

GIBRAN HAMDEN

[Milanos Milano]

4 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

Fair to wonder if he would have provided more than Moss these last two seasons and going forward. I'm not sure he was even eligible to play though these last two seasons?

Without a doubt he would offer more than Moss. The only reason Moss is being kept over Wade is because we wasted a draft pick on the bum. 

[richardb1952]

I hope he goes home to England and writes a book about his experiences playing NFL Football.  I think it could be fascinating from the English perspective.

[DapperCam]

Such a weird situation. I guess he just never really showed enough to crack the training camp roster? 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

On 4/1/2022 at 5:06 PM, HappyDays said:

 

 

Dont know why this guy couldn't make the field, he clearly had elite athletic talent and could have been the fast back we need for explosive plays. I wish him the best of luck wherever he goes.