Marcell Dareus at Ravens camp

[Augie]

3 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

The Derrick Coleman of the NFL.  HOF talent, Hall of Shame desire.

 

Wouldn’t it absolutely SUCK if something clicked and he became the player he was capable of being? On the Ravens???

 

 

Yeah, I’m not too worried about it either. 

[RocCityRoller]

1 hour ago, Rigotz said:

It's sad to see this guy turn into a punchline.

Clearly he still loves some of our favorite players and he had all the talent in the world.

 

Try not to forget:

- His brother was murdered during Dareus's time on the Bills.

- His father died when he was 6.

- His mother was too sick to care for him and his siblings, so he lived with his coach, who was later killed in a car crash.

- His mother then died when he was 20.

 

It's tough not to hate him after he underperformed such a big contract, but the guy had a tough life and it clearly got the best of him. Important to keep that in mind, because I'm only seeing fat jokes and hate in the thread.

 

 

This is all true, and people have been broken by less. As a person, I sympathize with him.

Separating the human being and the player is always tough.

I feel Seantrell Henderson and even Cole Beasley have been unfairly caught in the TBD/TSW sniper fire.

 

That all said, it is not like he was left on his own in Buffalo.

The Bills acknowledged his losses and tried to help. A lot of employers to everyday people do a lot less.

 

Buffalo took him in the 1st before everyone else, clearly wanted him.

They stood by him during his off field issues and losses

Buffalo offered him professional mental health services free of charge, when things started spiraling. He said what he needed to, to get paid but never went.

Kyle Williams personally tried to be a Big Brother and mentor

Got a $100M 2nd contract, despite everything known behind closed doors, and up and down production, and chose to loaf/ refuse help

 

Despite all of that he had a second chance in Jacksonville.

Buffalo traded him in 2017. It is all conjecture, but Buffalo did trade him to one of the closest teams in the South to what remained of his base at home.

in 2018 he had 2 sexual assault charges (Civil) - including a claim he gave a woman Herpes

After 2019 he was out of the league.

 

A lot of people deal with a lot of terrible things in life. You may be surprised the things some people on this board have been able to overcome.

Loss ends up being a big part of all people's lives. Some folks face it earlier than others, or in concentrated clusters.

MD faced a lot of loss in a very short span, early in life, and I can sympathize with that.

 

Maybe MD was too young/ proud/ hurt at the moment to take the help offered. He would not be the first man to do so and he won't be the last.

But at some point a person is responsible for their own actions.

No one is laughing at his losses, just his poor decisions and their outcomes.

 

As much as I laugh along, a part of me does hope he has a redemption lap. Even my thoughts about Ryan Leaf have changed.

Given his history you can understand why people are skeptical.

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

lol,   Then the NFL throughout it's history has been littered with guys who had "HOF talent".....for a season or 2.  He averaged 7 sacks a season over his 4 best seasons.  

 

 

Which is pretty high level production for a 3 tech in fairness. And he played a combo of 3T and 1T. The talent was there. The want to was not.

[Freddie's Dead]

20 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Wouldn’t it absolutely SUCK if something clicked and he became the player he was capable of being? On the Ravens???

 

 

Yeah, I’m not too worried about it either. 

 

Seriously, if he's got it together, more power to him.  The odds are definitely against him.

[Matt_In_NH]

They are giving away sailor hats

[aristocrat]

Dude made 90 mil what’s he doing trying to play again at 32? 

[benderbender]

Oh sure, he was so trash. But we still wanted Gilmore, right? We all squared our ill feelings with him when he was available. Was there even a Gronk thread? I don't recall...

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, BillsMafi$ said:

 

 

Doing what?

 

1 hour ago, RocCityRoller said:

A lot of people deal with a lot of terrible things in life. You may be surprised the things some people on this board have been able to overcome.

Loss ends up being a big part of all people's lives. Some folks face it earlier than others, or in concentrated clusters.

MD faced a lot of loss in a very short span, early in life, and I can sympathize with that.

 

Maybe MD was too young/ proud/ hurt at the moment to take the help offered. He would not be the first man to do so and he won't be the last.

But at some point a person is responsible for their own actions.

No one is laughing at his losses, just his poor decisions and their outcomes.

 

This

 

I remember at one point it was reported that Marcell Dareus had left the team to go into some kind of rehab

Then IIRC he was pictured night-clubbing on Chippewa in his Captain's Hat and it turned out he'd visited with Bruce Smith for a bit

 

No rehab, no focused effort

 

As you say - at some point a person is responsible for their choices and actions

 

A lot of these guys come from rough backgrounds and have a lot of loss and trauma around them as they are growing up and afterwards.  I don't say that to minimize MD's tragedies but just to put in perspective

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, mikemac2001 said:

Would Mcbeane draft this guy?

 

I say no way and that’s why I trust their judgement 

 

PS he was having a good time after the falcons road game 4-5 years back and seemed like a good guy “was wearing his captain hat” great day

No way McBeane draft him.  No way.  I say that because they wouldn't have identified in his past sufficient evidence that he had the work ethic, the burning competitiveness and the team values that McBeane demand.   I think McBeane rarely take guys who need to learn these behaviors.  

[John from Riverside]

Is he wearing that cool sailor hat?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

3 hours ago, BUFFALOBART said:

He'll get a free Captain's cap, for showing up....

🎶 Love...love will keep us together...🎵

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Which is pretty high level production for a 3 tech in fairness. And he played a combo of 3T and 1T. The talent was there. The want to was not.

Do, or no do.  There was often no try.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[RocCityRoller]

19 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

I remember at one point it was reported that Marcell Dareus had left the team to go into some kind of rehab

Then IIRC he was pictured night-clubbing on Chippewa in his Captain's Hat and it turned out he'd visited with Bruce Smith for a bit

 

No rehab, no focused effort

 

As you say - at some point a person is responsible for their choices and actions

 

A lot of these guys come from rough backgrounds and have a lot of loss and trauma around them as they are growing up and afterwards.  I don't say that to minimize MD's tragedies but just to put in perspective

 

I forgot about that. 100% correct. He was supposed to be in a rehab/ counseling situation and was out partying in Buffalo after some time away. I don't recall the Bruce Smith connection though. I do know Kyle Williams tried to help him. If it was Kyle and Bruce even worse. Imagine being HOF DE Bruce Smith and getting played by Dareus as an alibi? No wonder Bruce is largely 'hands off' the current team.

 

That is when the sailor hat when from quirky to hated.

[Apocalypse Nuts]

1 hour ago, RocCityRoller said:

 

This is all true, and people have been broken by less. As a person, I sympathize with him.

Separating the human being and the player is always tough.

I feel Seantrell Henderson and even Cole Beasley have been unfairly caught in the TBD/TSW sniper fire.

 

That all said, it is not like he was left on his own in Buffalo.

The Bills acknowledged his losses and tried to help. A lot of employers to everyday people do a lot less.

 

Buffalo took him in the 1st before everyone else, clearly wanted him.

They stood by him during his off field issues and losses

Buffalo offered him professional mental health services free of charge, when things started spiraling. He said what he needed to, to get paid but never went.

Kyle Williams personally tried to be a Big Brother and mentor

Got a $100M 2nd contract, despite everything known behind closed doors, and up and down production, and chose to loaf/ refuse help

 

Despite all of that he had a second chance in Jacksonville.

Buffalo traded him in 2017. It is all conjecture, but Buffalo did trade him to one of the closest teams in the South to what remained of his base at home.

in 2018 he had 2 sexual assault charges (Civil) - including a claim he gave a woman Herpes

After 2019 he was out of the league.

 

A lot of people deal with a lot of terrible things in life. You may be surprised the things some people on this board have been able to overcome.

Loss ends up being a big part of all people's lives. Some folks face it earlier than others, or in concentrated clusters.

MD faced a lot of loss in a very short span, early in life, and I can sympathize with that.

 

Maybe MD was too young/ proud/ hurt at the moment to take the help offered. He would not be the first man to do so and he won't be the last.

But at some point a person is responsible for their own actions.

No one is laughing at his losses, just his poor decisions and their outcomes.

 

As much as I laugh along, a part of me does hope he has a redemption lap. Even my thoughts about Ryan Leaf have changed.

Given his history you can understand why people are skeptical.

I do believe @RocCityRoller might be a true empath.  What amazing insight to share with us.  As a person living with bipolar disorder 1 myself, I can identify with lots of these knuckleheads in so many ways but it’s a truly amazing gift to be able to express difficult and complicated things in this way.  I really appreciate these thoughts.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Which is pretty high level production for a 3 tech in fairness. And he played a combo of 3T and 1T. The talent was there. The want to was not.

 

Talented for sure.  All Pro talent.

 

"HOF talent" gets tossed around as though it is a dominant trait though.  Even at that 2 year year stretch, it's hard to imagine he would be a HOFer after a 10 year (say), given how limited low population is in that group for his position. 

[purple haze]

Why all the bitterness toward the man?  

 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep up the internal drive necessary to reach his full potential on the football field.  He moved on a long time ago.   Some Bills fans should do the same.  I wish him well in life, and look forward to the Bills 2022 season.

  

[TuelTime]

I miss watching that DLine of Mario, Kyle, Marcel, and Jerry.. It's a shame that defense could never stop QBs who got the ball out quick.

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

I guess being the Captain of the  S. S. Minnow wasn’t as lucrative as thought it would be.

[RocCityRoller]

41 minutes ago, Apocalypse Nuts said:

I do believe @RocCityRoller might be a true empath.  What amazing insight to share with us.  As a person living with bipolar disorder 1 myself, I can identify with lots of these knuckleheads in so many ways but it’s a truly amazing gift to be able to express difficult and complicated things in this way.  I really appreciate these thoughts.

 

Thank you Apocalypse. I am humbled.

 

I think someone has to be there personally or with family/ friends to get it.

Good luck to you on the day to day.

 

I used to joke that:
My dad has Bipolar 1 and a dose of PTSD from Vietnam for spice

My sister is Bipolar 1 with psychotic episodes

All of this depressed my mom

I am the loser in my family who had to pay off a psychology degree 🤣

 

That was before dealing with my own issues.

My best friends and loved ones outside of my family never let me use my issues or background as an excuse for poor behavior.

They expected better from me. Eventually you learn who really loves you, and don't want to let them down.

The real breakthrough is when you learn to love yourself, and hold yourself to a higher standard.

 

At some point the empathy that enables someone to continue a pattern of self destructive behavior is no longer compassion.

 

Rock bottom sucks, but for those who can be helped, it is a real turning point.

 

Thank you again for your post.

[BobbyC81]

6 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

 

It's interesting that a previous poster likened Dareus to Albert Haynesworth.  It was something I thought as well, until I read this, a letter that Albert wrote to his younger self:

 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/albert-haynesworth-letter-to-my-younger-self

 

Perhaps Dareus has experienced similar issues, but he looked hungry and HOF bound until he signed that big contract.  In Albert's case, he chased the big money, then was told to "eat space" instead of going after QB.  I'm pretty sure that Marcell was not asked to change his game in any way, he just looked a man with no more desire to play football.

That’s the problem. He was always hungry.

[dpberr]

His biggest detractor was the one that stared back at him in the mirror every day.  

[Thurman#1]

9 hours ago, BillsMafi$ said:

 

 

 

I had to google it.

 

Reading this it wasn't clear if he was visiting or playing.

 

He's trying out.

 

At 32, as a player who lost his drive as a younger more capable guy, I doubt it'll work. Not impossible, though, if he's willing to accept a much much lower level of contract than he's used to.

 

If nothing else, he'd make a good lesson for the rest of the team. Here's a guy who had All Pro talent and frittered it away.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Thurman#1

[streetkings01]

He went through a lot…… man lost his mother, father, brother, grandmother and mentor(high school coach) all before the age of 26. Gotta believe something like takes a toll on you mentally and makes you lose your passion for the game. What do I know…….carry on.

 

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/bills-dareus-keeps-playing-through-life-s-losses/article_be1b05a5-f8a3-5141-9ecc-afa19476e595.amp.html

Edited May 8, 2022 by streetkings01

[wppete]

How much is he weighing these days?

[Kaenon]

9 hours ago, ChanticleerBillsFan said:

Had to look it up. He’s only 32! Crazy

Von Miller was taken one pick ahead of him in that 2011 draft. 

[Thurman#1]

2 minutes ago, streetkings01 said:

He went through a lot…… man lost his mother, father, brother, grandmother and mentor(high school coach) all before the age of 26. Gotta believe something like takes a toll on you mentally and makes you lose your passion for the game. What do I know…….carry on.

 

 

He did. That really is a very fair observation.

 

But plenty of folks respond to terrible events by working harder, by taking better control over what they do.

 

Still, you make a great point. I should try to better understand the guy.

[klos63]

9 hours ago, BTB said:

If they want to be fooled into a contract by this clown, then the joke is on them.  
 

There is no way he could have blown through all his money already, and therefore, is looking for more…is it?

This is how football players make money, by playing football.

[mikemac2001]

1 hour ago, Kaenon said:

Von Miller was taken one pick ahead of him in that 2011 draft. 

That draft sucked 

 

I wanted Peterson Or AJ green 

[Nitro]

He quit being serious about football as soon as he signed his contract with the Bills.

 

[Buffalo716]

3 hours ago, streetkings01 said:

He went through a lot…… man lost his mother, father, brother, grandmother and mentor(high school coach) all before the age of 26. Gotta believe something like takes a toll on you mentally and makes you lose your passion for the game. What do I know…….carry on.

 

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/bills-dareus-keeps-playing-through-life-s-losses/article_be1b05a5-f8a3-5141-9ecc-afa19476e595.amp.html

Anybody who bad mouths Marcel Dareus should take a look at their own life 

 

The dude went through hell and still all prod for us ... We've had much worse draft picks who never performed 

 

 And he always was a good guy in and around the town

[Nelius]

I give him credit for even being back in the mix. I've got no hate for Marcell, we're on to better things anyway. We all knew he wasn't a Hall of Famer a decade ago so I'm kind of rooting for him at this point. It really feels like an incredibly long time ago since he was a Bill, I'm surprised to see he's only 32. He hasn't played since 2019 so perhaps this means he's been improving things. I think it would be pretty cool to see him suit up again, just in terms of a life story kind of thing. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

16 hours ago, BillsMafi$ said:

 

 

Ran out of weed money

 

 

16 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Dude had HOF talent. 

 

Yeah he should have been a great one

 

 

[Beerball]

14 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

You know, I don't disagree with you, in terms of his talent and what a was it's been.  

 

But there's no shame in it, no shame at all.  What these guys do, the training, the working, the dieting, it requires significant personal discipline.  It's a bit like being in the military.  It's not for everyone, living a life with that kind of discipline.  McDermott lives that way, and he and Beane are filling the team with that kind of person, but McDermott has respect for the fact that some people simply aren't wired that way.  

So, there's no shame in completing your rookie deal showing just enough promise to sign a $95M contract know that you had no desire to continue playing with the same effort? Traded 1 season and change after signing that contract? 

 

If it wasn't for him he knew that back in college if not earlier.

 

Tub of ***** goo.

[Beerball]

Here's some expert analysis of the trade:

 

 

[Beerball]

& the trade thread

 

 

[hemma]

Always seemed like a big, uncontrollable child.

The Captain had no rudder. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

9 hours ago, streetkings01 said:

He went through a lot…… man lost his mother, father, brother, grandmother and mentor(high school coach) all before the age of 26. Gotta believe something like takes a toll on you mentally and makes you lose your passion for the game. What do I know…….carry on.

 

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/bills-dareus-keeps-playing-through-life-s-losses/article_be1b05a5-f8a3-5141-9ecc-afa19476e595.amp.html

Shows the quality of some people. They would rather talk trash about him because football. 

[eball]

1 hour ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Shows the quality of some people. They would rather talk trash about him because football. 

 

Yeah, it was obvious even back then that Marcel deserved our empathy and was likely burdened by significant mental health issues.  I blame the Bills’ FO at the time for not realizing this and dedicating significant resources to the situation (or drafting someone else).

 

I feel like if Marcel had been brought into the current Bills culture the story would have ended differently.

 

 

[Punching Bag]

18 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

You know, I don't disagree with you, in terms of his talent and what a was it's been.  

 

But there's no shame in it, no shame at all.  What these guys do, the training, the working, the dieting, it requires significant personal discipline.  It's a bit like being in the military.  It's not for everyone, living a life with that kind of discipline.  McDermott lives that way, and he and Beane are filling the team with that kind of person, but McDermott has respect for the fact that some people simply aren't wired that way.  

 

I look at the transition from college to NFL similar to high school to college.   When you get to college you set your own schedule other than required classes, have counselors with most part you can choose to ignore and when you fail you basically are out unless you choose to go to some other route like a community college which has lower standards or a private commercial college which as long as you pay they really don't care if you succeed even encouraging you to get loans which you may not be able to repay back even if you finish their curriculum.  It is all up to you, your abilities and your effort.

 

He had a lot of support in college including living at one time with one of his coaches.  When he got to NFL he got paid far more than he knew how to handle and he had lots of choices for help both from NFLPA and NFL and for most he did not take.  He knew he had issues and money for serious professional help but choose not to get it.

[Dopey]

18 hours ago, Rigotz said:

It's sad to see this guy turn into a punchline.

Clearly he still loves some of our favorite players and he had all the talent in the world.

 

Try not to forget:

- His brother was murdered during Dareus's time on the Bills.

- His father died when he was 6.

- His mother was too sick to care for him and his siblings, so he lived with his coach, who was later killed in a car crash.

- His mother then died when he was 20.

 

It's tough not to hate him after he underperformed such a big contract, but the guy had a tough life and it clearly got the best of him. Important to keep that in mind, because I'm only seeing fat jokes and hate in the thread.

 

I don't understand hating someone I don't know. Just don't get it.

[Dopey]

4 hours ago, Beerball said:

So, there's no shame in completing your rookie deal showing just enough promise to sign a $95M contract know that you had no desire to continue playing with the same effort? Traded 1 season and change after signing that contract? 

 

If it wasn't for him he knew that back in college if not earlier.

 

Tub of ***** goo.

Nope, no shame in maximizing your earnings.

The goal is to get the most money you can in this league. At least for 99% of the players, including Bates. Marcell got paid and good for him. The Bills are still making a ton of money, that contract didn't hurt the franchise. A ton of players don't make it through their first contract (injuries, etc.), he did and got offered a new contract. Again, good for him. 

IMO, people writing stuff like your last "sentence" are idiots who take this way to personal.

Tub of **** goo?!? Really?!?