Bills disappointed in Elam's potential to contribute this year? (unfounded internet rumor)

[Warcodered]

The signature of the guy who posted that topic is

 

Quote

"Buffalo is hard to play but not hard to beat"

 

I get the feeling they aren't beloved for their takes.

[Doc]

Just now, Scott7975 said:

They panicked?  I doubt they panicked. lol.

If you say a guy is a 1st rounder, and the only one left on your board, it's BPA.  And double bonus, at a position of need.  They only "panicking" was to make sure they got the BPA, not over-drafting him.  If people think they lied, come out and say it.  But ultimately it will depend on how he plays, not whispers at a wedding, to determine whether their evaluation was correct.

 

[HappyDays]

14 minutes ago, whorlnut said:

Benford is more proof that McD can coach up DBs.

 

I think this storyline has gotten way overblown. Benford has gotten beat plenty of times too, but because he's a 6th round pick the positives are unexpected and end up being the headline.

[Big Turk]

Well he basically played man in college and has to learn off the ball coverage...so this may be true since Bills play a lot of off ball coverage.

 

 

[whorlnut]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

Well he basically played man in college and has to learn off the ball coverage...so this may be true since Bills play a lot of off ball coverage.

 

 

Then why draft a guy that doesn’t fit the scheme?

[JDubya76]

Thad Brown said he’s a bust sooooo he’s a BUUUUST

[Big Blitz]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

Tough to trust random people on the internet but I found this story from a fan potentially concerning. The fan who wrote this has been a member of that Bills forum for 19 years, so I'm hoping he wouldn't just make this up.

 

"One of the beat writers was at a wedding I was at this past weekend. Not gonna say who. He 'says' that word around camp is that Elam isn’t anywhere near where the Bills had hoped in terms of starting week one or contributing." (link)

 

I know there have been reports that he has struggled at times, but I hadn't yet seen anything that indicates that the Bills are realizing that Elam is just not ready to contribute. Especially upsetting with reports than McDuffie has looked impressive in Chiefs camp. 

 

 

McDuffie doesn't have any real WRs to cover.

 

I'm sure he looks decent.  

Edited August 13, 2022 by Big Blitz

[Royale with Cheese]

1 minute ago, whorlnut said:

Then why draft a guy that doesn’t fit the scheme?

Because they feel he can play in any scheme and they like his potential.

[Buffalo Junction]

Not concerned yet. Rookie CBs take their lumps. That’s going to be compounded by learning on the fly against Diggs. Heck, even Gilmore looked like garbage his first four games in NE and he was a top 5-10 corner already. 

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, 34-78-83 said:

Under this regime since 2017, the only advantage the sideline reporters have over fans is the amount of visual exposure to practice. Nothing else leaks. Sideline reporters have no additional information regarding how the Bills organization feels about the development of one of their players. Period.

 

Billls were an organization bleeding information out and one of the first things Coach McD did before Beane came in as GM was tell staff that leaks would not be tolerated and be grounds for firing.  He then put some tidbits out there staged so he would know source and when he found leaks terminated staff members.  A good deal of the leaks came from locker rooms and garbage cans.  

Edited August 13, 2022 by Limeaid

[Big Turk]

11 minutes ago, whorlnut said:

Then why draft a guy that doesn’t fit the scheme?

 

Because not doing something in college does not mean he is unable to do it, simply that he wasn't asked to do it.

 

Huge difference. Scheme fit issue would be if they are asking him to do something he is not capable of doing well. Like put a 3-4DE in a 4-3 and expect great sack numbers.

 

If they feel he has the skills that would allow him to learn it and do it well then why wouldn't you draft him? Especially with how the Bills track record is with exceptional DB play from coaching them up.

Edited August 13, 2022 by Big Turk

[WotAGuy]

I heard he let this info slip between the Chicken Dance and the Electric Slide, so it seems legit to me. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

Whoever is getting upset by drunk speak at a wedding is a moron.  I'm not surprised.

 

I can see it now, idiots here are going to turn Elam into the new Edmunds every ***** time he doest have a pick 6

Edited August 13, 2022 by Dablitzkrieg

[Success]

Preseason, baby!  This is where hot takes were born.

 

[Punching Bag]

21 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

Well he basically played man in college and has to learn off the ball coverage...so this may be true since Bills play a lot of off ball coverage.

 

Yes they play a lot of off-ball coverage but they also mix it when teams have a strong WR put a DB on that player moving DB to side of field that WR is on.

[SoMAn]

I knew it. He seemed like such a suck- up at the pre-draft interview with McDermott and Beane…..Bringing his stupid notebook thinking they’d be impressed by that.  The only thing in the binder were doodles he drew at the airport. 

[YoloinOhio]

[Sierra Foothills]

52 minutes ago, whorlnut said:

They didn’t NEED to take Elam.  Benford is more proof that McD can coach up DBs. That was my argument against a first round corner and I still stand by it.

 

 

How about now?

 

35 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I think this storyline has gotten way overblown. Benford has gotten beat plenty of times too, but because he's a 6th round pick the positives are unexpected and end up being the headline.

 

Exactly.

 

Comments about training camp performance are largely based upon expectations. 

[mrags]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

 

Yeah, but they're like the non-brand name soda. Just doesnt taste the same lol.

Pibb is wayyyyyyyyyyy better than Dr Pepper 

[RiotAct]

1 hour ago, Doc said:

Let me guess, it was Thad Brown...

Dunkirk Don…

[gordong]

Sorry but I'll reserve judgement until I see him play today

[Don Otreply]

Its fun to watch posters get all worked up over a rumor from an unknown source, let the panty twisting begin…,

 

Go  Bills!!!

[The Red King]

14 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

How about now?

 

 

Exactly.

 

Comments about training camp performance are largely based upon expectations. 

 

And a burning desire to be right.  If you opposed the drafting of someone you seize anything that suggests you were right. (ref: Josh Allen)

[Big Turk]

27 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

How about now?

 

 

Exactly.

 

Comments about training camp performance are largely based upon expectations. 

 

I don't really care about what a rookie looks like in training camp or even the first part of the season. I want to see him continue to get better every week and then really start playing well around mid season...

 

Usually have a little drop off at the end of the year due to them hitting the rookie wall and their bodies not having any real break from the end of the college season to end of their first season with combine training, pro days, private workouts for various teams, rookie minicamps etc

[clayboy54]

How many drinks did the “writer” have before you spoke? And, was his name Jerry Sullivan?

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, whorlnut said:

Yeah I know. Just saying that they panicked and took him instead of trading down and picking up more picks. There were good corners in round 2 and 3. They didn’t NEED to take Elam.  Benford is more proof that McD can coach up DBs. That was my argument against a first round corner and I still stand by it.

He will be going against other professional qbs and receivers every week. They will be scouting his weaknesses and exploiting them. Don’t act like this isn’t something to be concerned about. 

Did you ever think maybe Benford came in more ready than the rest of the league thought?

It’s a lot more proof that Benford works hard and was ahead of schedule than McDermott got him ready so fast 

 

And it’s about who is the best player in four years not in TC… Elam Wouldn’t be the first High pedigree guy to struggle early … and benford Isn’t the first late rounder to play well early 

Development rate is not the same for all players

 

[Simon Says]

So...why share an unfounded internet rumor? The BS continues? Little  faith in unnamed sources. 

[YoloinOhio]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

Tough to trust random people on the internet but I found this story from a fan potentially concerning. The fan who wrote this has been a member of that Bills forum for 19 years, so I'm hoping he wouldn't just make this up.

 

"One of the beat writers was at a wedding I was at this past weekend. Not gonna say who. He 'says' that word around camp is that Elam isn’t anywhere near where the Bills had hoped in terms of starting week one or contributing." (link)

 

I know there have been reports that he has struggled at times, but I hadn't yet seen anything that indicates that the Bills are realizing that Elam is just not ready to contribute. Especially upsetting with reports than McDuffie has looked impressive in Chiefs camp. 

Mcduffie has to cover tik tok boy for a living in practice. Will get a dose of reality here soon.

[Chandler#81]

Just now, Georgie said:

So...why share an unfounded internet rumor? The BS continues? Little  faith in unnamed sources. 

🤫

SHHH! He’s in a roll

[The Wiz]

20 minutes ago, clayboy54 said:

How many drinks did the “writer” have before you spoke? And, was his name Jerry Sullivan?

Couldn't have been Jerry, he doesn't socialize.

[DCOrange]

It's not really an unfounded internet rumor...Joe Buscaglia literally said this on the record on The Athletic podcast a day or two ago. Obviously still plenty of time for Elam to turn things around though.

Edited August 13, 2022 by DCOrange

[ColoradoBills]

Don't we have enough "concerned" fans on this board.  Do we now have to go and get some more from other boards?

 

Just Say NO.

[mjt328]

1 hour ago, whorlnut said:

Yeah I know. Just saying that they panicked and took him instead of trading down and picking up more picks. There were good corners in round 2 and 3. They didn’t NEED to take Elam.  Benford is more proof that McD can coach up DBs. That was my argument against a first round corner and I still stand by it.

 

Drafting is rarely about getting an immediate impact.  

 

Some guys come into the league more prepared/ready to play, but their ceiling is low and they don't have the talent to become great.  A perfect example is the 2017 quarterback draft class.  Baker Mayfield was very good his rookie year.  Head and shoulders above everyone else.  But within a couple seasons he was lapped by Lamar Jackson and then Josh Allen.  Those guys were raw as rookies, but had the potential to be superstars if developed correctly.  Mayfield was always going to be a mid-tier/average QB.

 

Sean McDermott has a history of coaching-up late round CBs (Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson) into solid NFL starters.  But there was always a low ceiling with those guys, and it limited our defense.  If our coach can get that kind of production out of 7th Rounders and UDFAs, then imagine what he can do with Kaiir Elam's physical talent.

 

 

[The Wiz]

8 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

Don't we have enough "concerned" fans on this board.  Do we now have to go and get some more from other boards?

 

Just Say NO.

It's always good to surround yourself with people that care. 

 

Just depends on what they care about. 

[FieldGeneral]

Remember when Mahomes threw 9 interceptions in the first few practices during his 1st year in training camp?

[Canadian Bills Fan]

[Milanos Milano]

Well it is pretty sad that a first round pick needs to wear oven mitts to keep him from grabbing WRs. Flag or burnt toast isn’t a good look. Hope he improves. 

[frostbitmic]

Not many rookie CB's are going to look good defending Stefon Diggs, who has Josh Allen throwing to him.

 

I expect a solid performance from him today.

[Kwai San]

2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

It seems we still haven’t learned that this is the most tight lipped organization in the league.  This FO and coaches don’t talk.

Thank you very much.....some of the posters here remind me of an old lady Bridge group gossiping away.....smfh.

[Airseven]

The “somebody told me” thing is silly, but these are still facts - Elam was inconsistent in college with raw, undeveloped technique. Plenty of observers weren’t thrilled with the pick. As expected, he’s struggled early in camp. He is not, and never was, dependable as an immediate starter as a rookie.