Mack Hollins in the Locker Room

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Just now, Chaos said:

To the best of my knowledge, he has never been wizarded, or played on a team with a trusted process.  You have to throw out his previous track record and realize this is a brand new Mack Hollins. 

Not sure if you’re being serious.

[billsfanmiamioh]

51 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

It’s a fake activism group that I think tries to prove how much people can be manipulated with BS

I have one of the t shirts 😂. “Bird Drones of North America”. It’s supposed to look like a field guide with a bunch of different types of birds, or excuse me, drones… 

 

https://birdsarentreal.com

Edited May 24 by billsfanmiamioh

[BuffaloBillyG]

7 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

Mack Hollins hasn't really gotten a lot of buzz around here. Many have been dismissive of him, and few people posting on here have shown any level of enthusiasm for the acquisition. Personally, I thought he was a solid pickup as a situational player, and probable replacement for Siran Neal on ST. Others expressed everything from confusion, to anger over his signing. The emojis given on the first post of the thread that announced his signing back in March offer a pretty good cross-section of the attitudes surrounding him on this forum: (1)👍, (2)🤮, (2)🙄, (3)😢, (2)😝, (1)🍺

 

But since OTAs have started, I've been struck by how much he has been talked about-- not by Bills fans (who would much rather debate the potential of Claypool and/or MVS), but by Brandon Beane, and especially Josh Allen. Josh has brought him up at least a couple times now during a press conference, and notably in the link below on NFL's Insiders, saying that he "has been such a great addition so far to that room with his mentality, his mindset is infectious to others."

 

Beane has made similar comments in response to questions that were not specifically about Hollins. In a season in which Beane has felt it necessary to add leaders to the team (with the departure of so many vets), has Hollins established himself as a near lock for the 53?

 

 

Well, due to his low cost and versatility in ST, Hollins has always been a near lock for the 53. Only ways he doesn't make it IMO are injury or Shorter showing all world abilities while Hollins face plants.

 

I do however remember a ton of talk this time last year from Beane and especially Josh about Trent Sherfield the exact same way as they are talking about Hollins now. So I'd still temper expectations for offensive productivity.

[CSBill]

5 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

I think there is some conspiracy group that believes birds are mechanical spies invading our privacy, watching us like big brother, or something.   I wonder if that is it. 
 

 

 

Well, they are, they do.

[Chaos]

18 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Not sure if you’re being serious.

I am not sure either.

[Your Brown Eye]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Mack is one of my favorite Bills and he has yet to play a game.  I laugh when people underestimate Mack.  Bills WR have a new attitude now, and we are building a bully 

 

No defensive coordinator is telling his secondary to "strap up, the Bills WR's are a bunch of bullies"...they are not trotting out 5 WRs that look like DK Metcalf

[Don Otreply]

6 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

Let’s all take a deep breath here.  Statistically, Hollins is JAG in a WR room loaded with JAGs.  

Don’t mince words tell us what you really think,,

[hondo in seattle]

I think Claypool, MVS, Hollins, and even Coleman to certain extent, all get side-eyed by a certain segment of the mafia because of Diggs's departure.  "What?  This guy is supposed to replace Diggs?"  

 

I don't expect any of them to replace Diggs.  I do hope they play up to their potential and become important role players.  

[HappyDays]

3 of the last 4 years he had 250 or less receiving yards. His career arc prior to signing with us is almost identical to Andre Holmes before he signed with us. Giving him guaranteed money is one of the weirdest signings of Beane's tenure.

 

It's really just a poor testament to the state of the WR room that he's a roster lock instead of on the roster bubble. I wish the 4th WR on our depth chart wasn't known for just his "big personality" but I've accepted it. The only thing I don't understand is why some people are trying to make him out to be more than he is?

[stevestojan]

I sees couple comments on this so thought I’d chime in: The “birds aren’t real movement” is a direct mockery of all the nutso conspiracy theories that have cropped up over the last several years. The guy who started it did such a good job making fun of people with this that some folks think it’s actually a “real” conspiracy theory (as much of an oxymoron as that sentence is). 
 

quite hilarious in my opinion. 
 

“Birds Aren't Real is a satirical conspiracy theory which posits that birds are actually drones operated by the United States government to spy on American citizens”

 

[Beck Water]

9 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

Mack Hollins hasn't really gotten a lot of buzz around here. Many have been dismissive of him, and few people posting on here have shown any level of enthusiasm for the acquisition. Personally, I thought he was a solid pickup as a situational player, and probable replacement for Siran Neal on ST. Others expressed everything from confusion, to anger over his signing. The emojis given on the first post of the thread that announced his signing back in March offer a pretty good cross-section of the attitudes surrounding him on this forum: (1)👍, (2)🤮, (2)🙄, (3)😢, (2)😝, (1)🍺

 

But since OTAs have started, I've been struck by how much he has been talked about-- not by Bills fans (who would much rather debate the potential of Claypool and/or MVS), but by Brandon Beane, and especially Josh Allen. Josh has brought him up at least a couple times now during a press conference, and notably in the link below on NFL's Insiders, saying that he "has been such a great addition so far to that room with his mentality, his mindset is infectious to others."

 

Beane has made similar comments in response to questions that were not specifically about Hollins. In a season in which Beane has felt it necessary to add leaders to the team (with the departure of so many vets), has Hollins established himself as a near lock for the 53?

 

Hollins has evidently been voted a team captain pretty much, like, everywhere he's played - including an offensive team captain on teams like the Dolphins where he primarily played ST.  Including places where he only played one year.

 

I think that says all one needs to know about how he's regarded in the locker room.

 

Edited May 24 by Beck Water

[DrDawkinstein]

8 hours ago, Brand J said:

Isn’t he the guy who doesn’t believe in birds?

 

EDIT: Just found it. He’s the guy who doesn’t believe in wearing shoes - except on the football field - and doesn’t believe in using utensils “just eat with your hands.” 
 

One of the draft prospects this year doesn’t believe in birds. How or why, I don’t know.

 

It's just a sarcastic meme "conspiracy theory" amongst the kids to show how dumb info can be spread and believed.

 

3 hours ago, Matt_In_NH said:

It’s a fake activism group that I think tries to prove how much people can be manipulated with BS

 

Yes, exactly.

[JerseyBills]

7 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

Let’s all take a deep breath here.  Statistically, Hollins is JAG in a WR room loaded with JAGs.  

Eh , we have way more depth, won't be seeing Andy Isabella getting significant reps in a divisional playoff game 

[Beck Water]

6 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

3 of the last 4 years he had 250 or less receiving yards. His career arc prior to signing with us is almost identical to Andre Holmes before he signed with us. Giving him guaranteed money is one of the weirdest signings of Beane's tenure.

 

It's really just a poor testament to the state of the WR room that he's a roster lock instead of on the roster bubble. I wish the 4th WR on our depth chart wasn't known for just his "big personality" but I've accepted it. The only thing I don't understand is why some people are trying to make him out to be more than he is?

 

It's really not.  We all know that Beane and McDermott place a high value on ST contributors - Andre Roberts, Jake Kumerow, Trent Sherfield, Siran Neal, Tyler Matakevich.  Andre' Holmes is actually a fine comparator because Holmes also made his mark in the league as a ST'er.  Andre Roberts had less than 200 receiving yards each season, for the 4 seasons before we signed him.

 

Do we really think that Beane couldn't have found a better back up LB than Matakevich or a better dime back/back up slot corner than Siran Neal?  Of course he could have, they were "roster locks" for their ST chops.

 

So no, while I don't love the state of the WR room, having Hollins considered a "roster lock" really has nothing to do with the state of the WR room and everything to do with ST.  And no, Hollins will not be the #4 WR - #5 or #6 probably, I think this is likely a year we keep 6.

 

 

[hikerprof2]

5 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

It's just a sarcastic meme "conspiracy theory" amongst the kids to show how dumb info can be spread and believed.

 

 

Yes, exactly.

So he is our anti-Rodgers, actively trolling conspiracy theorists? Excellent....we should have him on defense, then. Or maybe he can coach up Ed Oliver, so that when Ed sacks Rodgers and snaps his other ankle he can say "I just gave you the real vax, freak. Now go back to your batcave and stick your leg in the ground like a magic mushroom until it sprouts a new tendon."

[nedboy7]

Can’t wait for week one.  

[Matt_In_NH]

14 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Yes, exactly.

It is scary how manipulatable populations are!

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Well, due to his low cost and versatility in ST, Hollins has always been a near lock for the 53. Only ways he doesn't make it IMO are injury or Shorter showing all world abilities while Hollins face plants.

 

I do however remember a ton of talk this time last year from Beane and especially Josh about Trent Sherfield the exact same way as they are talking about Hollins now. So I'd still temper expectations for offensive productivity.

 

In hindsight, what Josh had to say about Sherfield during preseason seems like foreshadowning.  As I recall, it was all stuff about how he works hard and never complains. (the unstated implication might be that wasn't universally true in the WR room in 2022)

 

Last season, I thought Sherfield was an improvement over Kumerow because I thought he'd be as good on ST as Kumerow, but a better WR.  And he was - but it turned out that was too low of a bar.  I thought it was unrealistic to expect Sherfield to have the 30 reception, 417 yd season he had in Miami where he played 58% of the snaps as the #3 WR behind Waddle and Hill.  It turned out Sherfield played more offensive snaps than I thought and at critical times, due to injuries or due to Diggs taking himself out of the game or being taken out due to the package on different plays.

I think it would be totally unreasonable to expect Hollins to be as productive as he was in Las Vegas where he played 94% of the snaps on offense and was the #2 WR behind Davante Adams.  It would certainly be totally undesireable, since for Hollins to receive that much playing time would imply that the 3-4 WR ahead of him on the depth chart were struggling with injury or skill.

 

Edited May 24 by Beck Water

[HappyDays]

10 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

It's really not.  We all know that Beane and McDermott place a high value on ST contributors - Andre Roberts, Jake Kumerow, Trent Sherfield, Siran Neal, Tyler Matakevich.  Andre' Holmes is actually a fine comparator because Holmes also made his mark in the league as a ST'er.  Andre Roberts had less than 200 receiving yards each season, for the 4 seasons before we signed him.

 

Do we really think that Beane couldn't have found a better back up LB than Matakevich or a better dime back/back up slot corner than Siran Neal?  Of course he could have, they were "roster locks" for their ST chops.

 

So no, while I don't love the state of the WR room, having Hollins considered a "roster lock" really has nothing to do with the state of the WR room and everything to do with ST.  And no, Hollins will not be the #4 WR - #5 or #6 probably, I think this is likely a year we keep 6.

 

 

 

WR is too valuable a position to keep 1 of 6 roster spots for just special teams when the top of the depth chart is well below average. Andre Roberts was our special teams ace when we had three legit starters above him on the depth chart. And we are an injury away from Mack Hollins playing real snaps in a playoff game like Trent Sherfield did last year.

[Beck Water]

8 hours ago, Brand J said:

Isn’t he the guy who doesn’t believe in birds?

 

EDIT: Just found it. He’s the guy who doesn’t believe in wearing shoes - except on the football field - and doesn’t believe in using utensils “just eat with your hands.” 
 

One of the draft prospects this year doesn’t believe in birds. How or why, I don’t know.

 

https://www.outkick.com/sports/nfl-draft-tight-end-tip-reiman-believe-birds-combine

 

Tip Reiman.

 

The bird thing was started as a parody of ridiculous conspiracy theories.  Much to the chagrin of its originator, it took off and is treated seriously by some.