Return of the Tre! (Tre White signs with the Bills)

[Maine-iac]

2 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

According to everyone's favorite website, PFF, White has a 61.1 grade for the season.  He's ranked 78th out of 167 cornerbacks.  Not a bad rank - for a backup.  

 

His grade for the Pats game was a miserable 47.8.

 

Really hoping Max heals soon and proves himself more than worthy of a 1st round pick.

 

I have fond memories of a younger Tre, with Hyde and Poyer, giving us one of the best defensive backfields in football.  Yikes, those days are gone.  

 

Speaking to this my biggest disappointment with White was largely all on one play.  He gave up 3 completions for 40 yards.  I can live with that more or less but being a veteran he needed to get his head around and make a play on the ball in the end zone.  That PI was a killer.

[2003Contenders]

5 minutes ago, Maine-iac said:

Speaking to this my biggest disappointment with White was largely all on one play.  He gave up 3 completions for 40 yards.  I can live with that more or less but being a veteran he needed to get his head around and make a play on the ball in the end zone.  That PI was a killer.

The funny thing is that PI may have inadvertently saved the day if whatever Patriots fan who was running the clock hadn't screwed the Bills over.

 

When that play was over there were 4 seconds on the clock. Say an incompletion there rather than the PI, the Pats would have undoubtedly kicked the FG there to end the half. Instead with the ball at the 1, they elected to try to score a quick TD. When the ball fell incomplete on that risky play that should have been the end of the half -- and the Pats would (and should) have felt deflated coming away with no points there. Instead, there was somehow 1 second left, which allowed them to kick that field goal. I am not sure I have EVER seen a play that took less than 3 seconds off the clock!

[Alphadawg7]

On 10/6/2025 at 10:57 PM, HappyDays said:

 

Unfortunately I think that was the plan. He was getting 1st team reps from the start of camp and even before Hairston's injury he had reportedly locked down the starting job. I think they made a bad decision bringing him back and felt that way at the time. You need to be aware of your own bad habits so that you know to avoid them. They were always going to go with the culture fit veteran who knows the defense once they gave themselves that option. He had a solid training camp against what it turns out is a well below average group of outside WRs, and they used that to convince themselves he could still play. It turns out the tape from last year didn't lie - he simply is not physically capable of playing the position anymore. He'd be a nice emergency depth option since he knows the defense but it was a big mistake to enter the season with him as the starter. And now week over week it is getting worse because offenses are identifying him as an easy target.

 

No disrespect, but I don't think they really "planned" on Tre being the starter.  They said we needed speed in our secondary, even if Tre was to prove he had something left in the tank, speed was never going to be part of what he brought to the table.  Based on everything said about Hairston, Tre, etc I think the plan was to let them legit compete in hopes that Hairston either won the job in camp or would eventually take over the job during the season. 

 

Tre getting first teams reps to start camp was not only not a surprise, but 100% what I expected as that is pretty much what they always do.  Open camp with the vet over a rookie as the starter until the rookie earns the spot.  They trusted Tre, and quite honestly, Tre had a good camp and was showing the most ready to play over Hairston.  Not like they just handed Tre the job, he legit had a better camp before Hairston got a full camp to compete due to injury.  

 

They have spoken a lot about wanting to get more speed in our secondary, so if they had their wish, it would be Hairston out there right now instead of Tre.  The unfortunate injury altered that possibility, but with him coming back, my expectation is they won't rush him in there, but I suspect we will see a lot of Hairston in the KC game with the 3 speedster WR's they have in Worthy, Brown, and Tyquan who all had sub 4.3 40's coming out of college.  

Edited 23 hours ago by Alphadawg7

[Livinginthepast]

There's lots of great feel good stories in sports about players getting a 2nd or even 3rd act after injury or being cut/traded. Maybe some of us (myself included) were hoping for a Brad Marchand of the NHL's Panthers situation where Trey comes in here as a the old vet, regains his form and mentors the young kids to a SB. Unfortunately the eye test from last year of Trey being slow, out of position and compensating with PI (with both the Rams and Ravens) is the reality of it.  Yes it was a little bit too optimistic but I am still shocked by how poor Trey has been. I have seen maybe 4-5 impressive skillful plays from him and that's it. He doesnt seem to have the instinctive ability to know where the receiver is compared to the ball and sometimes seems lost out there. Diggs ate him up.

[colin]

28 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

No disrespect, but I don't think they really "planned" on Tre being the starter.  They said we needed speed in our secondary, even if Tre was to prove he had something left in the tank, speed was never going to be part of what he brought to the table.  Based on everything said about Hairston, Tre, etc I think the plan was to let them legit compete in hopes that Hairston either won the job in camp or would eventually take over the job during the season. 

 

Tre getting first teams reps to start camp was not only not a surprise, but 100% what I expected as that is pretty much what they always do.  Open camp with the vet over a rookie as the starter until the rookie earns the spot.  They trusted Tre, and quite honestly, Tre had a good camp and was showing the most ready to play over Hairston.  Not like they just handed Tre the job, he legit had a better camp before Hairston got a full camp to compete due to injury.  

 

They have spoken a lot about wanting to get more speed in our secondary, so if they had their wish, it would be Hairston out there right now instead of Tre.  The unfortunate injury altered that possibility, but with him coming back, my expectation is they won't rush him in there, but I suspect we will see a lot of Hairston in the KC game with the 3 speedster WR's they have in Worthy, Brown, and Tyquan who all had sub 4.3 40's coming out of college.  

 

our scheme has the secondary playing much more as a unit than as individual players unless the O can isolate a corner (and it will always be tre).

 

bishop IMO is at least OK this season, tre is really bad, benford is below his average but still a flat to plus player, rapp is legit awful and scared to hit and just floats super deep, and tyron is not so good as a slot corner.

[TheBrownBear]

Hate to say it, but everyone is likely to get their wish soon. Given Tre's age, history and heavy usage it's only a matter of time before he breaks down again.

49 minutes ago, colin said:

 

our scheme has the secondary playing much more as a unit than as individual players unless the O can isolate a corner (and it will always be tre).

 

bishop IMO is at least OK this season, tre is really bad, benford is below his average but still a flat to plus player, rapp is legit awful and scared to hit and just floats super deep, and tyron is not so good as a slot corner.

yeah, what's the deal with Rapp? He was never great, but at least he used to fly around and hit aggressively. He flat out stinks now.  

[colin]

22 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

Hate to say it, but everyone is likely to get their wish soon. Given Tre's age, history and heavy usage it's only a matter of time before he breaks down again.

yeah, what's the deal with Rapp? He was never great, but at least he used to fly around and hit aggressively. He flat out stinks now.  

 

i think the concussions and such have him scared.

 

remember the non angles he took on henry in week 1?  he's just not an nfl level safety at this point.

[The Jokeman]

I'll admit Tre has been disappointing this season. But you know what he's making $2.8 million. Meanwhile the Chiefs signed Khristian Fulton for $7 million this season and he's produced 1 tackle in two games this season. Another guy that some clamored we get is Asante Samuel II who still not signed. I'm just curious that all clamored for Beane being a bad GM think of Veach's miss? 

[NoSaint]

9 hours ago, 2003Contenders said:

The funny thing is that PI may have inadvertently saved the day if whatever Patriots fan who was running the clock hadn't screwed the Bills over.

 

When that play was over there were 4 seconds on the clock. Say an incompletion there rather than the PI, the Pats would have undoubtedly kicked the FG there to end the half. Instead with the ball at the 1, they elected to try to score a quick TD. When the ball fell incomplete on that risky play that should have been the end of the half -- and the Pats would (and should) have felt deflated coming away with no points there. Instead, there was somehow 1 second left, which allowed them to kick that field goal. I am not sure I have EVER seen a play that took less than 3 seconds off the clock!

I suspect the patriots data team has more experience monitoring that and had the 4 second threshold set based on data and not whimsy

7 hours ago, TheBrownBear said:

Hate to say it, but everyone is likely to get their wish soon. Given Tre's age, history and heavy usage it's only a matter of time before he breaks down again.

yeah, what's the deal with Rapp? He was never great, but at least he used to fly around and hit aggressively. He flat out stinks now.  

tnat said, he’s injured fewer teammates too

 

whats the net gain/loss on him being a little softer but us being healthier?

[Simon]

19 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

when the season started, he'd get more and more reps until he got his proverbial sea legs under him and ultimately move White to the bench. Especially now with how bad he's playing.

 

He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day vs NE but up until last weekend he'd been OK in coverage. Not great, but solid enough. And he'd been outstanding in run support, waaaaaay better than any of us had any right to expect from him.

Folks using him as some kind of whipping boy and ragging on him to be cut are saying much more about themselves than they are about how Tre White is actually playing.

[julian]

58 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day vs NE but up until last weekend he'd been OK in coverage. Not great, but solid enough. And he'd been outstanding in run support, waaaaaay better than any of us had any right to expect from him.

Folks using him as some kind of whipping boy and ragging on him to be cut are saying much more about themselves than they are about how Tre White is actually playing.

I think fans have every right to want him cut, it’s not a shot at Tre White the human being. Fans love Tre for what he’s meant for past Bills teams,  but if his roster spot can be upgraded then I believe it’s a justified desire.

 

 I’m not screaming for him to be cut, but I definitely want an upgrade at that spot ASAP, that might not be possible unfortunately.

[Sierra Foothills]

12 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

According to everyone's favorite website, PFF, White has a 61.1 grade for the season.  He's ranked 78th out of 167 cornerbacks.  Not a bad rank - for a backup.  

 

His grade for the Pats game was a miserable 47.8.

 

Really hoping Max heals soon and proves himself more than worthy of a 1st round pick.

 

I have fond memories of a younger Tre, with Hyde and Poyer, giving us one of the best defensive backfields in football.  Yikes, those days are gone.  

 

 

Apparently I'm the only one on the entire board who doesn't think Tre has been bad.

 

With maybe one exception, the only plays I recall him being beat on this year were plays were there was no pressure on the QB and he had to man cover for an extended period of time, which is a losing proposition for any CB. There were a few plays against Miami where he was in an impossible situation,, trying to stay with Waddle on crossers with plenty of traffic.

 

Feel free to flame away.

 

Just know that I'm not gonna debate anyone.

 

Everyone can believe what they want... as will I.

 

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

Apparently I'm the only one on the entire board who doesn't think Tre has been bad.

 

With maybe one exception, the only plays I recall him being beat on this year were plays were there was no pressure on the QB and he had to man cover for an extended period of time, which is a losing proposition for any CB. There were a few plays against Miami where he was in an impossible situation,, trying to stay with Waddle on crossers with plenty of traffic.

 

Feel free to flame away.

 

Just know that I'm not gonna debate anyone.

 

Everyone can believe what they want... as will I.

 

 

Sierra, you're an intelligent poster and I usually agree with you.  But not here.  

 

According to one source, opposing QBs have a 121.9 quarterback rating when targeting whoever Tre is covering.  If I'm a QB and I need a third-down conversion, I'm throwing to Tre's guy.  

 

Maybe Tre's dealing with something and will improve as the season progresses?  I doubt if that's the case, but as a Bills fan, I can only fill my days with hope.  

[buffaloaggie]

9 hours ago, Simon said:

 

He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day vs NE but up until last weekend he'd been OK in coverage. Not great, but solid enough. And he'd been outstanding in run support, waaaaaay better than any of us had any right to expect from him.

Folks using him as some kind of whipping boy and ragging on him to be cut are saying much more about themselves than they are about how Tre White is actually playing.

I also have been surprised at his run support, but folks treating him as a whipping boy pales in comparison to offenses targeting whoever Tre covers. Injuries have obviously reduced his tread wear. He's not a starting caliber for the NFL, but Max's injury has exposed Tre's wear and tear again, and other teams know. 

[Mister Defense]

11 hours ago, Simon said:

 

He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day vs NE but up until last weekend he'd been OK in coverage. Not great, but solid enough. And he'd been outstanding in run support, waaaaaay better than any of us had any right to expect from him.

Folks using him as some kind of whipping boy and ragging on him to be cut are saying much more about themselves than they are about how Tre White is actually playing.

 

But he looked very bad against Miami too, though he had some good plays. The pattern this year it seems.

 

He looks like he cannot run or move, twist and turn..., with wide receivers now, in general.

 

He seems to be the weakest link on the defense, and gives up conversions too often. He has excellent technique but that often does not matter if he cannot keep up with the players he is covering.

 

He looks like he did last year when playing for the other two teams, some good plays but too many bad plays to be a viable NFL corner now, a starter or a backup.

 

If he was a weak running back, that is different.  That would mean he is getting fewer yards per carry than others. But as a weak NFL corner, it means he can give up big, important plays, conversions, touchdowns on a fairly consistent basis.

 

If I was an offensive coordinator and need an important play, I would definitely target White.  And likely be rewarded for this choice.

 

I think Tre White should not be playing for the Bills now, as he is a liability and will cost the Bills games going forward, as his weaknesses are going to be obvious to all  offensive coordinators now. He was one of my favorite Bills in this era. It would be awful to see him embarrass himself and also cost Bills' games, as that may be our lasting impression of a once excellent player.

 

 

 

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

22 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Not sure if it was this thread or others but when they kept saying Coleman was having a good camp, the highlights were him beating White. Some of us pointed out that was a red flag that White was terrible and couldn't even cover a guy that can't seperate from anyone. We were right on both accounts. 

I think that about sums it up E in C.  What does that say about our management and coaching staff bringing back a CB that plays like he is well into his 40's, that was let go by 2 good organizations after last season?  And not being able to cover a WR that can't get separation from anyone he plays against when running routes.  You could see in the first preseason game against the Giants how far off the line of scrimmage he was playing when he was in the game.  What are the Bills thinking??!!  That's not how to build a Super Bowl roster!!

 

I like the grit that Coleman seems to show.  And he has made some plays.  (a few nice TD receptions)  But anything down the field near the boundary he has no chance to make the catch.  I just don't understand if he has such problems getting any separation, what we saw in Keon to make him a very high second round pick when we were in desperate need of a big time WR.  He has the athletic skills of a 4th or 5th round pick.  He has some size.  But so does Tyrell Shavers and he was undrafted..

 

I would run Coleman on some crossing patterns in the middle of the field, or some intermediate post or comeback type routes, where he can shield the defender with his bigger body type.  But sending him down the boundary.  He can barely get his hands on the ball w the DB in his jock.  

[TheFunPolice]

He hasn't been that bad, he just isn't elite anymore due to injuries.

 

But Tre can help out on D and be a solid rotational player if we can get some DBs healthy. That was supposed to be his role.