Greg Rousseau has turned out to be a complete slug.

[goldenboy81]

Your kidding yourself if you think groot has had a good season. He's been a non factor for most the season 

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, goldenboy81 said:

Your kidding yourself if you think groot has had a good season. He's been a non factor for most the season 

We clearly paid him thinking he’d make a jump as a pass rusher, and just like Benford, Bernard and Shakir, that jump hasn’t come. 
 

They absolutely did not extend him at his contract to be a run defender. 
 

I guarantee you the FO is upset at the play of all 4 of these guys after getting paid, especially Benford, Bernard and Rousseau. 

[machine gun kelly]

My tune has changed in many ways on the roster and performance.  I’m really trying to remain pragmatic, but these guys are getting ridiculous.  GROOT is mediocre at best, Jones is getting old, Oliver and Hoecht are out now, Milano was my favorite player, but now is truly getting old.

 

Beane has done a p&$s poor job in finding WRs and just plain special players in multiple areas.  McD holds the final call on promoting Brady who is out of his league.  McD needs to take over the defense as Babich clearly needs help.  I’m over it.  We now have kissed the AFCE Division winners goodbye, and be on the road for maybe a wildcard win, but then lose in the divisional round AGAIN!

 

This is not a SB caliber team.  I’ve had a number of you upset with me at times for trying to see the positive, but I’ve had it.

 

At a minimum Pegula needs to force McD after the season to rehire if he wants it Daboll as OC, take over the defense, and Beane should be gone.  Anything less is window dressing. Not real change, and real change is needed.

[LarryMadman]

24 minutes ago, somnus00 said:

Teams are supposed to pay top dollar for sacks. Groot has been an elite run defender. But the current defensive unit as a whole is atrocious against the run. So he's not helping there.

 

Long story short, we paid "Batman" level money for Robin.

The only thing Rousseau has been elite at is making opposing offenses look good.

[DCOrange]

33 minutes ago, MPL said:

I believe teams are running away from Rousseau because the interior DL is getting blown off the ball and Bosa has struggled all year to set the edge on runs. Rousseau has actually saved quite a few runs from being explosive plays because he crashed down on the backside and stopped it for a 1 or 2 yard gain when it likely would have gone for a house call. 

I don't know that Rousseau is ever going to be a double digit sack guy, but his run defense is very good. 

Okay I feel less crazy now. Despite our horrendous run defense, Rousseau has been the bright spot there IMO.

 

In terms of pass rushing, he is what he's always been; he sets the edge and generally does a good job of seeing how the QB slides up or out of the pocket and then he reacts and finishes the play. Even dating back to college, basically all of his sacks were plays where someone else got the initial pressure and Rousseau finished the play. It's a valuable skill to have but not really the kind of skill that will dominate games and put fear in the QB.

 

He's a good player, but his skillset is one that lends itself to him being dependent on his teammates to really shine and as we've lost guys like Oliver, Hoecht, etc., and Bosa's play has slipped, that's eroded Rousseau's ability to be a difference maker too.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Okay I feel less crazy now. Despite our horrendous run defense, Rousseau has been the bright spot there IMO.

 

In terms of pass rushing, he is what he's always been; he sets the edge and generally does a good job of seeing how the QB slides up or out of the pocket and then he reacts and finishes the play. Even dating back to college, basically all of his sacks were plays where someone else got the initial pressure and Rousseau finished the play. It's a valuable skill to have but not really the kind of skill that will dominate games and put fear in the QB.

 

He's a good player, but his skillset is one that lends itself to him being dependent on his teammates to really shine and as we've lost guys like Oliver, Hoecht, etc., and Bosa's play has slipped, that's eroded Rousseau's ability to be a difference maker too.

Very fair and very accurate assessment. 
 

The question is.. how much is that skillset worth?

[Success]

He's alright.  He's one of our better defenders against the run.

 

But no doubt, very disappointing overall.

 

[LarryMadman]

8 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Okay I feel less crazy now. Despite our horrendous run defense, Rousseau has been the bright spot there IMO.

 

In terms of pass rushing, he is what he's always been; he sets the edge and generally does a good job of seeing how the QB slides up or out of the pocket and then he reacts and finishes the play. Even dating back to college, basically all of his sacks were plays where someone else got the initial pressure and Rousseau finished the play. It's a valuable skill to have but not really the kind of skill that will dominate games and put fear in the QB.

 

He's a good player, but his skillset is one that lends itself to him being dependent on his teammates to really shine and as we've lost guys like Oliver, Hoecht, etc., and Bosa's play has slipped, that's eroded Rousseau's ability to be a difference maker too.

Pretty sure they drafted him as an elite QB sack, TFL type of guy as his college stats suggest he was.

 

 

[colin]

5 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Very fair and very accurate assessment. 
 

The question is.. how much is that skillset worth?

 

bingo.

 

i think if he stays healthy and plays at the level he's played at since 2024, he was a decent signing, but not a great one.

 

benford to date has been a worse signing.  he's been hurt in each of the last 3 years, and at really bad times.  bernard was paid less, but he's literally one more injury away from being a total bust off contract.  shakir is a good slot player, but he's just a guy who can play, not a difference maker.

 

i think the real issue is we over pay for solid, and horribly over pay for injured, but lack great players (imo a great player is a player who makes players around him better, we have 2-5 of them on the team, and cook and allen are the only elite ones).

 

i think the edmunds comparison is kinda apt.  in retrospect, i wish we signed him and let milano and bernard walk

[dancing_joker]

Rousseau has almost always been at a level like the “myth of Lee Evans” drawing coverages away for other receivers or Star Lotuleili “taking up space” for others to make plays

[Livinginthepast]

I really wish it was a case of Rousseau tying people up so another rusher can get through or he's getting close to sacks, but he doesnt seem to be the same player that he was only 2 years ago. Ogunjobi also seems to be almost invisible. Hoecht had an immediate impact by comparison and things looked really positive there. But Rousseau just looks like he is working hard but spinning his wheels.

[Utah John]

I'm glad someone started this thread.  It's amazing that a player who's that tall can just vanish before our eyes.

Edited 57 minutes ago by Utah John

[T.E.]

1 hour ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

All of the re signings besides Cook are bad

And, of course, they jerked him around forever because he plays offense, a side of the ball the front office and coaching staff couldn't care less about.

[SCBills]

17 minutes ago, colin said:

 

bingo.

 

i think if he stays healthy and plays at the level he's played at since 2024, he was a decent signing, but not a great one.

 

benford to date has been a worse signing.  he's been hurt in each of the last 3 years, and at really bad times.  bernard was paid less, but he's literally one more injury away from being a total bust off contract.  shakir is a good slot player, but he's just a guy who can play, not a difference maker.

 

i think the real issue is we over pay for solid, and horribly over pay for injured, but lack great players (imo a great player is a player who makes players around him better, we have 2-5 of them on the team, and cook and allen are the only elite ones).

 

i think the edmunds comparison is kinda apt.  in retrospect, i wish we signed him and let milano and bernard walk

Agree completely.  
 

Would this team be any different without Bernard, Benford, Rousseau and Shakir and replacement level players in their place?  Or maybe, gasp, we play Keon where he’s supposed to play. 

 

This Defense is better without Bernard.  Injury is an excuse but he’s always injured. 
 

The other 3 have been ok.. and they were paid to make a jump.  
 

In reality, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference on the cap this year, but we’re suffering this year for previous contracts like Milano, Knox, Johnson and Samuel. 
 

It’s a hamster wheel of constantly paying non-game changers.  At least this group is young .. about the only thing they have going for them. 
 

Edited 55 minutes ago by SCBills

[Simon]

36 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

I thought he played well last night?

 

He did.

Again.

There's a host of people who stare at the ball convinced that they still know what they're watching.

[LabattBlue]

But he has a cool nickname…that must count for something?  Lot of dollars spent on two DL extensions. One can’t stay healthy, and the other can’t rush the passer.  🤮

Edited 38 minutes ago by LabattBlue

[T.E.]

5 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He did.

Again.

There's a host of people who stare at the ball convinced that they still know what they're watching.

Ah yes, the old "Dont believe your lying eyes" line with McDermott defensive players.

 

"He was never mentioned during the entire broadcast and made no plays of note, but if you were smart enough, you'd see that he was actually fantastic." Okay.

Edited 51 minutes ago by T.E.

[colin]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

Agree completely.  
 

Would this team be any different without Bernard, Benford, Rousseau and Shakir?

 

This Defense is better without Bernard.  Injury is an excuse but he’s always injured. 
 

The other 3 have been ok.. and they were paid to make a jump.  
 

In reality, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference on the cap this year, but we’re suffering this year for previous contracts like Milano, Knox, Johnson and Samuel. 
 

It’s a hamster wheel of constantly paying non-game changers.  At least this group is young .. about the only thing they have going for them. 

 

big time.  to me edmunds and groot are premium talents, more so edmunds but at a lower value position.  neither are perfect and both are somewhat limited, but size strength health and length can't get coached.  

 

if you didn't know football and just went to some function and saw the guys in shorts and ts doing athletic stuff, edmunds and groot and allen (and spencer and some other guys) would stand out as big tall long giant athletic guys.

 

you can build on plus athletes if you throw in a game changer or two, and they don't get blown off the ball or crushed like say our lbs or 7 do on every 3rd play.

[Simon]

2 minutes ago, T.E. said:

Ah yes, the old "Dont believe your lying eyes" line with McDermott defensive players.

 

"He is never mentioned during the entire broadcast and made no plays of note, but if you were smart enough, you'd see that he was actually fantastic." Okay.

 

Actually I am using my eyes, while you guys are relying on a stat sheet and depending on broadcasters to tell you what's happening.

And he made multiple plays of note last night if you had actually been using your eyes instead of relying on other people to tell you what's up.

[Buffalo Boy]

Just another in the multi season continuing saga of Josh and the JAGs.