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Ellis' motivation


Lothar

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I don't see why everyone is hating on this pick. We need more pressure on the QB. This guy can come in for obvious passing situations and provide, dare I say it, a decent pass rush from both sides of the D-Line! He may even develop into a starting Defensive End in a year or two. I like him, I think he brings some needed attitute to our D-Line.

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Relatively simple to fix: our coaches need to get him to understand the simple equation that = success in the NFL. Work ethic and staying out of trouble in the NFL = how much money you make. If this guy works hard because he wants money, the results will follow, and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

If he thinks he is so good and deserving without doing anything then he needs to get a clue. In fact, I imagine there will be no better place for him to learn where he stands than the OTAs and the first few weeks of training camp.

 

My only problem with any of this is if he:

 

1. Holds out. Before actually doing something in the NFL, he tries to hold out. Good thing the Bills drafted him in the 3rd, because that almost guarantees that his contract will be set in a tight range and there really won't be much to negotiate. Holding out would be height of stupidity, because not only will he alienate us, he will also turn off the rest of the NFL, since nobody cares what a 3rd rounder thinks/says/does. IF he was a first rounder/early second, that might be different.

 

2. Continues to run his mouth at camp, even after a guy like Kelsay sets him straight. If he keeps talking smack about how good he is that he alienates the team, then that will be a problem. But than again, I don't think with all of the good guys we have on this team, that anyone will be paying him much attention if he keeps going with that. Sooner or later he will get the hint that nobody cares what he says.

 

Bottom line: the starting DEs on this team are guaranteed to be making more $ than Ellis is day 1. So it's simple, "Hey Ellis, you want more/big $$$? Show us that you can unseat one of those starters today, or, learn where the weight room, film room, and practice field are, pick one or the other. There really isn't much else to talk about."

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2.5 sacks in two years. The bar is pretty low for Ellis to improve upon backup DE

 

for a backup DE he seemed to put a good bit of pressure on the QB...and he was one of the only guys to show emotion and try and get everyone fired up on the sidelines.

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2 quick thoughts...

 

1. So what if his motivation is money? That might work even better because he's a 3rd round pick. He's not gonna make squat on his first contract, so he's gonna hafta bust ass and be good if he wants to make some real cash. Also, i dont care if he loves football or not. Even if he views this as a job to make money, as long as he brings 100% to his job, thats all i can ask.

 

2. As much hell as jauron gets around here, he's an absolute master of a motivator. You always hear of players loving Dickie and willing to run through a wall for him. If anyone can get thru to the kid, its DJ.

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I don't see why everyone is hating on this pick. We need more pressure on the QB. This guy can come in for obvious passing situations and provide, dare I say it, a decent pass rush from both sides of the D-Line! He may even develop into a starting Defensive End in a year or two. I like him, I think he brings some needed attitute to our D-Line.

 

Cause he's not a white farmer? :w00t: I don't know either. We nabed a guy with pretty good upside, at a position of pretty important need. One of the better pass rushers still available at that point. What's not to like?

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I've heard some draftniks say that Ellis will be a good player when he understands he's not as good as he thinks he is.

 

Plus his motivation isn't necessarily on "playing a game that he loves" (which may just be a cliche anyway for these millionaires-to-be.)

 

Virginia paper

 

Here are some interesting comments from a local newspaper article:

 

Even as a senior, a football paycheck was never far from his mind. He sometimes wore a T-shirt depicting an X-ray of a man's head with dollar bills floating around inside it -- a visual representation of the phrase "money on my mind."

 

Ellis was surprised the Bills picked him because they didn't seem to show much more interest than the 20 or so other teams he met with at the combine. When the Bills called his cell phone yesterday to tell him they wanted to select him, it marked his official transition from a college career in which Tech's coaches sometimes hoped he would change his attitude, something the unapologetic Ellis resisted.

 

"It's not that I don't want to change, because I plan on changing," he said in the fall. "I plan on changing my bank account." :w00t:

 

He is now a pro and the chief motivation is money. His self interest will serve us well- if he can play!

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If ever there was a case for an incentive laden contract...$100,000 per sack. $300,000 per sack on Brady. $400,000 per broken bone on a Brady sack! (probably violates the bounty rule)

 

He just gave our negotiators a perfect reason to underpay his base and overload his incentives..

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These kids get ass raped for 3 or 4 years by the system, while the colleges make millions. I don't blame him for wanting to cash in on his own work.

 

Their college "Careers" are just their education like any other kid going to college to learn how to do a job for money. You don't pay the students! As for the Colleges making millions, true but where do you think the money for the sports scholarships come from? The rest of the money raised does help lower the overall cost of tuition at the school.

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Their college "Careers" are just their education like any other kid going to college to learn how to do a job for money. You don't pay the students! As for the Colleges making millions, true but where do you think the money for the sports scholarships come from? The rest of the money raised does help lower the overall cost of tuition at the school.

Absolute bull sh--. There are numerous studies out there that D1 athletic revenues never affect the general budget of the school. This is especially true for state schools.

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:lol: Exactly. Sign him to a 4 year deal and hope he kicks ass the next 4 years

 

Exactly. If he does, Kelsay can take a hike and we can sign this kid to a pretty good deal. Not to mention I suspect the Bills will be drafting a top DE in the first round either next year or the year after, as Schobel will be 36 when his most recent extension finally comes due. They're going to need a couple of guy, and if Ellis works out, all the better for Buffalo.

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2 quick thoughts...

 

1. So what if his motivation is money? That might work even better because he's a 3rd round pick. He's not gonna make squat on his first contract, so he's gonna hafta bust ass and be good if he wants to make some real cash. Also, i dont care if he loves football or not. Even if he views this as a job to make money, as long as he brings 100% to his job, thats all i can ask.

I think the important thing is whether he wants to spend it or keep it and make more. Does he consider "real cash" to be six, seven or eight figures a year? He may start out with the intention of making a ton of money, but once he tastes the cash it could be a different story.

 

Does anyone know how much effort the NFL or colleges put into helping these kids handle the money they make? I couldn't imagine managing 6 figures as a 22 year old. I know the NFL has a general orientation for the rookies, but are there any permanent services that provide them with quality advice? Just wondering, thanks.

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