VJ91 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Puh-leeeze. He barely played one season and he's a bust??? He may not become a pro bowler but to declare him a bust now is idiotic. PTR I agree! The kid has the tools, and I have stated that he may not be mature or even smart enough to have contributed this season. But so what? It took Josh Reed 5 years to go from being called a bust, to being compared to Heinz Ward. This entire season has turned out to be one big freakin' BUST, so why come down on a kid that had so little to do with it? Now he blows out his knee, and that sucks for his develpment, but I wish him well and hope he gains some mental toughness from his rehab. By the way, Promo - I like your UB schedule on the bottom of your posts.....I still can't believe the job those kids and Gill and his coaches did against the number 12 team Ball State in that game!!...Amazing. I can't wait to see how they match up against U Conn in the Bowl game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Football can be a dangerous game. Especially when your out there wandering around without a clue as to what to do Seriously I wish him a complete recovery. This was a really wasted year for him. It could have been him. It could have been the coaching or the QB situation. It would be truly unfortunate if he could not come back 100% for camp next year. I don't understand how you can say it's a wasted year. He had basically a full year learning the NFL. Granted, he didn't catch 10 tds but it takes a lot to learn the receiver position. He will be in a much better shape next year because of this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 It's waaay to early to judge him. A little scary that I am agreeing with Steely, but it is what it is. Now maybe I'm remembering things wrong, but going into the season, weren't they saying that Johnson played in a much more organized offense that would make his transition to the pro game go much more smoothly than Hardy? The big shame here might be that Hardy won't have the chance to have a typical off season. So many times in professional sports you'll see that guy who works his ass off in the offseason, working on his game and getting into much better shape. Now he might have to do that in rehab instead. Yeah, there was an article posted a few weeks ago talking about how Hardy played in a very basic offense at Indiana, while Steve Johnson was playing a pro-style offense at Kentucky. The coaches were saying that Hardy was never taught how to adjust his route based on coverage, so he's really raw from a development standpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PastaJoe Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hardy is this years version of John McCargo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 His knee injury looks pretty serious. Any thoughts on the injury? Sprain or worse ACL? Australian Rules Footballer blew out his knee in preseason and returned to the field and played at the same level, 6months later. New technique, less trauma, quicker and stronger healing. ACL reattached with artificial material rather than part of the hamstring (semitendinosus) tendon. Wonder which technique Bills will use? Hopefully not the same medical team in charge of making decisions about Schobel's foot, but the ones involved with KE injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I don't understand how you can say it's a wasted year. He had basically a full year learning the NFL. Granted, he didn't catch 10 tds but it takes a lot to learn the receiver position. He will be in a much better shape next year because of this year. I sincerely hope you are right an I am wrong. With a torn ACL and rehab I don't think so though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 A young guy coming back from a torn ACL is nothing these days...unless it's complicated by infection or something like that ( ) . Where Hardy will be setback most is missing practice time. But he'll have more time to learn the playbook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manateefan Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Does it really matter? The guy did nothing all year and has bust written all over him. 7th round pick Johnson has been more productive. It's amazing that everyone has made excuses for Edwards. He's a rookie, he's only played 20 games, the effects of his concussion lasted 8 weeks. But every other player has to be a superstar out of the gate. Get real! Give the kid a chance to develop like you gave or want to give to Edwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonawanda Troy Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 It usually takes 3 years for a WR to come into his own, however he is a 2nd rounder and should have showed us more than he did! HARDY=BUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 It usually takes 3 years for a WR to come into his own, however he is a 2nd rounder and should have showed us more than he did! HARDY=BUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Was E Moulds a bust then too? He had a bad first 2-3 years. Give Hardy a chance. He has the physical tools although this is probably the worst time for a WR to have a torn ACL with repair....he will be rehabbing that knee well into the summer. He really would have benefitted from having a full season, come back in March and participate in OTAs etc.....this really puts him behind the curve. Learning defenses and running the routes were his big weakness. Luckily those things can be taught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I agree! The kid has the tools, The only tool Hardy has is his height - which he did not use to his advantage in 2008. He did not exhibit any other skills of an NFL WR, such as ability to catch, run patterns properly, get separation, beat the jam, run the right plays, block and make blitz adjustments. He did not earn the confidence of either QB because he could not be trusted to be in the right place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 It usually takes 3 years for a WR to come into his own, however he is a 2nd rounder and should have showed us more than he did! I'm too impatient to wait 3 years so instead I'll just stamp my feet and scream: HARDY=BUST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in Chicago Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Didn't read through all the posts, but first of all just hope he gets well soon. He is our player and we shouldn't express glee or indifference to his injury. On a different note, we were clamoring for a RZ threat in the past offseason and did not acquire anyone in free agency. The thought was we would draft someone, which we did. Now he contributed next to nothing this season, even before his injury. So, we are left to dig up reasons about how WRs do not necessarily blossom till their second or third year. Which essentially implies the front office blew it in the offseason. They did not fill an area of glaring need - thats the bottom line. This is not necessarily a knock on Hardy as an indictment of the FO to sell us on the false hopes of how somehow this season would be different for the offense due to a change of coordinators and addition of Hardy & Fine. We are no different personnel-wise than we were the last season - shame on the FO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 FiC: Yup. Any FFL geek can tell you how risky it is to depend on a rookie WR, and Hardy and Steve Johnson were the only offseason additions to the offense. (I'll even be generous and add the half-season from Fine.) Bryant Johnson may not have done much for SF this season, but it would have been nice to have someone like him on the roster when Reed went down. KD: Well played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I think we need to remember here that the write up on Hardy is he was very VERY raw.......a baskeball player who turned to football. I think that in a positive outlook we should be thankful that Steve Johnson is such a find in the 7th round....and maybe that gives a opportunity to take our time Hardy and allow him to rehab and ease his way back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Bryant Johnson may not have done much for SF this season, but it would have been nice to have someone like him on the roster when Reed went down. Well, Bryant Johnson will be available again, after "showcasing" himself in SF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Well, Bryant Johnson will be available again, after "showcasing" himself in SF. And this time he should be cheaper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 And this time he should be cheaper! He could, but I would certainly hope Bills would not use the scarce cash to cap to go after a WR this offseason, not when Ralph's piggy bank will be busted for Haynseworth, Peppers and Suggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 He could, but I would certainly hope Bills would not use the scarce cash to cap to go after a WR this offseason, not when Ralph's piggy bank will be busted for Haynesworth, Peppers and Suggs. If they brought in those three, I'd settle for Hojo and Woody playing wideout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 If they brought in those three, I'd settle for Hojo and Woody playing wideout. And which one of these scenarios is the more likely one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 It usually takes 3 years for a WR to come into his own, however he is a 2nd rounder and should have showed us more than he did! HARDY=BUST Whats that line about opening up your mouth and removing all doubt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 And which one of these scenarios is the more likely one? For us ... one that ends up with a combination of , , and . That's the normal result these last few years, no? But when you typed those three names, I actually let myself imagine the possibilities for a second. It was nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 For us ... one that ends up with a combination of , , and . That's the normal result these last few years, no? But when you typed those three names, I actually let myself imagine the possibilities for a second. It was nice. I remember there was a team once that had Bruce Smith, Fred Smerlas, Art Still, Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan & Darryl Talley on the roster at the same time. I also remember there was a day when teams couldn't wait for any Bills' LB to become a FA .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson from Gamehendge Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Does it really matter? The guy did nothing all year and has bust written all over him. 7th round pick Johnson has been more productive. Hahahahahaha! Some people on here crack me up! A player plays in a very select few games in his ROOKIE season, when Rookie WR's dont do anything to begin with...and you are calling him a "BUST?" HAHAHA! Just a couple weeks ago, everybody on here was saying Leodis McKelvin was a "Bust!" He WILL be a Pro-Bowler. For a player to be considered a "BUST," he must be given QUALITY time to improve, hone his skills and adapt to the NFL game. When I speak of time, I dont mean training camp and a couple games...how about like 3-5 years? If after 3 years the player has not gotten better and become a starter, and after 5 years if they are nothing and out of the league (ala Mike Williams...the lineman and the receiver), then YES, that player can be considered a "BUST." Even Donte Whitner has been called a "Bust." I have heard on here that POZ is nothing. It is ALL absurd. Look at this team and what these young players, whom you consider NO GOOD, have in front of them and around them. Maybe Whitner is not suited to play SS in the NFL, move him to FS and he might become the game-changer we long for. Better yet, produce a !@#$in pass-rush to force the QB to make quick decisions...and I bet Whitner would be a TOTALLY DIFFERENT player in the secondary. Chris Hope...Pro-Bowler? I would rather have Donte Whitner. If you get married, and your wife cooks her first homecooked meal badly and shrinks your favorite shirt...is she a "Bust?" Should you have gotten someone else...is your marriage ruined? EVERYTHING takes time...especially for ROOKIE football players to develope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Hahahahahaha! Some people on here crack me up! A player plays in a very select few games in his ROOKIE season, when Rookie WR's dont do anything to begin with...and you are calling him a "BUST?" HAHAHA! Just a couple weeks ago, everybody on here was saying Leodis McKelvin was a "Bust!" He WILL be a Pro-Bowler. For a player to be considered a "BUST," he must be given QUALITY time to improve, hone his skills and adapt to the NFL game. When I speak of time, I dont mean training camp and a couple games...how about like 3-5 years? If after 3 years the player has not gotten better and become a starter, and after 5 years if they are nothing and out of the league (ala Mike Williams...the lineman and the receiver), then YES, that player can be considered a "BUST." Even Donte Whitner has been called a "Bust." I have heard on here that POZ is nothing. It is ALL absurd. Look at this team and what these young players, whom you consider NO GOOD, have in front of them and around them. Maybe Whitner is not suited to play SS in the NFL, move him to FS and he might become the game-changer we long for. Better yet, produce a !@#$in pass-rush to force the QB to make quick decisions...and I bet Whitner would be a TOTALLY DIFFERENT player in the secondary. Chris Hope...Pro-Bowler? I would rather have Donte Whitner. If you get married, and your wife cooks her first homecooked meal badly and shrinks your favorite shirt...is she a "Bust?" Should you have gotten someone else...is your marriage ruined? EVERYTHING takes time...especially for ROOKIE football players to develope! Many of these same folks were blasting Josh Reed not too long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Many of these same folks were blasting Josh Reed not too long ago. In all fairness, he was blasted for regressing from a very good rookie campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson from Gamehendge Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Many of these same folks were blasting Josh Reed not too long ago. REALLY? The same Josh Reed that caught, what, 9 balls this Sunday against Champ Bailey and Dre Bly??? NO WAY! And they call themselves "Bills" fans. Ha, what a joke! They are probably the same !@#$s who were throwing sh-- at our players as they left the field that one game. Absolutely pathetic. Either stand by your team and support your players...or find another team to disgrace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in Chicago Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Either stand by your team and support your players...or find another team to disgrace! Objectively evaluating a players or team's performance does not equate to being un-supportive of said players/team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 In all fairness, he was blasted for regressing from a very good rookie campaign. That was the start of it. But, in the following years, even after the dropsies subsided, many here had him cut in camp, labeled him less than NFL-quality, etc. My point being that many here are quick to write off players, with little-to-no contextual evaluation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Objectively evaluating a players or team's performance does not equate to being un-supportive of said players/team. Correct. And, neither does hastily criticizing players before they've had a proper chance to display their abilities. Labeling a rookie WR a bust, is stupid under any circumstances. With that said, I have real concerns about Hardy and don't have a great feeling about him. But, it is far too early to know for sure, what he will become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmet_hair Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 F you Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kettle Creek Football Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I can't believe i saw people write "who cares" Let me direct you to some Bills recievers facts: Eric Moulds first two seasons: 1996 : 20 rec. for 279 2 TDS 1997 : 29 rec. for 294 0 TDs Andre Reed: it took Andre Reed till his 5th season (1989) to record his 1st 1,000 yard season Lee Evans: it took him till his third season to have a 1000 yard season 3rd season till he broke 50 receptions I know you can start an argument about any of those recievers but i have one simple point....... patience my friend hope his injury is not serious Good points. I recall Moulds almost being run out of town (by media and fans after his first 2 seasons). Last I read, Hardy tore his ACL. I know from personal experience (I tore mine 10 years ago) it takes a good year to fully rehab it. Recall when Jamal Lewis and Edge James tore theirs, they each weren't back to 100% until their 2nd seasons after their injuries (I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billnutinphoenix Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Puh-leeeze. He barely played one season and he's a bust??? He may not become a pro bowler but to declare him a bust now is idiotic. PTR totally agreed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kettle Creek Football Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 FYI - PFW Top 10 Rookie Disappointments... http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Featu...08/rookie16.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 FYI - PFW Top 10 Rookie Disappointments... http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Featu...08/rookie16.htm ...nice link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimp on da' net Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Does it really matter? The guy did nothing all year and has bust written all over him. 7th round pick Johnson has been more productive. Sounds similarly to what was said about McKelvin after 8 wks......WR usually takes awhile, lets wait and see about Hardy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 FYI - PFW Top 10 Rookie Disappointments... http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Featu...08/rookie16.htm I spy a few names on the "disappointment list" that many were touting for the Bills to take in the 1st Round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 How much work did either Hardy or Johnson get this year in either practices or games? Not a whole lot would be my guess. Hopefully, both will improve in time. Remember Ricky Dudley who was a basketball player converted to tight end? His results were mixed mostly because he dropped too many passes but it took him a while to pick up on many of the skills considered basic to a receiver such as route running. It takes time and patience to excel at any NFL position for most players. Good look in your recovery James Hardy, I hope you heal up 100%. And Merry Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted December 24, 2008 Share Posted December 24, 2008 For us ... one that ends up with a combination of , , and . That's the normal result these last few years, no? But when you typed those three names, I actually let myself imagine the possibilities for a second. It was nice. Aww...you are getting greedy. I'll settle for 2/3...what do you think of a DL that goes like this... Peppers Stroud Haynesworth Schobel with LBs Mitchell Poz Karlos Dansby and the secondary McGee Whitner Scott McKelvin Damn, on a second look, thats nice...real nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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