The Bills Have Drafted Their Pass Catching TE, But.....

[IHFO]

With all due respect, I wonder if you had any opinions on burress after he didn't catch a single td his rookie season.

dont use facts please

[offde-fence]

I wouldn't be at all surprised, with all the talk about how we're going to be a pass happy team this year, if we aren't more of a run, run, pass oriented team. We've got Lynch, Jackson, and Rhodes, and drafted some tough interior linemen. I'd bet be run a lot more than people would think, and use our reciever threats after we establish the run.

[todd]

Basically, you are bitching about a TE who hasn't even been to a minicamp yet? Gimme a fuggin break. Give a guy a chance you kitty.

 

Look at what the Bills are saying about Shawn Nelson:

Buffalo expects Nelson to make an immediate impact in the passing game as a rookie as his athletic ability and size (6’5”, 240) will create mismatches against linebackers and safeties.

 

That's funny, isn't that exactly what we were hearing about James Hardy, our big tall wide receiver, last year around this time? Remember, those mismatches he would create in the red zone? And, Hardy was our second round choice, and this tight end lasted until round 4.

 

Here's the thing. I used to scream at the TV when the Bills had third and 4 or 5, and Hardy was on the bench because our coaches were so disgusted with his lack of football "intelligence". I screamed, "Just tell the 6'6 kid to run 5 freakin' yards, turn around and catch the high pass for the first down! How many defenses do you have to recognize to be able to pull that off, and keep the drive going??

 

But alas, the Bills coaches kept Hardy locked to the bench for most of his rookie season, "athletic ability and size to create mismatches" and all. I used to ask, just how stupid can this kid be, for our coaches to not even trust him to catch 3 yard passes over the middle? Only our "ever-demanding" offensive coaches know the answer to that one.

 

So now, here comes yet another big tall athletic kid who our coaches say should have the dreaded "immediate impact." Yeah, that's before they toss him their 3,000 page play book, and demand that he makes zero mistakes out on the field, or watch from the bench behind Fine and Shouman, right? I hope Nelson is smarter then Hardy, so our perfectionist coaches will allow him playing time!

[todd]

well NOW we have the red zone target we thought we had last year

 

Hardy is officially a bust - even though he is really really tall

 

Only idiots call a player a bust after their rookie year.

[Fingon]

Only idiots call a player a bust after their rookie year.

The only way i call players busts after their rookie year is when they have commitment/effort problems.

[todd]

Hardy was not a bad pick. It takes time for receivers to adapt to the NFL game and learning to run routes especially if they are not in a pro style offense. Patience.

 

RETARDED People are quick to call everyone a bust after a year.

 

fixed that for you.

[todd]

The only way i call players busts after their rookie year is when they have commitment/effort problems.

 

And that is hard to tell after their first year, although I agree with you in theory.

[VJ91]

Nelson will be lined up against LBs and Safeties, so he will have a distinct advantage... while Hardy had to face CBs.

 

Nelson will be lined up against LB's & safeties, yes.

 

However, this complicated playbook that Shoenert has inherited from the last egotistical OC who inherited from the egotistical OC before him, going all the way back to the idiot OC that Gregg Williams hired 10 years ago, worries me.

 

Derek Fine started catching every damn ball that came near him, including that TD pass the first game he played. And just as fast, Turk-ey locked him back to the bench behind Royal and Schouman, the two guys that allegedly knew the blocking schemes better, but could hardly catch a pass between them. Now, here comes another kid with pass catching skills that can't block worth a damn. That's just great. Turk-ey will want to start him at 4th string, right?

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

However, this complicated playbook that Shoenert has inherited from the last egotistical OC who inherited from the egotistical OC before him, going all the way back to the idiot OC that Gregg Williams hired 10 years ago, worries me.

Every offense in the league has a complicated playbook, champ. Its a complicated game.

 

MOST recievers don't do much in their rookie year. This is not specific to the Bills, its a league-wide thing. The ones that do contribute from day one, like Marques Colston, are the ones that hit the books and pick things up exceptionally quickly.

 

Obviously this was not the case with Hardy, or he would have made a bigger impact when he WAS on the field. This means our guy is on the career path of most NFL recievers...the third season in the league is the make-or-break year.

[300yrds]

lets just line up in the red zone with johnson, hardy, to, and nelson. all about 6'3 or taller, one of them has to be able to get the ball. and who knows hardy might not drop it.

 

seriously, thats alot of guys with height, more than most teams. teh red zone shouldnt be too much of an issue at this point.

[bladiebla]

How is Hardy a bust? He was a rookie WR last year and at times showed flashes of what he can do. Most WRs have bad first seasons. Perhaps we should see what he has done after this year before we start calling him a bust.

 

Agreed, however watch the persconference after the draft and notice how they talk about Nelson being a new weapon along TO, Evans, Reed, Parrish and Steve Johnson. Not a word about Hardy. Made me lift my eyebrows, then again it was really early and I have only watched it once so I might have missed Hardy being called.

[VJ91]

With Owens, Evans, Reed, Parrish, and Johnson how much of a chance do you think he will have to show anything this year?

 

After Owens & Reed, which of those other two receivers are 6'6?? If I am the Bills OC, I have Hardy (if his knee is healthy of course), on the field on every passing play!

[VJ91]

Every offense in the league has a complicated playbook, champ. Its a complicated game.

 

MOST recievers don't do much in their rookie year. This is not specific to the Bills, its a league-wide thing. The ones that do contribute from day one, like Marques Colston, are the ones that hit the books and pick things up exceptionally quickly.

 

Obviously this was not the case with Hardy, or he would have made a bigger impact when he WAS on the field. This means our guy is on the career path of most NFL recievers...the third season in the league is the make-or-break year.

 

Yeah, every offense is complicated. But most offenses were better then Buffalo's, and the Bills could have used Hardy's basic athletic talents more then most of the other offenses in the NFL last year, during the 14 games the kid was not injured. It was Schonert's failure more then Hardy's, that Hardy was not effective last season, on such a lame offense.

[VJ91]

Basically, you are bitching about a TE who hasn't even been to a minicamp yet? Gimme a fuggin break. Give a guy a chance you kitty.

 

I'm not "bitching" about Nelson. Perhaps you don't have the attention span to read an entire post. Fine. But if you did read the entire post, you would find that my "B word" is with the coaches that will be greeting Nelson at that first minicamp, to hand him their 3,000 page playbook and start demanding him to be an all pro blocker.

[RayFinkle]

Here's the thing. I used to scream at the TV when the Bills had third and 4 or 5, and Hardy was on the bench because our coaches were so disgusted with his lack of football "intelligence". I screamed, "Just tell the 6'6 kid to run 5 freakin' yards, turn around and catch the high pass for the first down! How many defenses do you have to recognize to be able to pull that off, and keep the drive going??

Have you ever asked yourself, "If it is just that easy, why doesn't every team in the NFL have a 6'6" receiver on thier team?"

[ChevyVanMiller]

Hardy was just a bad pick, i said it when he was picked and Im saying it again a year later. Pick should have been Limas Sweed

 

The knock on Nelson is his blocking not his route running ability which was one of the knocks on Hardy coming out

 

Relax, will ya? Most top wideouts don't really produce until year 3. With Owens in for 1 year it should set Hardy up to school behind him and breakout big next season.

 

Btw, your answer, Sweed, had worse stats than Hardy did last year.

[VJ91]

Have you ever asked yourself, "If it is just that easy, why doesn't every team in the NFL have a 6'6" receiver on thier team?"

 

No, I never asked myself that. I just asked myself why the Bills' coaches could not figure out how to use their 6'6 receiver last season, that's all. I could care less how many other tall receivers there are or not are in the NFL. The Bills drafted Hardy in the second round last season, and then promptly told us how effective they could make him during his rookie season.

 

Now let's see how effective they can make their sure fire pass catching tight end.

 

They say it, I don't.

[pimp on da' net]

well NOW we have the red zone target we thought we had last year

 

Hardy is officially a bust - even though he is really really tall

Jeez!!!!!!! It was his rookie season, wide receiver are one of the slowest developing positions in the league, calm down.

[The Dean]

With Owens, Evans, Reed, Parrish, and Johnson how much of a chance do you think he will have to show anything this year?

 

 

If he's healthy enough to play, then I think this is a perfect opportunity for him to show what he can do, without a lot of pressure. I see this as a year for Hardy and Johnson to develop, since the Bills have TO. I look forward to modest, but potentially important, contributions from the young WRs.