What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

[OpIv37]

Our horrid DL is now almost EXACTLY the same as it was last year. The only minor differences are:

1. McCargo is healthy (or at least he should be). However, McCargo missed 10 games and had two off-season surgeries, meaning he didn't get the experience or the conditioning time to make that big Year 1 to Year 2 jump that's been universally accepted as fact around here.

2. Hargrove has a full off season. While I love Hargrove's energy and enthusiasm, he didn't show much on the field last year. Or in previous years before he was traded here.

That's it. Our personnel is exactly the same- all we have is slightly more experience. And that's not enough to improve on the 28th ranked run D.

[Tatonka]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

so you dont expect players to improve from rookie season to next, or from first year w/ a team to the next? nothing to be said for playing with the same guys.. continuity?

[theanswer74]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

If you want to believe Marv, our poor run defense was because our LB's were not aggressive enough. Thats pretty much all we heard from Marv when it came to the defense.

Well, they added a bigger and faster MLB, so lets see what happens there.

[Michael82]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

If you really believe the Bills are done..... I have a house to sell you. I personally think that they are targeting a few DTs and will scour the waiver wire and look at teams with a lot of depth. Don't forget that they have a bunch of draft picks now. I could see them inquiring about Kris Jenkins.....

[Michael82]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

If you want to believe Marv, our poor run defense was because our LB's were not aggressive enough. Thats pretty much all we heard from Marv when it came to the defense.

Well, they added a bigger and faster MLB, so lets see what happens there.

Exactly! I think that our slow LBs made the DL look worse than it really was.

[OpIv37]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

so you dont expect players to improve from rookie season to next, or from first year w/ a team to the next? nothing to be said for playing with the same guys.. continuity?

ok, one more time....

We were 28th in run D last year. We were 24th in turnovers. Our D couldn't get off the field when it mattered most.

We added ZERO talent to the DL, and in fact the only talent that was added to the D at all is Poz, who is a rookie and will likely play like one, at least for a while.

Will the young guys improve? Probably. Will they improve enough to compensate for last year's shortcomings plus the loss of Spikes, Fletcher and Clements? Not ****ing likely.

We're doing the same thing and expecting different results. That's insane.

[OpIv37]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

If you want to believe Marv, our poor run defense was because our LB's were not aggressive enough. Thats pretty much all we heard from Marv when it came to the defense.

Well, they added a bigger and faster MLB, so lets see what happens there.

Ok, well, DiGiorgio and Ellison were here last year- the only addition is Poz. So basically if the LB's were the problem like you claim, then Poz is solely responsible for fixing the Run D. Great.

Personally I think the DL had a lot more to do with it. When they're getting blown off the ball instead of holding their ground or shooting the gaps, it makes life a lot more difficult for the LB's.

[theanswer74]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

Exactly! I think that our slow LBs made the DL look worse than it really was.

Im not going to totally disagree with him though because Im sure Tim Anderson had a lot to do with our poor run defense, and the fact that Anthony Hargrove and Jason Jefferson were regulars in our DT rotation after McCargo got hurt. McCargo HAS to become a regular contributer or we are in trouble upfront.

But honestly, I cant remember one time London Fletcher met a RB at the line or behind it and just buried him right there, even when we had Pat Williams and Sam Adams here.

[Buckets]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

so you dont expect players to improve from rookie season to next, or from first year w/ a team to the next? nothing to be said for playing with the same guys.. continuity?

This only happens on other teams not the Bills. Also rookies can only be impact players on other teams not the Bills. OP rules

[OpIv37]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

This only happens on other teams not the Bills. Also rookies can only be impact players on other teams not the Bills. OP rules

other teams don't have 6+ of 11 starters on D as young guys that need to improve. Other teams didn't finish 28th against the run or 24th in TO's. Other teams add talent to supplement the improvement of young guys.

[madness]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

The real question is... are you going to own up with the same amount of posts and threads if the run defense gets significantly better this year?

I'm guessing no.

[OpIv37]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

The real question is... are you going to own up with the same amount of posts and threads if the run defense gets significantly better this year?

I'm guessing no.

IF that happens (which it won't), I'll own up but not in the same amount of posts. There's no need because people listen the first time when someone is telling them what they WANT to hear.

Why is it that I get ripped on for being repetitive but the people who repeat Marv' mantra of 2nd year players improving or "Ellison was as good as Spikes last year" or "The O will make the D better" or any of this other **** that's been posted incessantly never take any heat for being repetitive?

[Philagape]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

IF that happens (which it won't)

Speculation spoken as fact!!!

[Wys Guy]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

Our horrid DL is now almost EXACTLY the same as it was last year. The only minor differences are:

1. McCargo is healthy (or at least he should be). However, McCargo missed 10 games and had two off-season surgeries, meaning he didn't get the experience or the conditioning time to make that big Year 1 to Year 2 jump that's been universally accepted as fact around here.

2. Hargrove has a full off season. While I love Hargrove's energy and enthusiasm, he didn't show much on the field last year. Or in previous years before he was traded here.

That's it. Our personnel is exactly the same- all we have is slightly more experience. And that's not enough to improve on the 28th ranked run D.

The other thing that everyone has missed is that Darwin Walker is no different than all of the other slop brought on and heralded as "fixes" to our line issues yet categorically resulting in equally absysmal continued failures.

The man's 30, clearly coming down, has never shown a propensity to make an impact in big games.

He's gone, it's over, no loss. He will play better for the Bears D than he would have here, but which player wouldn't. The player to keep an eye on is Spikes. I'll say it now, he's going to have a very good and well above average year in Philly, much better than any of our current LBs except for perhaps Poz.

[OpIv37]

Re: What we're missing about the Darwin Walker situation

The other thing that everyone has missed is that Darwin Walker is no different than all of the other slop brought on and heralded as "fixes" to our line issues yet categorically resulting in equally absysmal continued failures.

The man's 30, clearly coming down, has never shown a propensity to make an impact in big games.

He's gone, it's over, no loss.

I disagree- while he's nothing special, he's better than Anderson and Jefferson.

We need serious improvement at DT, but we're obviously not going to get it. At this point in the off-season I'd take mild improvement over nothing.