Tweet
I had plenty of comments following yesterday's Bills game, in particular on Donte Whitner, and I got a lot of feedback that I was overreacting.
While I'll be the first to admit I have a tendancy to overreact, I don't think I have with Whitner at all.
The reality is he's played 31 games now, and he's been no more important to this secondary than McGee, Greer or even George Wilson. How many games have you seen Whitner and said to yourself "wow, this guy is a great football player?"
If had been a third, second or maybe even late round first pick it would be one thing. But the bottom line is he was the 8th overall pick in the draft, and I've seen absolutely NOTHING from him that shows me he even remotely deserves it. And don't tell me draft position doesn't matter because it does. Whitner is being paid like a franchise safety, and he's played like pretty much any other safety on any other team in the NFL. That's not good enough.
Sure, he has a lot of tackles. But how many big interceptions has he had? How many big sacks? How many big tackles for losses at critical parts of the game? How many big pass breakups? Say what you want. I say he's been extrordinarily average.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm also baffled and frankly, disgusted at the amount of negativity towards Trent Edwards. I've even heard a few people say that we need to find a quarterback like Donavan McNab this offseason.
I say that talk is crazy. Firstly, does anyone have any idea financially what that price tag would do to this franchise? Secondly, Edwards has played for the most part, fine; especially for a rookie.
Look, Jerry Sullivan in his column said it best. It doesn't matter if its Jim Kelly, Dan Marino or Alex Van Pelt behind center. December football in Buffalo is about the trenches. That's where we are woefully weak. Top that off with this fact: I don't think even if Brady or Manning were here; this offense would be that good with our collection of WR's and a chicken-**** offensive coordinator in Fairchild.
Does Edwards need to improve? Absolutely he does. He's struggled heavily at times over the past two weeks. But the first quarter yesterday was evidence of what Edwards can do when the offense is opened up and unpredictable, and guys actually make the catches. When you look at the overall team needs this offseason, I think Edwards is the least of their problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If anyone doubts what kind of worth Jason Peters is to this team, remember what happened to the offense once he went down. I said it earlier this week and I'll say it again now; before the Bills sign a player this offseason, Peters should be locked up for the money he deserves, for a very long time. I think along with Chris Samuels (Washington) he's become as good as it gets at the position in this league.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost in the shuffle of so many bad things yesterday was the play of Langston Walker. He absolutely manhandled Michael Strahan. At the time I thought it was ridiculous to give someone of his track record $5 million per year. Now I'm thinking that's a bargain. When Walker plays like this, they're are few if any better tackle tandems in the NFL than Buffalo's.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What will it take for John McCargo to start getting more playing time. He's being used as a shortyardage/goal line DT and that's it. Absurd. He makes two huge goal-line stops and on the next drive I don't see him again until it's 3rd and 1 inside our 25-yard line. I don't see anyway he shouldn't be starting full-time next year. It's hard to evaluate a guy when he doesn't play enough, but it seems to me he's made plenty of big plays this year in limited playing time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Kyle Williams and Keith Ellison are nice depth players, but I don't think either should be starting next season if this defense is to take the next step. As a matter of fact, I think these two positions should be the top priority defensively this offseason.
The Bills need a DT who can play alongside McCargo, who if he does nothing else clogs up the lanes in the middle and helps a putrid run defense. At Ellison's spot, the team needs someone badly who can actually make plays. Ellison is terrible at tackling; being run over by Vince Young in the preseason was a sign of things to come.
Lance Briggs would be the obvious answer; though I doubt highly Wilson will pour that kind of money into a player outside the organization. However, It would be a signing that could put the defense over the top on its way to respectability. A linebacking tandem of Briggs, Crowell and a healthy Poz would signify one of the stronger front sevens in the league, and if nothing else this year we're learning the importance of being able to contain running backs in December.
There are no marqee wide receivers in this year's free agent market, and outside of Albert Haynesworth (who Tennessee will surely not let go) nobody on the market could help this defense more than Briggs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've talked about Briggs. Now I want to talk about the guy who would help the offense more than any player on the market. Dallas Clark.
It's easy to see when watching Trent Edwards play how much this offense would improve with a play-making tight end. He would open the offense up and be a reliable target for Trent, who loves to go to his tight end. As much as I want to see an improvement at wide receiver over Reed (as a starter), I think that talent could be found early in the draft. Clark is a guy that would help immensely from day one, and with Indy surely being focused on resigning Bob Sanders it's near certain he's going to be on the market shortly. The feeling here is Clark would be more valuable than any wide receiver we're capable of landing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cap-room wise, Buffalo could land both these prizes. It's up to Wilson and how committed he really is to having a championship contender type of team in Buffalo. Rather than signing a bunch of free agents, concentrate on just the two of them.
The advantage Buffalo has this year it hasn't in other years is they don't have crucial free agents of their own to resign. In fact, led by Anthony Hargrove (who I'd like to resigned) this the weakest overall crop of our own free agents we've had in years. There's no free agent we have hitting the market that's crucial to resign.
Couple that with the 3rd most cap-room in the league puts them in a position to go after these guys. I think this offseason should be about quality over quantity. Again, that falls on Wilson and his committment to getting two more impact guys in town.
If we could sign Briggs and Clark, again EXTREMELY reasonable given the cap situation, and find a mid-level defensive tackle who's strength is against the run, combine that with another solid draft and this is a legitimate playoff contender.
While I'll be the first to admit I have a tendancy to overreact, I don't think I have with Whitner at all.
The reality is he's played 31 games now, and he's been no more important to this secondary than McGee, Greer or even George Wilson. How many games have you seen Whitner and said to yourself "wow, this guy is a great football player?"
If had been a third, second or maybe even late round first pick it would be one thing. But the bottom line is he was the 8th overall pick in the draft, and I've seen absolutely NOTHING from him that shows me he even remotely deserves it. And don't tell me draft position doesn't matter because it does. Whitner is being paid like a franchise safety, and he's played like pretty much any other safety on any other team in the NFL. That's not good enough.
Sure, he has a lot of tackles. But how many big interceptions has he had? How many big sacks? How many big tackles for losses at critical parts of the game? How many big pass breakups? Say what you want. I say he's been extrordinarily average.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm also baffled and frankly, disgusted at the amount of negativity towards Trent Edwards. I've even heard a few people say that we need to find a quarterback like Donavan McNab this offseason.
I say that talk is crazy. Firstly, does anyone have any idea financially what that price tag would do to this franchise? Secondly, Edwards has played for the most part, fine; especially for a rookie.
Look, Jerry Sullivan in his column said it best. It doesn't matter if its Jim Kelly, Dan Marino or Alex Van Pelt behind center. December football in Buffalo is about the trenches. That's where we are woefully weak. Top that off with this fact: I don't think even if Brady or Manning were here; this offense would be that good with our collection of WR's and a chicken-**** offensive coordinator in Fairchild.
Does Edwards need to improve? Absolutely he does. He's struggled heavily at times over the past two weeks. But the first quarter yesterday was evidence of what Edwards can do when the offense is opened up and unpredictable, and guys actually make the catches. When you look at the overall team needs this offseason, I think Edwards is the least of their problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If anyone doubts what kind of worth Jason Peters is to this team, remember what happened to the offense once he went down. I said it earlier this week and I'll say it again now; before the Bills sign a player this offseason, Peters should be locked up for the money he deserves, for a very long time. I think along with Chris Samuels (Washington) he's become as good as it gets at the position in this league.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost in the shuffle of so many bad things yesterday was the play of Langston Walker. He absolutely manhandled Michael Strahan. At the time I thought it was ridiculous to give someone of his track record $5 million per year. Now I'm thinking that's a bargain. When Walker plays like this, they're are few if any better tackle tandems in the NFL than Buffalo's.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What will it take for John McCargo to start getting more playing time. He's being used as a shortyardage/goal line DT and that's it. Absurd. He makes two huge goal-line stops and on the next drive I don't see him again until it's 3rd and 1 inside our 25-yard line. I don't see anyway he shouldn't be starting full-time next year. It's hard to evaluate a guy when he doesn't play enough, but it seems to me he's made plenty of big plays this year in limited playing time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Kyle Williams and Keith Ellison are nice depth players, but I don't think either should be starting next season if this defense is to take the next step. As a matter of fact, I think these two positions should be the top priority defensively this offseason.
The Bills need a DT who can play alongside McCargo, who if he does nothing else clogs up the lanes in the middle and helps a putrid run defense. At Ellison's spot, the team needs someone badly who can actually make plays. Ellison is terrible at tackling; being run over by Vince Young in the preseason was a sign of things to come.
Lance Briggs would be the obvious answer; though I doubt highly Wilson will pour that kind of money into a player outside the organization. However, It would be a signing that could put the defense over the top on its way to respectability. A linebacking tandem of Briggs, Crowell and a healthy Poz would signify one of the stronger front sevens in the league, and if nothing else this year we're learning the importance of being able to contain running backs in December.
There are no marqee wide receivers in this year's free agent market, and outside of Albert Haynesworth (who Tennessee will surely not let go) nobody on the market could help this defense more than Briggs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've talked about Briggs. Now I want to talk about the guy who would help the offense more than any player on the market. Dallas Clark.
It's easy to see when watching Trent Edwards play how much this offense would improve with a play-making tight end. He would open the offense up and be a reliable target for Trent, who loves to go to his tight end. As much as I want to see an improvement at wide receiver over Reed (as a starter), I think that talent could be found early in the draft. Clark is a guy that would help immensely from day one, and with Indy surely being focused on resigning Bob Sanders it's near certain he's going to be on the market shortly. The feeling here is Clark would be more valuable than any wide receiver we're capable of landing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cap-room wise, Buffalo could land both these prizes. It's up to Wilson and how committed he really is to having a championship contender type of team in Buffalo. Rather than signing a bunch of free agents, concentrate on just the two of them.
The advantage Buffalo has this year it hasn't in other years is they don't have crucial free agents of their own to resign. In fact, led by Anthony Hargrove (who I'd like to resigned) this the weakest overall crop of our own free agents we've had in years. There's no free agent we have hitting the market that's crucial to resign.
Couple that with the 3rd most cap-room in the league puts them in a position to go after these guys. I think this offseason should be about quality over quantity. Again, that falls on Wilson and his committment to getting two more impact guys in town.
If we could sign Briggs and Clark, again EXTREMELY reasonable given the cap situation, and find a mid-level defensive tackle who's strength is against the run, combine that with another solid draft and this is a legitimate playoff contender.
Comment