Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

[shelby]

For a guy who at first glance appeared destined to be a backup and a special teams player in the NFL — that is if he could even make a roster — Keith Ellison has sure started a lot of games for the Buffalo Bills.Ellison, seemingly an afterthought in the Bills' draft of 2006 when he was picked as an undersized linebacker in the sixth round out of Oregon State, has been pressed into starting duty in each of his three years with the team.
"When you're a backup you have to be ready to go just in case anything happens because at a moments notice you can be thrown into a starting role," Ellison said.
The 6-foot-1, 229-pounder knows of what he speaks.

As a wide-eyed rookie who was just thrilled to still have a job when training camp broke, Ellison started seven games in place of injured Takeo Spikes and Angelo Crowell.
Last year, when Coy Wire was hurt in the season opener, Crowell moved over to the strong side position and Ellison took over for Crowell on the weak side and wound up making nine starts.
And then this season, Kawika Mitchell was signed as a free agent to play the weak side so Ellison figured he was headed back to the bench. Nope.

In the week leading up to the opening game against Seattle, Crowell decided he needed surgery to repair damage to his chronically sore knee. The Bills placed him on the season-ending injured reserve list and just like that, Ellison was a starter once again.
He made 61 tackles as a rookie, 45 last season, and in starting seven of Buffalo's first nine games this year — the games he didn't start the team opened in a nickel package — Ellison has 43 tackles and one fumble recovery.

more....

[ddaryl]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

there is an easy answer since we know we have to replaced the reason why Ellison has started so much over the last 3 years ... Crowell

the answer is Terrell Suggs...

Give us Suggs and a top DE in FA and the D will be alot better. We also have 2 LB's on IR who probably would have been better then Ellison... John DiGiorgio and Alvin Bowen.

We are thin at LB which brings up the argument ... why do we have so many injuries again this year?

[Lexwhat]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

"Keith is a good, solid backup for us who's a starter right now," Fewell said. "We're getting the max that we can possibly get out of him for that role that he plays. He came into the season being a backup and he was thrust into the starting position because of injury. I think he plays within his limitations."

[jamze132]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

The Bills as an organization do not bring in top tier free agents. Hence the reason we are playing with guys who shouldn't be starting anywhere in the NFL. Hence the reason we can't consistently compete with real good teams. The talent dropoff is too great.

[shelby]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

What about Mitchell and Stroud?

[OpIv37]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

What about Mitchell and Stroud?

while Mitchell is an upgrade, it's a stretch to call him "top tier."

Dockery is the only top tier FA's the current (post-Donahoe) regime has brought in. Stroud was a trade, not a FA.

Look at the pathetic list of FA's that Marv and Co brought in (keep in mind that the FO now is the same, minus Marv, so they had a hand in this too):

Matt Bowen (never played a down as a Bill)
Tutan Reyes (cut)
Larry Tripplett (cut)
Andre Davis (cut)
Will James (never played a down as a Bill)
Copeland Bryan (decent back up)
Jason Whittle (mediocre back up)
Langston Walker (good)
Derrick Dockery (top tier but having a terrible season)
Spencer Johnson (decent back-up)
Robert Royal (starter but sucks)
Melvin Fowler (benched- sucks)
Bryan Scott (decent back-up)
Kawika Mitchell (decent starter)

There may be a few more that I'm forgetting, and I'm not even counting camp fodder guys like Teyo Johnson or some of the scrubs that were brought in mid-season last year due to all the injuries.

It's an extremely mediocre list. Walker is the only one who consistently contributes as a starter. There are a handful of decent role players, which is fine because not every FA can be a game-breaking superstar. But just look at all the guys on that list who never or rarely contribute. Look at the guys who don't justify their salary and sometimes don't even justify a roster spot (Tripplett, Royal, Dockery, Fowler come immediately to mind).

Acting like the Redskins and signing every big-name FA out there doesn't work either, but this team relies way too heavily on the draft and using young, inexperienced guys as starters. They need to find a better balance between building through the draft and bringing in FA's. And they need to make better decisions with the guys they bring in through FA to be starters.

[X-Era]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

more....

We will call this one, a matter of neccessity not choice.

Hes going to be one of the 1st to go back to the bench after the year is over, maybe sooner if Lehman steps up.

The only problem is who gets the job of replacing him, I hope its Terrell Suggs who could fix our pass rush problem and solidify the spot in one swoop, but its m ore likely to be a draftee, and outside of Curry, no one is looking like a rock soild starter.

[X-Era]

Re: Buffalo Bills' Ellison is called a backup, but frequently starts

while Mitchell is an upgrade, it's a stretch to call him "top tier."

Dockery is the only top tier FA's the current (post-Donahoe) regime has brought in. Stroud was a trade, not a FA.

Look at the pathetic list of FA's that Marv and Co brought in (keep in mind that the FO now is the same, minus Marv, so they had a hand in this too):

Matt Bowen (never played a down as a Bill)
Tutan Reyes (cut)
Larry Tripplett (cut)
Andre Davis (cut)
Will James (never played a down as a Bill)
Copeland Bryan (decent back up)
Jason Whittle (mediocre back up)
Langston Walker (good)
Derrick Dockery (top tier but having a terrible season)
Spencer Johnson (decent back-up)
Robert Royal (starter but sucks)
Melvin Fowler (benched- sucks)
Bryan Scott (decent back-up)
Kawika Mitchell (decent starter)

There may be a few more that I'm forgetting, and I'm not even counting camp fodder guys like Teyo Johnson or some of the scrubs that were brought in mid-season last year due to all the injuries.

It's an extremely mediocre list. Walker is the only one who consistently contributes as a starter. There are a handful of decent role players, which is fine because not every FA can be a game-breaking superstar. But just look at all the guys on that list who never or rarely contribute. Look at the guys who don't justify their salary and sometimes don't even justify a roster spot (Tripplett, Royal, Dockery, Fowler come immediately to mind).

Acting like the Redskins and signing every big-name FA out there doesn't work either, but this team relies way too heavily on the draft and using young, inexperienced guys as starters. They need to find a better balance between building through the draft and bringing in FA's. And they need to make better decisions with the guys they bring in through FA to be starters.

You know as well as I do that trades count to, so thats crap.

The problem is systemic. Its the mantra of signing second tier guys or moving down in the draft for later round picks.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

Ive said for years that we do a great job of adding backups, but we havent been adding star or even starter power.

Well, it will be another offseason with prospect who could make a big impact. Guys like William Moore, Alex Mack, Aaron Curry, Taylor Mays, Brian Orakpo, and in free agency Terrell Suggs, Albert Haynesworth, Julius Peppers. It may take spending huge money or trading up to get some of these guys.

Will we do it?