Even if Marcus Jones heals up nicely, why is there so much optimism about him?

[WG]

I just revisited his career stats.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?statsId=3530

I'm not exactly impressed here. Seems like a Posey type of player in terms of numbers. I.e., didn't start or play much early in his career, then only posted one significant season in 6 years. The big difference is that he was drafted in the first round.

In 6 seasons he's had only one outstanding season among 1 very average one, the last one, and then 4 in which he didn't make much of an impact at all for one reason or another.

He'll be 30 this year, so for a Bruce Smith type of player who relies on his speed, that may be a factor too. He's obviously coming off of a significant injurie(s).

I guess I find myself hoping that he's "our answer", but then I also find myself asking why I have that hope. It appears that Jones is oft injured and really is only a player who had high hopes upon entering the NFL but who never lived up to those hopes.

What are your all's thoughts?

[THATHURMANATOR]

While he might not be a star Player I think he is an upgrade over Anhonatou and has shown in the past he can get to the QB. Whether he will be able to do it again is what we will find out.

[Dozerdog]

Ditto Thurm

[Patrick76777]

Because I invented a time machine, and saw that he’ll have 15 sacks this season. He’ll also make the Pro-bowl. Unfortunately we won’t make the playoffs because of a bizarre Piano incident with one of our superstars.

[Tatonka]

Originally posted by Patrick76777
Because I invented a time machine, and saw that he’ll have 15 sacks this season. He’ll also make the Pro-bowl. Unfortunately we won’t make the playoffs because of a bizarre Piano incident with one of our superstars.

:lolcry:

roflmao:urock:

[LtBillsFan66]

I haven't heard too much optimism about him. Maybe I'm missing something.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I don't know if I had seen anybody shooting a load over him, I just think the fans are hungry for a good front four and hope that he can be an upgrade.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I agree. An upgrade no matter how small it is helps!

[WG]

Originally posted by THATHURMANATOR
While he might not be a star Player I think he is an upgrade over Anhonatou and has shown in the past he can get to the QB. Whether he will be able to do it again is what we will find out.

Well, I guess that's my point then.

You say that as if it's a foregone conclusion that Jones is better than CA. Well, if you compare the careers of the two you'll see that Ahanotu had by far the better one. CA was a bit older, but w/o the injury concerns.

We will find out whether he'll match his career best or do what he did in 4 other seasons or in between. But again, I just don't see the validity to the statement that based on a difference of essentially Spikes, the entire D is gonna be all that much faster when we've replaced our DT w/ a slower one, albeit much better v. the run, and essentially swapped out Newman for Posey who are about equal.

I'm not saying it definitely won't be faster, but I also don't understand how one guy, Spikes, is gonna add that much team speed to the other players.

CA: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?statsId=2439

Jones: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?statsId=3530

[WG]

Originally posted by TheGhostofJimKelly
I don't know if I had seen anybody shooting a load over him, I just think the fans are hungry for a good front four and hope that he can be an upgrade.

Hope is one thing, but expectations based on reality is entirely another.

Heck, I'm hopeful that we'll have 50 sacks this season, that Drew won't bumble, that Henry doesn't fumble more than 4 times, and that we have no injuries on our OL or WRs. But reality suggests that none of that will occur.

[HenryRules]

Originally posted by billsfanone
I haven't heard too much optimism about him. Maybe I'm missing something.

Agreed.

I haven't heard much positive or negative mentioned about Jones in the last month or so.

[LABillsFan]

You know we have a lot of non star players on the roster but if each one holds his own good things will happen. Sure there is no Smith or Douglas on this team but there is Spikes, a good seconday and the PW SA team in the middle. It just may be a team of not well known names with the exception for a few that play their postion well forcing plays into the arms of the others, like the way Hanson held his own, I'm not ready to write off any possibilities until I see this team play. Plus I want to see the shemes LeBeau brings in. We may be under estimating them.

[The_Philster]

It doesn't have to be a case where we have a few players stepping up and giving All-Pro performances to get the team to play well. As long as they all carry out their assignments and play as a unit, we should be fine.

[Typ0]

I agree with you guys. There certainly are a lot of what if's. But I think TD has done a nice job of trying to find pieces that can fit together for the team to be successful and he probably isn't done yet.

[casdhf]

I haven't seen anyone knocking down Ahanatu's door, isn't he still a FA?

[casdhf]

I also thing Jones played DT for a few years too

[mypoorfriendme]

hopefully we wont have to rely on the outcome and talent of marcus jones. with denney and kelsay alone we should be able to fill that hole. im not so much worried about our dline for some reason. i dont think jones will start, but im still confident theyll do a mediocre job at least.

[Lone Stranger]

It seems to me that TD brought in several questionable free agents in hoping that 1 or 2 might revert to their best brand of ball. Only time will tell but Jones, McKenzie, etc., fall in that group.

[WG]

Indeed!

But I guess my question, and related to that article, why is the "party-line" now that we have upgraded our speed so much when essentially the sole distinguishing difference between the speed on our team from this year to last is the addition of Spikes?

Does one player really make the speed of the other 10 that much better! I.e., I think this is just a bit of hype. I have no question that we'll be better, and I think our rush D, which was the #1 issue last year, will be a top 5 rush D now. So I know we're gonna be solid. But so incredibly faster as Moulds said??

I just don't see the basis for that other than pure optimism and enthusiasm on his part, not to take that away from him however. But in trying to be objective,...

:shrug:

[EDS]

Moulds is probably looking at the whole picture - Spikes is a huge speed upgrade and some of the younger players also represent more speed. Crowell is faster than any back-up the Bills had last year, as are guys like McGee and Reese in the secondary, Kelsay is faster than Chidi. Those are the new people, some of the holdovers may also have improved their speed - i.e., Denny and Edwards.

That said Spikes is the only one that will make a big impact this year, but that impact should be huge.

[WG]

How do you know that Kelsay is faster than CA?

Have you seen him play at this level or against players that represent this level? Just curious.

What concerns me about Kelsay is this statement:

"Though his ability to play the run has improved, Kelsay doesn't show the ability to consistently beat superior competition."

From several other sources as well, that's a consistent criticism. That was also made while he was in college. In the pros, all he's gonna see is what was "superior competition" in college.

As well, the piece says he has "good" but "not great" quickness. CA wasn't exactly slow, so I guess I'm still left wondering where this differential is.

I'm thinkin' Denney, Irons, Edwards may step up this season. A lot of times these guys really mature heading into their 3rd seasons. If they don't, they are usually relegated to backup status for their durations in the NFL.

I'd expect Irons to start over Kelsay however and then only if Jones doesn't work out. I'd think that Gray/LeBeau would give McKenzie the shot first too.

[EDS]

My understanding from reading on another board last summer was that Chidi was a 5.0 forty guy with better skills as a run stuffer/stay at home end. Kelsay is listed at 4.75 or so, which is alot faster. Does that make him better, probably not at this point.

I agree with you that the Bills are much more likely to get increased production, and in turn rely more on Denney, Irons and Edwards then to pin any hopes on the rookie Kelsay this year.

[WG]

Someone raised a good point earlier as well, that there may be some cuts from the last round of cuts that we could pick up w/ some cash that we'll have.

TD's done an oustanding job w/ the cap I must say!!

It does seem that many teams are as well. I think they're starting to reach a steady state now that FAcy has been well under way for a number of years and "NY Yankee tactics" have proven ineffective in the NFL.

Hopefully that will bring most of the players down to reality in the long term as well.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Maybe someone like Bruce!!!

[WG]

As long as we get good play from Fletcher in the middle, from Posey on the SS, and as long as Adams steps up and plays more like the player he was while at Baltimore than the slipping player that he appeared to be last year, I think we'll be fine.

I don't necessarily think we'll log many more sacks, but they should increase some, and simply shutting down the run will be huge. We may also get more sacks when teams are forced to pass more. Last year they ran, even when they were down, b/c they could. Well, if all goes well, that option won't be nearly as open as it was last season. So teams will have to be in obvious passing situations more.

The Pats for example. Smith ran well against us last season. Not exceptionally. 29 for 111 in the first game, 17 for 68 in the second. I view the second game as being more the measure b/c I think we simply got caught off guard last year as Drew, the fans, media, and probably the coaches thought that Drew would just light up N.E. as if they had no D!

So that second game in which the Pats had only 275 net yards on 68 Smith rushing yards and 182 Brady passing yards. They don't have the weapons this year at WR. They're a bunch of small WRs and Smith is 31 now and wasn't a 1,000 yard RB last season. He figures to not improve and struggle even worse against us this season. So that's why I said I'd be surprised to see much more than 70 rushing yards out of the Pats this season.

They'll be forced to throw, and when that happens, our pass D which played very well for the last half of the season last year, will have less pressure and play up. Sacks and INTs will occur.

The Pats and Belichick have put way too much emphasis on D and not nearly enough on their O. JMO however. I can't see them being much better than 9-7 again or 10-6 at best. We have a legitimate shot to beat them twice in revenge, beat the Jets at least once, and Miami at least once too. A split w/ the Fins would be fine w/ me if we can take two from the Pats and one or both from the Jets.

If we can do that, IMO we'll be 12-4. I think it all comes down to how well we play in the division. If we stink up the joint, improperly call games, force errors, and go 2-4 in the division, non-divisional teams will capitalize on that trend/pattern for defeat and win some games v. us as well.

[The Natrix]

I don't think we are going to see much of Kelsay this year.

[TigerJ]

It's really quite simple, Wys. Buffalo did not sign or draft an elite pass rushing defensive end. That means we've got what we've got. We are hoping that one of the possibility that one of the guys who will be competing at LDE steps up and provides an upgrade. Jones may not have had an overall outstanding career, but he was a first round draft choice who has shown some flashes. Denney, according to Jeff Morrison of WNSA radio has put on about 15 lbs of muscle and looks both stronger and quicker than last year. Kelsay was not one of the elite DEs in the draft, but he's a pretty good one. Then there's Tim Krumrie who should have similar ability to coach fundamentals like John Levra, but also, from all reports is a fireball who really can light a fire under his linemen. There is not a guarantee among all those guys, but we can hope until proven otherwise that there will be some improvement out of the play of our line and LDE in particular. No there is not a potential all pro among our DEs but we don't have to have that to be at least somewhat better.