Anthony Thomas as Backup to McGahee

[Spielmanrules54]

What's everybody's thought on this guy... I know his production has fallen off sharply over the last couple years, but he's playing for an awful Bears team. I think we can get him for cheap and would be a solid backup to McGahee. I have to admit I'm not comfortable going into the season without a experienced backup to McGahee... still worried about his leg. Thomas has a couple of 1,000 yard plus seasons and has been a starter for 3 out of his 4 years with the Bears.

[gr8slayer]

He is just another Ki-Jana Carter. All hype no skill.

[Spielmanrules54]

I didn't know Ki-Jana Carter had ANY productive seasons in the NFL... at least Thomas does.

[gr8slayer]

I didn't know Ki-Jana Carter had ANY productive seasons in the NFL... at least Thomas does.

If his two 1000 yard season is what you call a productive back then I worry about you.

There is a reason why he is now a back up and did not have any more 1000 yard seasons.

[Spielmanrules54]

He's got 2 1,000 yard seasons

[Spielmanrules54]

and remember this is with the BEARS... i'm not saying he's gonna challenge McGahee, but a solid backup... i think so

[gr8slayer]

He's got 2 1,000 yard seasons

I corrected myself.

[gr8slayer]

Do keep in mind that even the worst of RB's gain 1000 yards in a season. It is not a huge accomplishment to gain 1000 anymore like it used to be.

1000 yards in a season isnt even 100 yards a game.

[gr8slayer]

Anyway, if he would agree to come in for very little money then bring him in but judging from what I have been reading he wants quite a bit of cash.

[Spielmanrules54]

I agree with you there... only if we can get him for cheap... I think his asking price will drop when he's sittin on his ass for awhile... If he thinks he's starting material... he's kidding himself

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I have to say that I don't think it is fair to put Ki-Jana Karter as a complete failure with no skills. The guy destroyed his knee. It wasn't like he came into the league and absolutely sucked like Blair Thomas.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Some think, including him, that he can compete for a starting job somewhere. I'm not so sure, but I'm thinking he wants to go somewhere that doesn't have an elite-type back like McGahee. He had a couple of good games last year trying to get his job back from Thomas Jones. I'd actually rather have Hearst as a 3rd down back.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I agree with you there... only if we can get him for cheap... I think his asking price will drop when he's sittin on his ass for awhile... If he thinks he's starting material... he's kidding himself

I like him--but only if we can get him for cheap. The problem is that he really wants to be a starter and believes that he can be--so, yeah, he's kidding himself. Maybe sitting on his butt without even getting an offer from anyone will get him to change his mind and drop his price, but it hasn't so far.

I picked up Thomas as a fill-in for my FFL team last season and did a little research on him and this is pretty much what I found out about him: Thomas is a hard runner; he's got decent straight-line speed, but he's not particularly quick or shifty and he's not a particularly good receiver out of the backfield. If he gets to the corner, he is capable of breaking off long runs (he had a very long TD against the NY Giants last season), but has some problems getting to the corners. The Bears, who are committed to running a version of the WCO, felt that he was a liability in their offense because they felt that they had to limit their play selection when he was in games--primarily because he is not a very good pass receiver and is only an adequate blocker. However, he is a pretty good runner when he gets the chance to run between the tackles and off-tackle--in short, he is a power-runner--as evidenced by the fact that he put up at least 100 yards rushing and scored at least one TD in the games that he started for the Bears last season.

In many ways, A.Thomas is quite similar to T.Henry: he's a bit bigger and, perhaps, half a step faster than Henry, but isn't as good of a pass receiver (although Henry wasn't used that much as a receiver or all that great of one, either, especially when he first started with the Bills); both of them are hard runners who seem to look for contact and get most of their yards between the tackles; neither of them can be considered "home-run hitters", although Thomas has broken off some long TD runs from time to time, so they both have their limitations.

While Thomas was not a "fit" in the Chicago offensive scheme, his limitations would be less of a problem in the power running offense that the Bills use--he can do pretty much the same things as T.Henry did for the Bills, except as a pass receiver. What he would give the Bills as a back-up to W.McGahee would be a strong, power runner who could spell Willis when the Willis needs a break and the Bills want to keep pounding the ball and get the tough yards on the goal-line that Shaud Williams is simply too small to get. I would not discount the 2 1,000 yard seasons that he had with the Bears because those yards were gained for a team that had virtually no passing game (no QB and virtually no WRs) that opponents regularly stacked their defenses up to stop the run against because they knew the Bears' passing game posed little threat. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Thomas is as good as Henry, he has been kind of a "poor man's version" of Henry, certainly good enough to be a decent back-up to W.McGahee if the Bills are able to trade T.Henry. His main weakness is lack of outside speed, shiftiness and as a pass-receiver--all of which are things that Shaud Williams can provide in abundance. IMHO, a combination of A.Thomas and S.Williams as back-ups to W.McGahee would give the Bills everything that they would get from T.Henry and, perhaps, more in that role.

If the Bills choose to sign a vet FA RB, rather than take a larger RB in the middle rounds of the draft, I would prefer to see them take Thomas over any of the others who are available--if, and only if, he could be signed cheap and would be willing to come in as a back-up and not complain about playing time. IMHO, the Bills do not need a "third down, change of pace" back, like a G.Hearst, because they already have one in S.Williams. They need a hard runner who can spell Willis in the power running game and get the tough yards on the goal-line as his back-up that S.Williams can't--and, in my view, A.Thomas is the best of the available vet FA RBs to fill that role.

But, then again, that's just my opinion.

[Spielmanrules54]

I like him--but only if we can get him for cheap. The problem is that he really wants to be a starter and believes that he can be--so, yeah, he's kidding himself. Maybe sitting on his butt without even getting an offer from anyone will get him to change his mind and drop his price, but it hasn't so far.

I picked up Thomas as a fill-in for my FFL team last season and did a little research on him and this is pretty much what I found out about him: Thomas is a hard runner; he's got decent straight-line speed, but he's not particularly quick or shifty and he's not a particularly good receiver out of the backfield. If he gets to the corner, he is capable of breaking off long runs (he had a very long TD against the NY Giants last season), but has some problems getting to the corners. The Bears, who are committed to running a version of the WCO, felt that he was a liability in their offense because they felt that they had to limit their play selection when he was in games--primarily because he is not a very good pass receiver and is only an adequate blocker. However, he is a pretty good runner when he gets the chance to run between the tackles and off-tackle--in short, he is a power-runner--as evidenced by the fact that he put up at least 100 yards rushing and scored at least one TD in the games that he started for the Bears last season.

In many ways, A.Thomas is quite similar to T.Henry: he's a bit bigger and, perhaps, half a step faster than Henry, but isn't as good of a pass receiver (although Henry wasn't used that much as a receiver or all that great of one, either, especially when he first started with the Bills); both of them are hard runners who seem to look for contact and get most of their yards between the tackles; neither of them can be considered "home-run hitters", although Thomas has broken off some long TD runs from time to time, so they both have their limitations.

While Thomas was not a "fit" in the Chicago offensive scheme, his limitations would be less of a problem in the power running offense that the Bills use--he can do pretty much the same things as T.Henry did for the Bills, except as a pass receiver. What he would give the Bills as a back-up to W.McGahee would be a strong, power runner who could spell Willis when the Willis needs a break and the Bills want to keep pounding the ball and get the tough yards on the goal-line that Shaud Williams is simply too small to get. I would not discount the 2 1,000 yard seasons that he had with the Bears because those yards were gained for a team that had virtually no passing game (no QB and virtually no WRs) that opponents regularly stacked their defenses up to stop the run against because they knew the Bears' passing game posed little threat. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Thomas is as good as Henry, he has been kind of a "poor man's version" of Henry, certainly good enough to be a decent back-up to W.McGahee if the Bills are able to trade T.Henry. His main weakness is lack of outside speed, shiftiness and as a pass-receiver--all of which are things that Shaud Williams can provide in abundance. IMHO, a combination of A.Thomas and S.Williams as back-ups to W.McGahee would give the Bills everything that they would get from T.Henry and, perhaps, more in that role.

If the Bills choose to sign a vet FA RB, rather than take a larger RB in the middle rounds of the draft, I would prefer to see them take Thomas over any of the others who are available--if, and only if, he could be signed cheap and would be willing to come in as a back-up and not complain about playing time. IMHO, the Bills do not need a "third down, change of pace" back, like a G.Hearst, because they already have one in S.Williams. They need a hard runner who can spell Willis in the power running game and get the tough yards on the goal-line as his back-up that S.Williams can't--and, in my view, A.Thomas is the best of the available vet FA RBs to fill that role.

But, then again, that's just my opinion.

Thank you very much!! This is the first thread I started and I appreciate your input on it. He may get scooped up by someone who needs a starter if they're left holding the bag after the draft and everything. I like your idea about the combo of Thomas and S. Williams... I'm actually hopin that Shaud can develop and be "The Man" behind McGahee, but he's too unproven and I'm still worried about McGahee's overall durability

[Jan Reimers]

He's younger and more productive than Garrison (Ready For The) Hearse, whom many want to see in a Bills uni. I think Hearst had a whopping 81 yards rushing last season. I saw Thomas play in college and he was a tough, physical back.