Versatile Woodbury Intrigues Bills

[The_Philster]

He wears blue and red and is part quarterback, part receiver and part special teams player. But the player in reference isn't Superman; it's the athletically gifted Tory Woodbury.

If you've been to camp you may have seen him wearing a red jersey and conversing with Buffalo's quarterbacks. But on Saturday in Indianapolis it was his big hit on special teams that made him stand out. http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3317
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[ryjam282]

We'll see but I just can't see it. No way we keep 4 QB's unless they think he can progress and they dump Matthews. Special Teams or not he needs to make some kind of impact to make them do that IMO.

Good article :up:

[casdhf]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we keep him and just 5 WRs.

[vicmantak]

As Shaud Williams, Jim Leonhard and Justin Bannan... Woodburry is one of my favorite underdogs.

[Turf]

He sure appears to be a physical specimen. I'm pulling for him to be the number 3. Something about him tells me he needs a chance at QB even.

[mysticsoto]

I think we need to keep and find a spot for him. Maybe not at QB - not this year...but think about it...how long is Matthews going to stay with us? He was about to retire when we called him and has put his retirement 2 years off now. I doubt he will last much longer with us now that we have Holcomb as a backup. Woodbury could be our next project at #3 QB next year and onward. And the fact that he plays great ST and even WR/S allows us to have a versatile player for emergencies...

He's one of those that we need to make a spot for somehow...

[Mr. Miyagi]

Fire Matthews now.

[jmb1099]

MM likes playes like this...Kordell "Slash" Stewart ring a bell?

[Mr. Miyagi]

MM likes playes like this...Kordell "Slash" Stewart ring a bell?
Yes I do.

Oh, you meant Mike Mularkey. :ontome:

[casdhf]

can the emergency QBs play without the first 2 QBs being unable to come back into the game? I don't know how that works if the E. QB is not playing QB

[NJFINSFAN1]

Was this the kid that was on the Jets?

[Kelly The Dog]

Here is the problem: We really can't make him the #3 QB and USE him effectively in a game because he will be ineligible. If we make him the #2 then there are times if Losman got hurt we may not have a back-up except him, and I don't think we want him playing quarterback in the middle of the game. So we couldn't just designate him a QB and use him as a Slash player lined up at QB for a series or a few plays, unless he was the #2. The other way would be to designate him a WR, and play him on ST, and at WR and RB and somehow design plays where he can get pitchouts and run options but I think there are rules that say only designated QBs can line up behind center. He could line up at RB and get a direct snap but that isn't likely to fool anyone. What it could do is allow him to run or throw, which may be effective in the red zone.

But, uh, isn't that what we like and got Losman for?

[mysticsoto]

Was this the kid that was on the Jets?
Yep.

[NJFINSFAN1]

Yep.

He was a big fan favorite for them. They wrote in the local papers about him all the time.

[mysticsoto]

Here is the problem: We really can't make him the #3 QB and USE him effectively in a game because he will be ineligible. If we make him the #2 then there are times if Losman got hurt we may not have a back-up except him, and I don't think we want him playing quarterback in the middle of the game. So we couldn't just designate him a QB and use him as a Slash player lined up at QB for a series or a few plays, unless he was the #2. The other way would be to designate him a WR, and play him on ST, and at WR and RB and somehow design plays where he can get pitchouts and run options but I think there are rules that say only designated QBs can line up behind center. He could line up at RB and get a direct snap but that isn't likely to fool anyone. What it could do is allow him to run or throw, which may be effective in the red zone.

But, uh, isn't that what we like and got Losman for?
Good point. We may not want to designate him as a QB then. I wonder if they should test him at Safety. I really hate that we lose a roster spot to Dorenbos. I sincerely wish we would get another player that could perform multiple duties to also develop good long snapping skills. I'm sure there are alot of players that are dying to make the team and would work their a$$ off to develop good snapping skills...

[Mr. Miyagi]

I still can't believe Dorenbos is getting paid. All he does is long snapping? He makes hundreds of thousands doing that one very specific task? :down:

[LifetimeBillsFan]

MM likes playes like this...Kordell "Slash" Stewart ring a bell?
Precisely. I think that's the reason that they brought him in and may be the only chance he has to make the squad.


I think we need to keep and find a spot for him. Maybe not at QB - not this year...but think about it...how long is Matthews going to stay with us? He was about to retire when we called him and has put his retirement 2 years off now. I doubt he will last much longer with us now that we have Holcomb as a backup. Woodbury could be our next project at #3 QB next year and onward. And the fact that he plays great ST and even WR/S allows us to have a versatile player for emergencies...

He's one of those that we need to make a spot for somehow...
Woodbury is not that young of a guy. He was drafted in 2001 and played 4 years in college--which would make him about 27. If he was a polished passer or younger, he might be someone who you would look at as a guy that you could develop as a future # 2 or # 3, but that's not case with Woodbury.

While he put up good-looking passing numbers in college, Woodbury played in Div-II in an option offense where he was a superior athlete in comparison to virtually all of his peers (by comparison, S.McNair played Div-1AA in a pass oriented offense--El Roberson was a great athlete with a huge arm who played in an option offense at KSU in Div-1A--McNair was able to make the transition to the NFL, while Roberson was not). The Jets had Woodbury for two years as a developmental project and he was not able to beat out Brooks Bollinger (who is horrible!) as their # 3 QB. As bad as things got for the Jets when Pennington was injured and Q.Carter bolted from the team, Woodbury was never considered more than an emergency option by the Jets, even after two years. That's not saying much for his ability to play QB in the NFL! Yes, they kept him on their active squad as a special teams player, but not as a QB.

I would rather see the Bills keep Mathews for this season to act as a mentor to JP Losman and, then, either draft or sign a younger guy (20-24) to develop as a solid back-up behind JP and Holcomb, who would be able to step in for JP, if necessary, in a couple of years, after Holcomb is gone. Holcomb is going to be with the Bills for the next couple of years. If the Bills choose to keep and try to develop Woodbury, in a couple of years he will be around 30 by the time Holcomb moves on--that's a little late for your # 2 QB to start getting some real game experience. If you are going to have a 30 year old # 2 QB, you'd want someone with more experience playing QB than Woodbury would have at that stage--otherwise, you'd be better off going with a younger guy who you can keep as your # 2 guy for a few years. At least that's the way I see it.

I can see the Bills possibly keeping Woodbury as a "Slash"-type player who can contribute as a WR, option passing threat, and as a solid ST player to take advantage of his athleticism and versatility, but not as a developmental project at QB.

[Kelly The Dog]

Good point. We may not want to designate him as a QB then. I wonder if they should test him at Safety. I really hate that we lose a roster spot to Dorenbos. I sincerely wish we would get another player that could perform multiple duties to also develop good long snapping skills. I'm sure there are alot of players that are dying to make the team and would work their a$$ off to develop good snapping skills...
They are trying. Apparently, Duke preston had never long-snapped in his life until one of the college all-star games last year, but wowed scouts with his ability to do it during the practices (and maybe even in the game). He has done some in training camp but I have read somewhere (may or may not be reliable) that he hasn't been great. I wouldn't risk it unless he was pretty damn consistent, as part of our success is Moorman and the punt team. Right now, Dorenbos appears to be the guy, but if Preston can do it, that may be the spot opened for Woodbury.

[mysticsoto]

Oh wow, if woodbury is 27 already, that does put a damper on forcing someone out to keep a spot for him At WR, it would be tough. Aiken is solid. Haddad and Wilson might both be kept the way they are playing leaving Reed to be cut. And that right there is 6 WRs which is the max you would have (You have to count Parrish b'cse he will be back). At Safety, Baker is entrenched. Coy is expendable, but I don't think (or haven't seen enough) Woodbury could outplay Coy at SS. I haven't seen Woodbury play the position though - and he does love hitting so who knows - maybe they should give him a try. Leonhard might be the better natural fit but Woodbury can also catch and has good height and speed. Maybe he would make a good Safety if he can show that he has coverage skills. On STs, he already looks good and has a decent amount of experience.

Sounds like a good test to try. If we can't fit him in at Safety...we might just have to cut him after all. I guess it's nice when you can afford to cut good people than when you cut b'cse of no talent or bad performance.

[Jan Reimers]

I still can't believe Dorenbos is getting paid. All he does is long snapping? He makes hundreds of thousands doing that one very specific task? :down:
The thing about long snappers is that you never hear about them until they screw up, which can cost you a game. Luckily, we never hear much about Dorenbos.

That said, I'd prefer a LS that could at least play a backup position, to save a roster spot.

[John Doe]

I have Woodbury competing with Joe Burns and Jon Goldsberry for a spot on the final 53 as a pure special teams player. Of course, all of them can fill in somewhere else in a pinch, but that becomes less of a factor in favor of Burns if we keep 4 running backs (McGahee, Williams, Gates, Lee). Goldsberry can be stowed on the practice squad to back-up the fullback position, so it really boils down to Burns vs. Woodbury as pure special teamers - at least from my perspective.