Originally Posted by
LifetimeBillsFan
I don't think some of you guys bothered to read what I wrote for OP when he asked about Troupe, so let me copy it for you to read here:
Here's the skinny on Troupe (I had him on a FF team a couple of years ago, so I checked him out fairly thoroughly):
He was supposed to be Kellen Winslow Jr before KW2 when he came out of Florida as a top draft choice. He was supposed to be the guy who would make Titans fans forget about the loss of Frank Wycheck to retirement.
Like a lot of Florida players, though, he's not the swiftest finger on the mental trigger, despite being an exceptional athlete--and he was considered an exceptional athlete for his position coming out of college.
Troupe had the luxury of being behind McNair's favorite target, E.Kinney, the starting TE as a rookie. Still he had a pretty good rookie year, showing flashes of great promise at times as he moved past their other TE (whose name I forget, but who was not a stiff) as the season progressed.
His second year was supposed to be his coming out party and he was expected to really step up big and become a star. Then, he got hurt. He came back and got hurt again. Still, he wasn't bad when he was on the field. He had 55 catches, 4 for TDs and 530 yards in 15 games, but only 11 starts.
A lot of people were looking for him to follow that up with a big breakout year in his third season, but he got hurt again, played in only 10 games (9 starts), but this time he wasn't anywhere near as effective. With McNair gone and replaced by V.Young, it is hard to say how effective he could have been that season had he been fully healthy, but it wasn't a good season for him and it was a turning point in his career with the Titans.
While Troupe was injured that year, his place in the starting lineup was taken by Bo Scaife--who, not so coincidently, was Vince Young's starting TE at Texas. When Troupe came back last season, a lot of people still thought that he was going to have a breakout year, but Scaife was firmly ensconced in the Titans' starting lineup and Troupe could not move past him on the depth chart, even though he was fully healthy. With the Titans having taken precautions against him getting hurt again at TE, he sank to 3rd on the depth chart and saw more and more limited action as the season progressed, although he did appear in 16 games. (In part this was due to the fact that Troupe is more of a receiving TE, while Hartsock is more of a blocking TE and the kind of TE that would be used as the 2nd TE in a two-TE formation.)
While I don't know to what extent his injuries may have limited him, if he's fully healthy, athletically, Troupe is a 1st Round talent. In that regard, he has the ability to be everything that you would want the Bills to get at the TE position.
Mentally and maturity-wise, he had a long way to go coming out of college, but he has been around for 4 years and getting injured and losing your job does have a way of sobering up a lot of guys. I think that this is going to be the area that the Bills are going to be looking closely at when they talk with him. IMHO, this, as much as anything will be where they will make a decision about whether they will make him an offer or not.
If his injuries have not robbed him of significant athletic ability, Troupe is a real thorough-bred athlete--there aren't a lot of guys at his position who started out with more sheer athletic ability. But, like thorough-bred horses, a lot of thorough-bred athletes have a tendency to get hurt--they will miss a game or two here and there or suffer a major injury because they will try to do things that other, less athletically-gifted players won't even attempt or be asked to do. And, that has been the case with Troupe.
Also, because of their athletic ability, thorough-bred athletes often get a "pass" early on if they "aren't the brightest bulb on the tree" or are immature or don't work hard. And, from some reports, that, also, was the case to a certain extent with Troupe, at least initially, as well.
The Bills are going to have to talk with Troupe--look at his medical records, but, most importantly, try to ascertain if the rough season that he had last year has made him determined to get his career back on track--before they make any decision about signing him.
If they determine that he is ready to come back with a renewed sense of determination to recapture the career that he had the potential to have coming into the league, he could be a terrific signing because he has the athletic ability to be a serious deep-threat and has good hands.
And, he may not be that expensive. He's been to Tampa Bay, but they have Alex Smith, who they are paying big money to and they may not be that interested in giving Troupe that much. The Bills, with three low-paid players on the roster at the position and just Royal getting any kind of money, may be able to offer a bit more if they think that he is ready to finally have a breakout season.
Signing him would be a risk. But, that's where the Bills FO and coaches will have to decide where Troupe's head is at these days. Athletically, if he's fully healthy again, he has the goods.
Summary:
Troupe hasn't been inconsistent when he has played in the way that Royal, Gaines, Campbell, etc. have been--he was actually pretty good and looking like he was on the verge of becoming a star before he started getting hurt.
He did, however, miss a lot of time due to injuries over a two year period before returning to health last season.
The switch from McNair to V.Young at QB was a setback for him, particularly because he was replaced in the starting lineup by Young's college TE.
The fact that he was hurt so much led the Titans to make provisions to move ahead without him. The TEs that they brought in to replace him were able to do something Troupe could not--stay healthy. And, they were a better fit for what the Titans wanted to do with V.Young at QB than Troupe, who was a better fit in the offense the Titans had when S.McNair was their QB. Most importantly for the Titans, though, Scaife and Hartsock proved that they could be counted on to stay healthy.
There are risks in signing Troupe. His maturity is a question-mark and, biggest of all, is: can he stay healthy.
However, on the other hand, if he is fully healthy now, he is a tremendous athlete, capable of being a dangerous deep threat. In an offense that utilizes his talents, he can be a star--if he can stay healthy.
The Bills are going to have to decide whether they are willing to take the risks that come with Troupe--and at what price. Signing Troupe would give them the luxury of being able to draft a TE in the 3rd or 4th Round who has the talent to be a starter, but may need some time to develop before he is ready to step up into that role, like a Martin Rucker (the gifted athlete from Missouri who has great hands and the potential to be a star in the NFL, but who was never called on to block much in college and will need time to work on his blocking before he is ready to be a starting TE in the NFL).
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