Schein's Nine: Rookies who can't play like rookies

[The Spaz]

8. Aaron Maybin, Bills DE

I thought Buffalo made an excellent pick, tabbing the Penn State pass rusher as the 11th overall pick. But there were skeptics who screamed that Brian Orakpo was the better player at the position and left tackle (Michael Oher was still on the board) was the bigger need.

It's a pressure-packed season in Buffalo. Dick Jauron, Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch and others all have pressure on them for a variety of reasons. And then there's Terrell Owens. The Buffalo pass rush was at times nonexistent last season. Based upon where he was drafted, whom he was taken in front of and what he was drafted to do, Maybin must deliver early. He can and he will.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9...y-like-rookies

[Mitchell55]

I still like the pick Orakpo had big bust potential and was lazy at times. Maybin is a young fast off edge rusher which buffalo hasnt had since, well, weve never had a true speed DE.

[Crisis]

I still like the pick Orakpo had big bust potential and was lazy at times. Maybin is a young fast off edge rusher which buffalo hasnt had since, well, weve never had a true speed DE.

weren't you the one who had a huge hard-on for orakpo? but now since the bills didn't pick him, hes a huge bust?

you'll like whatever move the bills make

[TigerJ]

Actually, I think it's more important that Levitre and Wood don't play like rookies since the Bills are counting on them to be full time starters from day one, and the AFC East has some of the better defensive lines (especially interior lines) in the NFL

[TigerJ]

The worst fear that a Bills fan could have concerning Maybin is that he could turn out to be another Eric Flowers. Flowers was undersized in college and bulked up the way Maybin did for the combine and the draft. It doesn't necessarily follow though that bulking up after college will never work for a player.

[Jan Reimers]

We really do need Maybin to give us some kind of pass rush. It was our biggest problem last year and the reason we spent a number 11 pick on him. I think he's about our only hope, with Schobel on the decline and the other DEs being ineffective at getting to the QB.

[TigerJ]

Oh, I agree, Jan. It's a matter of degree. The Bills at least have other defensive ends with extensive starting experience, and Schobel, at least, has had some productive seasons, albeit not lately. If Levitre and Wood suck, the Bills really don't have a viable Plan B.

As far as Maybin goes, I imagine Buffalo would like to get at least half a dozen sacks out of him. That seems to be about par for the course for highly drafted pass rushing defensive ends in their rookie season. Very few get more than that.

[Tatonka]

i dont know why people think schobel is on the decline.. he was just hurt last year.. i dont see how that equates to "decline". he could have the best season he has ever had with stroud and maybin there to help.

[Jeff1220]

i dont know why people think schobel is on the decline.. he was just hurt last year.. i dont see how that equates to "decline". he could have the best season he has ever had with stroud and maybin there to help.

He wasn't exactly dominant the year before either.

[HHURRICANE]

I still like the pick Orakpo had big bust potential and was lazy at times. Maybin is a young fast off edge rusher which buffalo hasnt had since, well, weve never had a true speed DE.

IMO, and I stress IMO, Orakpo looked a lot more like the slam dunk in this draft. I would have taken him vs. Maybin.

The positive is that Maybin could turn out to be the better player if his size doesn't become an issue.

Packing on 30 pounds overnight with 10-20 more to go doesn't make me confident that he can play in the NFL and the reality is that as you get older your body is going to support what you were intended for.

Bruce Smith was a 300 pound guy that slimmed down to 275 to play like an animal.

Having a 225 pound guy try to beef up to 275 isn't as encouraging.

Look at what happend to Schobel when he dropped for 265 to 249. He's been thrown around like a rag doll and his performance has directly correlated to his weight loss.

The league is getting bigger not samller.

[BillsWin]

Schein is a closet Bills fan. I love it.

[Jan Reimers]

i dont know why people think schobel is on the decline.. he was just hurt last year.. i dont see how that equates to "decline". he could have the best season he has ever had with stroud and maybin there to help.

I hope you're right. I just think that between the normal wear and tear, his injuries, and the fact that he's playing at 243 lbs.or so, his best years may be behind him.

[AndreReed83]

I'm not sure if Maybin will pan out or not. I am fairly confident however that the Bills will not regret their passing on Orakpo.

[Mitchell55]

weren't you the one who had a huge hard-on for orakpo? but now since the bills didn't pick him, hes a huge bust?

you'll like whatever move the bills make

What, so you want me to sit here and say that we are lousy for not getting him. Also I didnt know about his lazyness till the weekend of the draft when everyone was comparring him to Maybin.

[OpIv37]

i dont know why people think schobel is on the decline.. he was just hurt last year.. i dont see how that equates to "decline". he could have the best season he has ever had with stroud and maybin there to help.

14.0 sacks three years ago (before his big payday)
6.5 sacks two years ago (after his big payday)
1 sack last year (granted the injury doesn't help).

And if you watch him play, he clearly doesn't look as effective. Also, that Mic'd up video of him whining to Kawika Mitchell about how he's getting too old doesn't help. Neither does the fact that he'll be 32 when the season starts.

[OpIv37]

What, so you want me to sit here and say that we are lousy for not getting him. Also I didnt know about his lazyness till the weekend of the draft when everyone was comparring him to Maybin.

It's one thing to think Maybin is a good pick.

It's another thing to be all excited about Orakpo BEFORE the draft then suddenly change your mind about him when the Bills didn't pick him.

And all the analysts were saying the same things about Orakpo leading up to the draft. That stuff about his supposed laziness wasn't breaking news on draft day.

This really is your whole problem. Clearly you pay a lot of attention to the Bills and to the NFL in general, but you have no objectivity. You always see things in the best possible light for the Bills even when that's not the reality.

[MassEffect218435]

I still like the pick Orakpo had big bust potential and was lazy at times. Maybin is a young fast off edge rusher which buffalo hasnt had since, well, weve never had a true speed DE.

This is the first time I've ever seen anyone refer to Orakpo as "lazy." You don't dominate one of the best conferences in football by being "lazy."

[DrGraves]

What, so you want me to sit here and say that we are lousy for not getting him. Also I didnt know about his lazyness till the weekend of the draft when everyone was comparring him to Maybin.

They point is that you change your mind every time you look stupid. You never stick to your beliefs.

[TigerJ]

Regarding Maybin, I was down on him after his poor 40 time at the combine. Even though a defensive end's time in the 40 is not a good predicter of his effectiveness at getting to the QB, it looked like a red flag with respect to his ability to carry the extra weight. His stellar time in the 40 at Penn State's pro day reassured me. He still has to translate his measurables to the field at that higher weight, but he's really not that far from Orakpo in terms of his size, 15 lbs at most. The Bills and Maybin think he's still good for an additional 5-10 lb gain of muscle mass. At that weight, he would not be undersized as a 4-3 DE at all, especially at RDE, where he's likely to end up after Schobel is put out to pasture.

Maybin may not have been the most NFL ready of the defensive ends the Bills could have drafted in the first round, but he might possibly have the most natural ability as a pass rusher and the most upside as a defensive end. In the end, I'm kind of happy that the Bills rolled the dice a bit instead of taking the safe pick. In recent years they've played it safe in the draft quite a bit, and so far it has netted them mediocrity.

[justasportsfan]

i dont know why people think schobel is on the decline.. he was just hurt last year.. i dont see how that equates to "decline". he could have the best season he has ever had with stroud and maybin there to help.

I would almost argee. Schobel two years ago was picked on for his run D and it didn't help that Tripplet and Tim Anderson were in the middle. Last year he worked at it and it showed how he was stout vs. the run prior to his injury but it affected his pass rush. we shall see what he does this year.