Marcus Jones is the key!

[Judge]

If he's healthy and can return to prior form, then that will solve the Bills' concern over whether they have a sufficient pass rush to make the D complete.

I hear alot about the primary D weakness being an uncertain pass rush. The Bills obviously have confidence in Jones' return, and if/when he does and succeeds he should clinch an executive of the year award for TD.

[Doc]

I don't think that Jones needs to be a pass-rushing force at LDE, just a good run-stopper and able to contain the QB. That will allow the other guys to do their things. Any sacks and QB pressures from him are just gravy IMHO.

[Patrick76777]

Originally posted by Doc
I don't think that Jones needs to be a pass-rushing force at LDE, just a good run-stopper and able to contain the QB. That will allow the other guys to do their things. Any sacks and QB pressures from him are just gravy IMHO.

With Williams, Adams, Fletch and Spikes, Jones isn't going to need to worry about the run. I think that at the end of the year, we may have the best run D in the NFL.

[ryven]

If jones is healthy Opposing offense's will havve a hard time keeping are guys out of the backfield.

[Doc]

I think the LDE's primary responsibility will be to contain the QB and the run. I think that if the Bills signed him with the expectation that he can get close to 13.5 sacks again, when he got those as a RDE, they'll be in for a rude awakening. However I don't believe that is the case.

[Halbert]

Right. Jones went from 13 (espn) sacks at RDE to 3 when he switched to LDE - on one of the best D's in the league. That doesn't mean he can't get double digit sacks from that side but I'm not expecting it. If he's healthy, 6.5 would be my guess.

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

[WG]

First of all, has anyone heard anything positive regarding Jones' recovery/rehab??

Anything? Anything at all!

I haven't heard a thing other than thru the grapevine and that speculation is that he's more likely to retire than he is to play.

Secondly, we're talkin' about a player who had 13 sacks 3 seasons ago and only 11 sacks in the other 5 seasons that he's played. Why does everyone always assume that a player, once he gets to Buffalo, will match or exceed his career best even tho perhaps his best days are past him? I don't get it.

I can understand the enthusiasm, but there's rarely any reality injected into the analysis. If Jones even plays this year we'll be lucky apparently. If he plays, seems to me we'll be lucky if he accedes to the starting role.

Frankly, I think Irons is gonna take the job lock, stock, and barrel. He had great credentials coming out of college until he got hurt his senior year. I'm sure he would have been drafted in the first 3 or 4 rounds otherwise. He seems like he was a real impact player at N.D. before his injury and has fully recovered from that injury.

I'm lookin' for Irons to take this job. As well, until I see Jones in pads and playing full tilt, I'm leaning towards believing the rumors that he may retire before I'm leaning towards any notion that he's even gonna start.