Can Derek Schouman Save Buffalo's Offense?

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 11:16 AM EDT in Opinion

Schouman unexpectedly steals early reps (Photo Source)

Can a man with three career receptions - for 19 yards - possibly be the savior of a Buffalo Bills offense that, in reality, was one of the worst units in franchise history last season?

Second-year tight end Derek Schouman, like every Bills fan familiar with the name, is about to find out.

A 2007 seventh-round draft pick out of Boise State, Schouman was not even an initial member of Buffalo's final roster last season. After the severe injury to TE Kevin Everett and another injury to TE Ryan Neufeld, Schouman was elevated to the active roster after spending the first five games of the season on the practice squad.

His active-roster stay as a rookie ended less than a month later, as an ankle injury forced the team to place Schouman on Injured Reserve on November 8, days after Schouman set career highs of two catches for 10 yards in a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

What a Difference a Year Makes
Flash forward to the post-draft, pre-training camp season of 2008. Schouman is still returning from an ankle injury, and he's seemingly buried on the depth chart behind Robert Royal (the incumbent), Courtney Anderson (the vet newcomer) and Derek Fine (the rookie). Schouman is, at the onset of the team's OTAs and mini-camps, considered a longshot to make the roster - and if he does, it'll only be because he can play fullback as well as tight end.

But with Royal sitting out spring practices due to injury, Schouman got the opportunity to practice - and practice he did. Practice well, that is. Take a look at how Schouman, the first-team tight end since early May (again, due to Royal's injury), has asserted himself as a factor in Buffalo's offense:

- May 22: "Derek Schouman and Courtney Anderson continue to run as the top tight ends and were often on the field at the same time"
- June 3: "Derek Schouman, who has been getting consistent first team reps with Robert Royal not participating, also factored into the passing game more Tuesday, particularly in the red zone. The second-year tight end made one high reaching reception off of play action from Edwards. He also had another catch in the flat that he turned upfield and likely would have scored on under live football conditions."
- June 4: "Derek Schouman was again a factor in the passing game Wednesday. Currently running as the number one tight end with Robert Royal not participating (knee), Schouman had three catches during team work. Edwards hit him with his first attempt in 7-on-7, and found him again on a read that earned the quarterback praise from offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. Schouman also made a high reaching grab in the flat to make a play."
- June 5: "Derek Schouman deftly positioned himself in between the linebacker and defensive back along the sideline and Edwards hit him for a touchdown."
- June 6: "Other offensive plays were turned in by Derek Schouman who stretched to make a catch on a high pass in the red zone. Schouman also had a touchdown reception later in the series."

There were a few more mentions of the name Schouman as well. His highest praise, however, came after a particularly productive practice on June 10:

Edwards and Schouman have really clicked in the passing game this spring. After playing fullback last year Schouman feels he has benefited greatly from all the extra reps he’s received with Robert Royal rehabbing a knee injury.

“Personally I think the best way to learn is trial by fire and so the more reps you can get the better and try to learn and grow from there,” said Schouman. “One of the main reasons we’re out here at this time is to build team chemistry and my job is to do well and be where I need to be and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Schouman has been one of the more consistent performers in the passing game after Reed and Parrish through the OTA sessions and has shown signs that he can handle a full-time tight end role in Schonert’s offense. He’s quickly becoming legitimate competition for Robert Royal.

Too Good to Be True?
I know what you're thinking. "Brian, it's just OTAs. Royal's hurt. Anderson and Fine are still getting used to their new surroundings. Schouman might just be a placeholder until one of the other three guys is ready to take over." (Or something like that.)

But there are intriguing facts currently working in Schouman's favor. Perhaps most importantly of all is that amongst a group of tight ends that are big, lumbering and slow, Schouman is an underrated athlete. He can play in the backfield, line up traditionally or in the slot, and he has enough speed and body control to be a factor in the seam. That alone makes him slightly more difficult to game plan for than Royal, Anderson or Fine.

He's also got the benefit of spending a spring working with the team's starting quarterback. Trent Edwards is still a young quarterback, and young quarterbacks tend to work with players that they're comfortable with. Considering how much Schouman has worked (successfully) with Edwards this spring, he's got a leg up on his underwhelming running mates in terms of establishing rapport. That's a huge factor as well.

Will these development surrounding Schouman have a positive impact on not only the tight end position, but Buffalo's offense as a whole? Clearly, we don't have the answer to that at this time. It's also still hard to get overly excited about a tight end consistently making plays in a practice setting. But we know this for sure: a tight end position logjammed with mediocrity has just gotten a lot more interesting, and Schouman stands a very good chance at winning a starting job - or at least a prominent receiving role - with a strong training camp.

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lacking size

Schouman just doesn’t have the size, at 6-2 and 220s. He is very small for a TE. Perhaps in non-contact and non-blocking drills he catches like a big WR (even for a WR, not that big a target), but can he block on the line and shed LBs? I’d be more interested in his contributions at FB and Special Teams—he may make the team if he can contribute materially to all 3 positions.

by labill on Jun 24, 2008 2:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Chris Cooley and Dallas Clark

Those are the blueprints for a guy like schouman. They are tweeners, but they make significant additions to their teams. If schouman were one of the top two TEs on this offense and made 20-30 catches and a few tds, than that would blow me away personally. This spring/summer is his chance to make a case that he can make a difference. And why not? Size? I don’t care if we have dwarves out there if we can make some plays.

The Bills can win every game

by killascript on Jun 24, 2008 2:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

but...

I do understand that Clark and Cooley have about 35 lbs on Schouman. Maybe he could address that, but talent isn’t all size, but I agree it helps.

This town needs an enema!

by killascript on Jun 24, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

my thoughts

Calling Schouman the savior of the Bills offense is a little extreme isn’t it? I don’t think he has any chance to grab the starting role from a blocking TE in a run first offense. Royal is a sound blocker, which Schouman isn’t.

I agree with labill that smaller, quicker players tend to shine when practicing without pads on. That is exactly what Schouman is. He isn’t just an underrated athlete, he very quick and agile. His combine times were some of the fastest for his position despite bulking up to 247 pounds.

I asked a question about how big Schouman is awhile ago, but didn’t get an answer. This seems like a good spot to re-ask that question. Boise St. listed him at 223 pounds. He was one of the combine weigh-in surprises at 247 pounds. NFL.com still lists him at 247. Buffalobills.com had him at 233 last season and now the Bills roster lists him back at 223. Is any of that reliable? Do we have any clue what weight he will play at this season?

If he is going to play at 223, then not only is he too small to be a TE, he is too small to play FB as well. He would be limited to coverage units on special teams and passing situations on offense. Even if was up around the 230-235 the team listed him at last year, he wouldn’t have value as an inline TE. The lightest TE in the league to gain more than 200 yards receiving was Owen Daniels who the Texans list at 247. Chris Cooley was the only other TE under 250 pounds to finish amongst the top 40 TEs in receiving yards and he weighs in at 249 pounds.

If he plays closer to 250 pounds he could be a very valuable part of a TE committee. He could be used on passing downs primarily and he could also be put in motion a lot, giving defenses different looks on running plays.

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 3:00 PM EDT 0 recs

As a reference

Here is the list of every TE who went over 300 yards receiving for the season with their listed height and weight. Fans often don’t consider a player’s size to be all that important, but I think it is hugely important. It is shocking how similiar the heights and weights are of the above average players of the same position. The TEs are listed by last year’s receiving yards.

Tony Gonzalez – 6’5, 251
Jason Witten – 6’5, 265
Kellen Winslow – 6’4, 250
Antonio Gates – 6’4, 260
Chris Cooley – 6’3, 249
Owen Daniels – 6’3, 247
Jeremy Shockey – 6’5, 251
Dallas Clark – 6’3, 253
Donald Lee – 6’4, 248
Heath Miller – 6’5, 256
Tony Scheffler – 6’5, 250
Desmond Clark – 6’3, 250
Vernon Davis – 6’3, 253
Alge Crumpler – 6’2, 262
Zach Miller – 6’5, 255
Randy McMichael – 6’3, 255
Bo Scaife – 6’3, 249
Chris Baker – 6’3, 258
Jeff King – 6’3, 260
Greg Olsen, 6’5, 252
Marcedes Lewis – 6’6, 265
Ben Watson – 6’3, 255
Alex Smith – 6’4, 258
Eric Johnson – 6’3, 252
Ben Utecht – 6’6, 251
Billy Miller – 6’3, 253
Visante Shiancoe – 6’4, 250
David Martin – 6’4, 265

Things to notice:
Robert Royal isn’t on the list. He had 248 yards receiving last season. He comes in at 6’4 and 255 pounds.
There are 28 players on the list.
Alge Crumpler is the only one who is shorter than 6’3. The average height is 6 feet and 3.9 inches.
The average weight is 254.4 pounds. 18 of the 28 players weigh less than 5 pounds more or less than the average.

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up 0 recs

Fine

If he takes the reigns after this season, he weighs in now at 247 according to buffalobills.com roster and might be the real prospect to look out for this season.
AND for any Shockey talk (not mentioned in this post, but just to put it out there), the only thing the Jauron Bills might borrow from his friend Coughlin’s Giants is utilizing an under-scouted rookie TE deep into the playoffs. Shockey is not worth anything.

This town needs an enema!

by killascript on Jun 24, 2008 11:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

schouman

This makes it all the more confusing as to why the Bills drafted Derek Fine other than maybe for Special Teams, cuz IMO he is pretty much Derek Schouman #2. And last time I checked a 6’2” 224 lb TE is not ideal especially when he lacks speed. Will he be a saviour? Absolutely not. But will he lead the TE’s in catches? I could see that. He is going to catch flats, swings and ins and outs and button hooks. He is the safety valve. Exactly not what this offense needs, which is why I cried Wolf for a stretch the field in April’s NFL draft.

I like Schouman. I think he “gets it” as evidenced by his role last year before the injury. I think he has the confidence of the coaching staff and its not like the competition is stiff at TE.

MARVelous

by MARVelous on Jun 24, 2008 5:29 PM EDT 0 recs

Edwards gets a vote, and he appears to like Royal

The comment about young quarterbacks working with players they feel comfortable with is interesting. Edwards might feel comfortable with Shouman, but he’s flying to Arizona to work one-on-one with Royal. That’s sending some kind of message to the coaching staff.

I liked this year’s draft, and last year’s and the year before. But in three years, have they really gone after a high quality tight end prospect? In the `08 draft, for instance, I did not understand taking Omon and three cornerbacks when we’ve had a crying need at this position for years.

It’s not like Royal is going to the Hall of Fame, or before him, Everett when he was healthy. I actually thought Gaines had something to offer, but he was dealt.

It’s almost like this position is a blind spot, or at best an afterthought for the coaching staff. They need a stud here, and I’m pretty sure Shouman isn’t that.

by Defensewinsgames on Jun 24, 2008 5:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

He is the safety valve. Exactly not what this offense needs…

Marv, you would rather have a black hole at tight end than a safety valve for our young quarterback desperate for a go-to target? Pete Metzelaars and Jay Riemersma – the two most productive tight ends in Bills history – weren’t “stretch the field” guys when they played, but they were effective because they could catch the danged ball.

Rob Royal is a stellar blocker and a good locker room guy, but that’s all he is. He’s NOT a guy that Edwards can rely on underneath or in the red zone. If Schouman can be a more reliable target for Edwards than any tight end was last season, I don’t understand at all how that’s “exactly not what this offense needs”.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 7:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

safety valve

Yes, being reliable and a guy underneath is great. My point I was trying to make is that we have those guys in Schouman/Royal, so it made me scratch my head even more when they drafted Fine cuz why do you need 3 of those guys? Makes no sense unless he is tailor-made for Special teams but why waste a 4th round pick on that?

Schouman clearly is separating himself from the pack. Is that a good thing? Brian believes so. I think its fine. I don’t think its the secret weapon for our offense. Hopefully he becomes that reliable target that can find a knack for gettingd 3rd downs. If he doesn’t do that though, and just simply is a safety valve on 3rd and 13 to get 7 yards, then we have a problem. I don’t think he can separate and create space cuz he is so slow. But maybe I’ll be proven wrong

MARVelous

by MARVelous on Jun 25, 2008 11:23 AM EDT up 0 recs

I got ripped for suggesting Schouman might be decent about three months ago..

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 5:59 PM EDT 0 recs

I remember that...I believed you kry

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jun 24, 2008 6:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

Again you have my back. Thank you. I bet you're a mighty fine wingman...

I think the concerns on his weight are vaild. But I do know they liked the kid, at least somewhat. If he and Edwards do have a connection, then they might be on to something. Might he have the chance to be another Riermersma? Who knows? I didn’t care for Jay R, but today’s TE is pratically a different position from back then.

I don’t think Edwards is sending a message about his TE’s by going to play catch with Royal. I think he’s just showing leadership.

Tentatively speaking, does this mean we have a Derek Fine/Courtney Anderson battle on our hands for the 3rd TE? I

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 6:22 PM EDT 0 recs

Fine Vs. Anderson

If thats the case I think Fine will win if he shows even a little bit of anything. Lets say it another way 2008 4th rounder vs. journeyman who got cut from the Raiders and couldn’t stick with the Falcons.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jun 24, 2008 6:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

I was probably one of the people who ripped you for liking Schouman. I really like him too, just not as a TE. He would be a solid H-Back if the team wasn’t changing to a classic FB.

Kurupt is right that the team will only keep 1 FB which opens the door for 4 TEs. If Schouman makes the team he will be used in specialty packages on passing downs, as a backup FB and a contributer on special teams. He has the size/speed combo to potentially be a member of both coverage units and maybe as a blocker on kick returns. If Schouman weighs less than 240, the Bills simply cannot put him on the line of scrimmage as a TE which means that the Bills can’t consider him to be a primary backup to Royal. I think there is no way that the Bills will try to keep just 3 TEs and 1 FB if Schouman is one of the TEs.

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 6:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

"If Schouman weighs less than 240"

I agree on your comments on that, to an extent….

I guess you know you’re starting to get to be a decent team when your off season musings are with regard to 3rd TEs and the like. If they do keep 4 TEs, that will mean a DE, OG/OT, or LB will be lost. I think it’ll come down to STs at those spots, so the question is….Can Schouman play STs? Fine has a rep as a good one; we’ll see how that translates to the pro game.

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 7:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

If Schouman weighs less than 240, the Bills simply cannot put him on the line of scrimmage as a TE which means that the Bills can’t consider him to be a primary backup to Royal.

Do they need to put him on the line? Line him up standing on Edwards’ shoulders pre-snap for all I care; as long as he can be a viable receiving threat, does anything else matter?

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 7:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

I just meant

That Schouman can’t be on the line as an every down player. The comment was more intended to point out that the Bills should keep 4 TEs if they keep Schouman than it was a knock on what he can do for the offense. The Bills can line him up right next to the O-Line on passing downs. He jsut isn’t big enough or a good enough blocker for him to be our starting TE.

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 7:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

That I can agree with. It’s a good thing we don’t necessarily need a starting tight end; if Schouman can be a productive receiver – and that’s a big if – we could have a nice little platoon brewing.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 7:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm all for a platoon

Seeing Robert Royal off the field more often would be a dream come true. I think Derek Fine is a lock to make the team and I don’t trust him as a blocker yet. He is a scrappy hard-working blocker, but a lot of his scouting reports noted his average blocking. If Robert Royal gets hurt, I would much rather see Courtney Anderson (who I realize isn’t considered a good blocker either) and his massive 6’6, 270 pound frame out on the field on run downs and most first downs than I would Fine or Schouman. That just leaves me thinking that the Bills need to keep all 4 guys, which I think they can do if they only keep one FB.

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 7:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

Are you really sure Fine is a lock?

I know he’s a 4th rounder. On a team like Buffalo (middle of the pack), a 4th rounder is usually a guarantee to make the team. Given the quality of TEs on this roster, you would think it’s a sure fire bet.

I’m just not sold on him yet Maybe I just need to see/here more about him. Maybe I just wanted to hear something positive about him from the OTAs.

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 7:59 PM EDT up 0 recs

Kinda hard for Fine to make noise when your boy Schou is stealing all his thunder. :)

Also doesn’t help that Fine was probably catching passes from Luke Drone. R.I.P., Luke Drone’s NFL career.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 8:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sireric will eventually claim to have a Luke Drone Bills jersey...

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 8:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

It was on order

But he got cut, so I changed the order to Hamdan.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jun 24, 2008 9:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Did you know that Gibran Hamdan is the nicest Arab-American in the NFL?

It’s true. I read it on the Internet.

by Defensewinsgames on Jun 25, 2008 7:09 AM EDT up 0 recs

That’s why I’m getting his jersey.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jun 25, 2008 7:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

I think I also heard...

That e was last year’s Pro Arab athlete of the year, and I’m not kidding. Did anyone see the interview Kenny Mayne did wth him last year? It was friggin hilarious…

by krytime on Jun 25, 2008 12:59 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree with this line of thinking...

Ron has said that Walker got help last year from the TEs in pass blocking. Hopefully, this year, the same five can protect w/o the help of a TE, given a year of familarity. That would free up a TE (like Schouman perhaps) to run the unstoppable “TE lining up on the QB’s shoulder” play. Or, maybe just out wide, or in the slot…

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 7:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

Oh, why not?

Due to the inability to run up the middle, the Bills all too often called upon Josh Reed to block where a TE generally would. Would there really be that much of a difference if Schouman was forming the outer wall of the rushing lane instead of Reed?

by Ron From NM on Jun 25, 2008 12:08 AM EDT up 0 recs

Much ado about nothing?

Me thinks so, at least at this point.

Schouman was the only experienced player returning at TE. Of course he was going to get the 1st team reps. Nobody else knows the offense well enough yet.

However, he did make some plays so that is noteworthy. Unfortunately, it was in shorts and t-shirts, so I don’t take much of what was accomplished all that seriously.

I think at this point Schouman is fighting Anderson for a backup role and maybe the final TE spot. I think Fine’s spot is safe if he shows he’s at least decent. If the team only keeps 3 TE’s, it’s coming down to Schouman/Anderson. At this point, Schouman sure looks to be ahead, but is it really going to be beneficial for this O if we have two carbon copies behind Royal? In the end I think a 4th TE will be kept, along with only 1 FB. I still don’t believe a FB is going to be used a whole lot in the new O, so having a guy like Schouman with experience playing in front of a RB from last year should enable us to keep the 4 TE’s and probably Darien Barnes.

Savior? hahahahahahahaha He’ll be lucky to make the team and contribute Brian!!

by Kurupt on Jun 24, 2008 6:43 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm gonna try and defend this kid here a little..

He is coming off of his first season. The most improvement in a player comes right after his first off season as a pro. So he does have that going for him.

How fo you see Fine’s spot as safe? I think the first four guys picked are safe bets to make the team. I see Fine as being the highest drafted player to possibly start the practice squad run.

I think the biggest question, and it comes from what you mentioned, is how many TEs/FBs they choose to keep. That will be the determing factor in Schoumans, Andersons, Fines, and Barnes future.

If we’re talking about guys like Schouman, is it safe to say that this spot on the team is a weakness? If you ask me, this might be the weakest part of the lineup. The only other spot that’s worse is C, right?

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 6:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

I hope the Fowler haters don't chime in, but ......

I don’t want to get a center conversation going, but there are more teams that Fowler would start for than Royal would. Tight End has to be the weakest starting spot on the team. Assuming Hardy doesn’t flop, center becomes the second worst. On the bright side it gets a lot tougher to come up with the 3rd worst starter on the team though (unless you consider FB to be a starting spot, which means that Barnes or Viti might belong ahead of Fowler too).

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up 0 recs

I consider TE/C 50/50..

You’re right – I don’t want to get a C conversation going here either…

I didn’t even consider the FB either. That is a very weak spot as well, although it’s technically an “unimportant” spot.

Is there any way to uprgrade the TE before the season? Anyone out there who you think could be had? I come up with Bakre from the Jets, and that’s it. I don’t even thinks he’s anything special either…

by krytime on Jun 24, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Probably not until cutdowns start. Anyone know if Stephen Alexander and Kyle Brady have actually retired? Both are available, although they’re each over 32.

Tim Euhus is available, too.

by Krenn on Jun 24, 2008 7:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

yeah not unless there are any surprise cuts

Baker is definately the best name out there right now.

Stephen Alexander has a combined 39 catches over the last 2 seasons. I think he is shot and would be a downgrade from Royal.

Kyle Brady is just a blocker. He would be like Robert Royal version 2.0. He actually is probably a worse receiver than Royal.

Tim Euhus? Do we really have to talk about the long list of mid to late round TE picks that havn’t worked out for the Bills? Will they ever draft a TE early?

by kaisertown on Jun 24, 2008 7:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Shockey

I don’t care if people think this is a foolish name to throw around. I know the Giants say they want to keep him but the fact is he is disgruntled and definitely wants out after the G-Men kept him off the sidelines during the Super Bowl. I don’t know about you guys but I think a 2nd rounder and 6th, which is probably what it would take, is worth it to get Shockey in here NOW for this season. What a difference he would make. He would open the offense up big time and give Trent a great option every passing down that hes on the field. The Giants can afford to cough up him for the right price with Boss heading into his second year after a great rookie playoff run. Ok, I’m ready now, fire away!

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jun 24, 2008 10:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

Have you watched a lot of Shockey?

Because he sucks.

He drops seemingly every other pass, runs poor routes, can’t stay healthy and is not the big play threat that many perceive him to be. He has 3 career receptions over 35 yards…not exactly a big threat guy and with his mediocre hands, he’s not much of a possession guy either.

Giving up that much for an injury prone malcontent that isn’t as good as he believes isn’t going to make this offense much better.

by Kurupt on Jun 24, 2008 10:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

The stats tell a different story

2002: 74 rec, 894 yds, 2 TDs
2003: 48 rec, 535 yds, 2 TDs (in 9 games)
2004: 61 rec, 666 yds, 6 TDs
2005: 65 yds, 891 yds, 7 TDs
2006: 66 rec, 623 yds, 7 TDs
2007: 57 rec, 619 yds, 3 TDs

In every year he averaged 10 yds per catch or more, except ‘06 when he netted 9.4 per catch. To me that doesn’t define sucking. If he sucks then I don’t even want to think what level Royal is at. He’s only missed 1 game in every season except 03’ when he only played in 9 games and last year when he missed two after breaking his leg, so he’s not that injury prone. If he had put up those same numbers in a Bills jersey he would have been on the ballot for Brian’s best TEs ever segment, so I don’t see how you can say he sucks.

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jun 24, 2008 11:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

My wife is a Giants fan

So I end up watching every Giants game. (I see them more then the Bills) Shockey is a blow-hard and a buffoon. Talented yes, but he’s a jerk, and I wouldn’t want him on the Bills.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jun 25, 2008 6:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

Schouman

I think he makes the team.

Savior may have been overstating a little.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Jun 24, 2008 7:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

Savior? hahahahahahahaha He’ll be lucky to make the team and contribute Brian!!

Ha, notice I never made the claim. This is an interesting discussion, though.

by Brian Galliford on Jun 24, 2008 7:34 PM EDT up 0 recs

The unknown

I’ll take thne unknown entity given Buffalo’s stable of TE’s. We KNOW what Robert Royal can do because he has a long and proven track record which makes it clear that he isn’t close to good enough. We KNOW Courtney Anderson wasn’t good enough to make an NFL catch while healthy last season in a league with 32 teams playing 16 games each. We don’t know what Fine and Schouman can bring to the table. A depth chart consisting of Schouman/Royal/Fine for ‘08 makes more sense than marching the same old garbage out there and praying that this is the year it finally comes together (see Josh Reed)...Now Schouman needs to play well in training camp to win the job and nobody KNOWS if he’s up to it. But we better hope he (or Fine) is- because we KNOW Royal can’t hack it in this league. It may be a stretch for a former 7th round pick with 3 catches to his credit to save the offense, but Buffalo painted themselves into this corner by passing on aggressive attempts to improve their dismal offense. The unknown is our only hope next season.

Never forget 56-10. Revenge.

by SuperFan82 on Jun 24, 2008 8:33 PM EDT 0 recs

Buffalo Rumblings keeping Chris Brown employed

Adding to the idea that CB is a lurker, Buffalobills.com now has a video up on this very subject matter. Way to give the official site some ideas Brian. Now if only the royalty checks would come rolling in.

by XtrmeCarnage82 on Jun 25, 2008 12:54 PM EDT 1 recs

After Wading Thriugh These Posts

I’ve got a few questions. First off, several posters have mentioned that we will keep only one FB on the roster. If we are to take Schonert at his word that we will be incorporating a more FB oriented offense ( as opposed to HB) what sense does it make to only carry one on the roster? Seems a backup might be a good idea.
As far as TE goes, I really don’t knowwhere the Bills are headed. After reading the blurb on BB.com on the Fine signing, Bobby April gushes so much over this guy that you would think he’s the second coming of Steve Tasker, sure to make the 53 on ST talent alone. Robert Royal is a good blocker but hardly “stellar” and what else does he bring to the table besides that? And.yeah, Schou has been getting alot of OTA ink, but how much faith can you put in that? Anderson has the prototypical size and weight to be an exceptional TE, gotta like the potential there.
From what little I know right now I’d like to see them keep 4 TE – Royal (based on NFL experience), Anderson ( 6’6 270 lbs, former WR), Fine (ST value), and Schou (OTA props). If we are truely switching to a FB offense I think we need to keep at least 2 – Barnes (NFL experience) and Viti ( potential and leadership value ).

by Blackthorn on Jun 25, 2008 6:22 PM EDT 0 recs