Florence out 2-5 weeks – Inside The Bills
Bills CB Drayton Florence is set to miss 2-5 weeks of action as he recovers from a sprained knee sustained in Saturday's win over Chicago.
almost 3 years ago
Brian Galliford
61 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Oooh, that sucks.
- Does that squash the “trade youboty” rumors now?
- Does that mean Corner is now the nickel CB?
- Does that mean Lankster made the team?
- Does that have an affect on a potential Roscoe trade?
- Does that squash the "trade youboty" rumors now?
I hope so.
- Does that mean Corner is now the nickel CB?
For now. I’d still expect Florence to be the nickel guy for most of the season. And Youboty still has time to get healthy and impress.
- Does that mean Lankster made the team?
I don’t think this injury is a factor in that. Florence shouldn’t miss more than a couple of games, so as long as the rest of the DBs stay healthy (that means you Youboty!), then the Bills don’t need Lankster. This injury does give Lankster some extra reps in practice and preseason to continue to impress though.
- Does that have an affect on a potential Roscoe trade?
Why would it?
Why would it?
I was thinking if Parrish were traded, some punt returns would fall into Leo’s hands. This would be putting an extra burden on him, and then maybe he would need to be spelled here or there. I thought Florence had seen some time outside. If he’s not available, then you would be relying on Youboty and/or Corner to fill that spot, if needed.
I would expect Freddie to return punts before Leo, and maybe Reed or McGee too….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 18, 2009 12:17 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’d guess that if Roscoe were hurt or traded, that Jackson would get the majority of the punt returns with McKelvin getting some when Buffalo needed the big play (ie: late in halfs, losing in the 2nd half, offense is struggling). And as you’ve mentioned, Byrd could be a candidate for some emergency returns too. And despite his fumble, Rhodes could always be used.
And Kry, remember that anytime the Bills are returning a punt or kick, it means the defense is leaving the field and the offense is coming on. If anything, a defensive player pulling double duty would miss returns due to fatigue and not time on defense.
I don't understand why we'd want to trade Parrish
We live and die by our special teams. Parrish’s PR ability gives our offense a fighting chance in terms of field position. I don’t trade him for that reason alone, no matter how much he whines.
Thinking long term: Owens and Reed are UFA after the season, potentially leaving us with Evans, Hardy, Johnson, Parrish and Jenkins. Hardy has proven nothing. Johnson hasn’t proven much at all. Neither has Jenkins. That leaves Parrish as our only game proven receiver outside Evans (if Reed and Owens leave). Why trade him?
Assume that Owens and Reed leave, and one of the trio (Hardy, Johnson, Jenkins) develops into the starter. That leaves Parrish as our starting slot WR. Again, why trade him?
I agree. It made sense to trade Roscoe in the offseason when Buffalo could save three mil and spend it somewhere else. But now that the season is staring us in the face, let’s do whatever gives the Bills the best chance to win and that’s putting Roscoe back there on punt returns. If Roscoe gets the chance to return 2 punts a game (that’s not including fair catches), then he’s a lock to score at least one TD and he’s probably going to score more than one. His presence returning punts could be the difference between 10-6 and 11-5 (or 6-10 vs. 7-9).
That's ok
Never a big fan. I like corner more anyways. This will give corner more time with first string defense
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 17, 2009 10:45 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Why do you like Corner better? What has he ever done?
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 17, 2009 11:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
what has florence done?
corner is cheaper, younger and more athletic in my mind. corner is constantly improving, while florence hasnt really flashed anything spectacular.
with corner you will of course have a player that is a little more rough around the edges, thats expected, he doesnt have the experience. but he takes risks and finds himself around the ball more often than not. i was never for signing florence, especially knowing that the bills would draft CB’s. Florence is an over-rated player that was a bust in JAX. he did well in san diego, (and i think his numbers are inflated based on playing the afc west where there is really only one good passing threat in denver) but was never seen as a INT type of person. i just feel florence is on the way down, and corner is on the way up.
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Florence has proven capable at this level. He became one of the better nickel CB’s in the league with SD, has shown an ability to pick off passes, is a solid tackler, has a ton of experience and has good size. What more do you expect out of a nickel back?
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 18, 2009 12:24 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
corner has shown many of those same abilities. the only thing florence has on him is age and experience. florence did NOTHING last year. why should we expect greatness again? how do we know he just didnt lose a step or ten. theres an obvious decline in his production these last three years. PD – 16-10-3! INT – 3-2-0! TAK – 66-61-36.
and who were those picks against? KC and OAK? oh yea they have good passers….oh wait. he had a good season in 2006, and 2004. thats two out of his 7 years. thats proven capable?
i dont see florence as that much of an upgrade, and i think with time and experience corner will show hes the real deal.
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions
He also went from being a nickel back to being a starter. It’s a difference. He has proven he can excel in the nickel role. No matter your opinion on it, Reggie Corner has not done that yet.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 18, 2009 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Completely Agreed
I like Corner – but Florence is better, at least for now. Hopefully Corner can show off his skills in these next preseason games – starting with not dropping the ball!
what has florence done?
Intercept 10 passes, break up another 50 and make 275 tackles as a pro. He’s won a job as a nickel corner or starter five straight seasons and was a significant contributer on some of the league’s better defenses in San Diego.
corner is cheaper, younger and more athletic in my mind
They are battling for playing time, not a roster spot. So Corner being cheaper is completely irrelevant.
In what world is Corner athletic? He’s so athletic that he put up phenominal numbers in college, was a first team all MAAC performer, but wasn’t invited to the combine and was an unknown name heading into the draft. Corner’s pro day times …
He ran 10 yards in 1.56 seconds, 20 yards in 2.58 seconds and the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds. He ran the short shuttle in 4.03 seconds, the long shuttle in 11.46 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.87 seconds. He measured a 36-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot broad jump
were pretty mediocre, especially considering that he weighed 180 pounds at the time.
http://www.kffl.com/player/19506/nfl/news
Corner is a whopping three years younger than Florence. Florence flopped because he shouldn’t have been starting and because the Jacksonville defense flopped as a whole. They hired Gregg Williams, blitzed like crazy and left the DBs in man coverage. In the same way that Josh Reed shouldn’t be overly criticized for struggling in a role that doesn’t suit him, Florence doesn’t deserve much flack for struggling as a starter. He’s bigger, stronger, a better tackler, much, much more experienced and every bit as athetic as Corner. If Corner is going to spend the whole MNF game lined up across from Wes Welker, consider me terrified.
Florence doesn’t deserve much flack for struggling as a starter.
what? did you watch the jag games? he got burned over and over. he was not only a non factor but a liability out there. i think its funny how some people on here just ignore a bad year…. i was always under the impression that football is a what have you done for me lately type of sport.
those are great stats of a padless corner, but i was personally talking about his play on the field. i believe i already addressed the other issues about him being on the chargers. i admit, he was good in san diego but to sit here and think that he will put up the same numbers this year. 9 of those int came in three years, the other three he had one. he is an up and down player and has shown lately that he is going down.
its funny how i see arguments on here about getting rid of kelsay and denny to let the younger guys in, and getting upset at the idea that they will get the nod because of seniority, and when i mention corner is on the same plane and can be better than florence, i get attacked. where is the love for this guy coming from?
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I like Corner better than Florence as well
But I think this year Florence is probably a better player. Not in 1-2 years though.
i admit, he was good in san diego but to sit here and think that he will put up the same numbers this year.
sorry, that should read “i admit, he was good in san diego but to sit here and think that he will put up the same numbers this year doesnt make sense”
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions
The entire Jacksonville pass defense was a mess though. They blitzed more than almost every team and still had an awful pass rush. That will kill any secondary. Rashean Mathis had a reputation as one of the league’s better cornerbacks, but got ripped to shreds last year too.
The whole cut/trade Kelsay movement was an offseason one and was largely due to his huge contract. You’re not seeing anybody suggest we cut Kelsay or bench him for somebody else in any of Brian’s roster prediction articles. People wanted to cut Kelsay when they thought that the money could be spent some other way.
At this point in the season, people have a put the best player on the field mentalitiy and I’m not sure how anyone can think that Corner is our third best CB.
Dude, I don’t think anyone is “attacking” you. They’re disagreeing with you. There’s a difference.
I happen to agree with them. Straight up, Florence > Corner. I’m not saying that might not change at some point, but right now, Florence is CLEARLY the better player.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"Our style is simple but not that easy. Roll up your sleeves and play good, solid football." -- Marv Levy
by Brian Galliford on Aug 18, 2009 6:05 AM EDT up reply actions
but right now, Florence is CLEARLY the better player.
i disagree. ill be surprised if florence out preforms corner this year.
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 6:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I think its funny that you ignore Corner’s inexperience and make claims that he’s better when there’s absolutely no proof of that. How is your argument for Corner any more valid than anyone’s for Florence. Florence has produced in the past in this role, that’s why we expect him to do a good job. Corner has done nothing. What have you done for me lately does apply here…
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 18, 2009 10:00 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Im not ignoring it
I dont think corner is leaps and bounds better than florence. My main point is that I think that if given a larger role this year corner will have
a better season than Florence. Comparing both of their numbers from last year I don’t see how that is that big of a stretch.
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 3:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well it’s apples to oranges when yo uare talking slot CB vs. outside CB. First you are playing against different WRs and then you are playing on a different part of the field. Not to mention the different defensive scheme.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 18, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Man Corner saved the Denver game last year..........
did you forget?
Godspeed Nick - RIP - 1986-2009
by norcaliangelsfan on Aug 18, 2009 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
How could I forget the guy who Stokely kept beating?!?!?
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 18, 2009 12:25 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If that end zone is a couple yards longer, Stokely catches the ball, the Bills lose and everbody has a pretty different view of Corner.
but it wasnt
and im guessing corner has played enough games to know that…….
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 1:38 AM EDT up reply actions
But it’s not like Corner cleverly used the back line to his advantage. Stokely had a step or two on him and was running straight up the seam, parallel to the sideline. Cutler intentionally underthrew Stokely to throw the ball where he could catch it inbounds. It was that necessary underthrow that allowed Corner to get a hand in there and break up the play. If Cutler throws the ball a half second earlier, or if Stokley had another couple yards to work with, a decent throw turns Corner from hero to goat.
And who can forget the play before Corner’s breakup where Stokley was wide open and somehow got a good four yards or seperation from Corner only to be overthrown by Cutler. Corner was bailed out twice on consecutive plays and was very lucky to have things turn out the way they did.
That is a bad argument kaisertown
If the endzone was longer…if the catch was made….etc.
Corner made the play and should get credit for it, just as he should get ripped for his mistakes. Currently, Corner is without question the better CB because he is not injured :-)
I would love the Bills to win games, but I will be happy if they are competitive without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
My thought process on that is nobody should rip Corner for any of that because Stokley never made the catch and the team won. Your right about that. If we are talking about how Corner played than the overthrow of a wide open Cutler and the necessary underthrow that allowed the breakup are small footnotes on Corner’s performance.
But if we’re predicting how Corner is going to play this year, using past performance, then the way Corner made it to those outcomes is more important than what actually happened. Past tense, Corner did what he had to do to prevent the TD, but in the same situation in the future, he probably didn’t do enough to stop that play a couple more times.
Wow, that’s been my argument on Corner all along! He was made into some sort of hero for his play in that game but he simply got lucky on that last drive that Denver didn’t score. He got beat multiple times but Cutler made some bad throws. Stokely was beating Corner a lot that day too.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 18, 2009 10:05 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, I don’t know if people remember how badly Stokely beat Corner on the play before the big pass breakup. Stokely was as wide open in the end zone as somebody is capable of getting.
Every corner will get beat time from yime
Trust me I saw alot of it last year by Florence too. I don’t think you can just arbitrarily call
it a lucky break though. He’s a pro, and I’m
betting that he probably did know where that end zone was and the sidelines. You don’t make it this far on luck. I don’t know for certain either way buy if I were a betting man I’d bet he knew rather than got lucky. Db’s use sidelines all the time for help.
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 18, 2009 3:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Agreed. Haven't Evans and T.O.
been beating Leo like a drum a training camp? Does that mean Leo shouldn’t be staring?
I would love the Bills to win games, but I will be happy if they are competitive without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
And Leo has looked good again the other guys. T.O. is a Hall of Famer and Evans is very good.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 18, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
So it is OK for Leo, our starting CB, to get beat by T.O. and Evans,
but it is not OK for Corner to get beat by Stokely? I didn’t realize the bar for the nickel CB was set so high.
I would love the Bills to win games, but I will be happy if they are competitive without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Who ever said that?
The problem is talking about how great Corner is and using the Denver game as an example, when he wasn’t exactly overwhelming. Corner has done nothing of note in the NFL, while Florence has proven to be a solid player.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
I am just trying to apply the same standard to Leo as Corner
Florence is a seasoned vet and should be better than a guy in his second year. The fact that Corner is pushing him is a good sign for Corner. The encouraging part of Corner’s performance in the Denver game was that he made a clutch play at the end of the game, despite getting burned before that. Isn’t it possible that Corner has gotten better since the Denver game? And, now that Florence has a bad knee, Corner will get his chance. May the best man win.
I would love the Bills to win games, but I will be happy if they are competitive without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
I think the same logic should be used on Florence as on Schobel. Florence in the past has proved to be a good CB, but he is older now, injured, and coming off two straight seasons of decreased production. Why should we expect him to return to his form of 3 years ago when it’s unrealistic to expect Schobel to return to his pro bowl form of a few years ago (when he was younger and uninjured)?
"I know I'm a true receiver..." Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo Bills - May 2009
"In my heart, I know I'm funny." Lt Steven Hauk, Good Morning Vietnam - 1987
by thefourwinds on Aug 19, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Florence is 28 years old. That is not old. That is actually defined as “in his prime.”
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"Our style is simple but not that easy. Roll up your sleeves and play good, solid football." -- Marv Levy
by Brian Galliford on Aug 19, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe from an age standpoint, but how about from a performance standpoint?
Jason Peters is supposed to be in his prime too, but he sure hasn’t looked like it so far.
I would love the Bills to win games, but I will be happy if they are competitive without snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
sucks that in his prime
he turned in such a horrible season, and the one before that was a drop off of what he has been doing…..
Bills make me wanna SHOUT!
by silverstreak3k on Aug 19, 2009 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Hypothetical Argument
And if that goal post was a couple of feet more to the right every casual NFL fan would have a different view of Scott Norwood and the Bills…
Look, the fact is that Corner did his job…Being hypothetical doesn’t rule out that he performed when it counted the most, does it? Personally, I think Florence is better than Corner for the nickel spot as of today, but that will likely change at some point late this season or early next year…silverstreak3k has a vaild argument about Florence being up & down…Let’s hope that this is an up year…
I love me some DB's...I might just be Dick Jauron's long lost twin!
These FA pickups at CB are always getting hurt.....
see: Webster, Jason
Godspeed Nick - RIP - 1986-2009
by norcaliangelsfan on Aug 17, 2009 10:46 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, that one other player is more than enough to prove that!!!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 17, 2009 11:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
LOL
well once is a coincidence……….and twice………well ;)
Godspeed Nick - RIP - 1986-2009
by norcaliangelsfan on Aug 18, 2009 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
We know that OBD is cautious when it comes to injuries, extending back even before Jauron’s time. McGahee, for example, was put on the shelf for an entire calendar year. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find Florence on the PUP list for the first 6 weeks of the season. That would allow Buffalo to keep McGee, McKelvin, Corner, Youboty and Lankster on the roster and active. Buffalo would have the first six weeks of the season to determine whether or not Florence was necessary….and then drop someone to the practice squad when everyone has their rosters set and can’t pull that guy off the waiver wire.
Of course we could make things more challenging, Lisa, but then the stupider students would be in here complaining, furrowing their brows in a vain attempt to understand the situation--Seymour Skinner
Florence cannot be PUP listed. There’s no DL in football.
Even if he could be, why would the team put their starting nickel on the shelf? The season starts in 4 weeks, I bet he’s healthy by then…
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Aug 17, 2009 11:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The PUP List is only for people who were injured at the start of training camp. The only one on our roster who could be PUP’d for the regular season at this point is Hardy.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Aug 18, 2009 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
It makes sense
This is why you can never have enough DBs.
I still feel we can field a solid defense by starting 11 DBs.
He's hurt, so what
We had Youbuty, Corner and Lankster on hand just for this reason. Cary Harris is going to the PS unless he blows up the next 2 games in the preseason. This is one of the reasons why DJ keeps stockpiling guys, none of our back 7 have shown any ability to stay healthy for a whole season outside of mitchell.
(443): My mom came into my room and told me to flip off the tv. I gave it the middle finger. Note to self: STOP SMOKING THIS S#!T
-textsfromlastnight.com
Also tonight...
Owens didn’t practice (he warmed up, dropped a pass) though Steve Johnson did, but with a red jersey on.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Aug 18, 2009 2:55 AM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Buffalo Rumblings
Related FanShots on Buffalo Rumblings
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
