GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Baltimore SunSomething tells me that McGahee didn't check the schedule before making those remarks. That's pretty good bulletin board material right there. See you in the fall Willy.
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Willis McGahee believes he's in a better offense (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter GroveDiesel
- Start date
Banger
Footballguy
From Sportsline...looks like Balt plans on throwing to him quite a bit this season....
McGahee a beautiful fit in Baltimore
March 12, 2007
Dave Richard
Senior Fantasy Writer
The Buffalo Bills' offseason started with a bang as they addressed their offensive line needs. They signed guards Derrick Dockery and Jason Whittle along with tackle Langston Walker. Surely these moves were made to improve a running game ranked 27th in the NFL last year.
And somewhere, Willis McGahee shrugged.
"I didn't have a reaction," McGahee told CBS SportsLine regarding the Bills' offseason moves. He knew those signings weren't made to help him succeed.
After the season ended, the 26-year-old running back was aware that his time in Buffalo was coming to an end.
"Did I know (a trade) was coming? Yeah," he said.
After discussions with other clubs, the Bills sent McGahee packing to Baltimore, where the Ravens had lost Jamal Lewis to Cleveland via free agency. In exchange for three draft picks in two years -- none of them higher than a third rounder -- the Ravens landed the versatile running back they've coveted for years.
"We really do think (McGahee) will add -- beyond his physical abilities -- that extra dimension to what we're doing offensively that (will improve) some of the athletes in a way we haven't in the last few years," coach Brian Billick said of McGahee.
One of the aspects of McGahee's game that Billick harped on was his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. The Bills rarely considered McGahee a receiver (he had 68 receptions and zero touchdowns in three active seasons with them), but found a lot of success catching the ball at the University of Miami, averaging 13.3 yards per catch in 2002.
"I'm pretty sure if he talked about it he's going to be about it," McGahee said of Billick. "I know he has great intentions for me. I'm just going to come out and show up."
There is going to be a lot more than receptions for McGahee in Baltimore. Last year the Ravens averaged 29.8 carries per game; only 10 teams ran the ball more than they did. More of the same is expected in 2007.
McGahee spoke with running backs coach Tony Nathan about the kind of offense Baltimore runs the day before his press conference announcing the trade.
"The scheme sounds great," he said. "They say they like to run the ball -- I'm in the right place. I need to put some miles on these legs."
What will help McGahee put on those miles is an offense that is far from one-dimensional. McGahee admitted that in the past he'd see a lot of nine-man fronts because the Bills were inept at throwing the football to the point where teams dared them to throw. In fact, once the Bills became inept in the passing game, McGahee's stats suffered. That won't be the case in Baltimore since Steve McNair is under center and Mark Clayton, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap form a nice trio of targets that defenses must account for.
"McNair is the vet. He's a Pro Bowler. He knows what it takes and what he has to do," McGahee said. "I know it's not going to be as much pressure on me. There's going to be pressure, but it's not going to be like how it was in Buffalo where I had to do it all because J.P. (Losman) was a younger quarterback. He's coming around, he's going to be a great quarterback one day. But I know McNair can take control of a game and do what he does best."
Fantasy owners should be thrilled with McGahee's move to B-More since he should be free to do more with the ball when he gets it, which will be often. There are also no plans as of now for him to lose his goal-line carries, and as long as he proves himself to be a versatile performer, that won't change.
What will change are his bi-annual beatings of the Jets. McGahee is quick to point out that the Ravens play the Jets once in 2007, but he knows he won't see them twice a year like he did in Buffalo. McGahee has five straight 100-yard games against Gang Green.
"You know what it is with the Jets?" McGahee said, revealing his secret to success. "My boy is over there, Jonathan Vilma. So it's like bragging rights. It's cockiness between me and him. That's how it was at 'The U.' We always went after each other."
Speaking of "The U," McGahee will be reunited with college teammate Ed Reed and Miami Hurricane great Ray Lewis in Baltimore, making it an easy transition for McGahee to fit in in the lockerroom. Moreover, he's probably not going to have any problems being motivated to succeed with Reed and Lewis barking in his ear on a daily basis at practice.
Ultimately, McGahee should be successful with the Ravens. Considering what the Ravens ask their running backs to do combined with the lack of competition for carries, McGahee has the makings of a 20-plus carry running back who has 100-yard, one-TD potential on a weekly basis, making him an easy first-round pick in Fantasy drafts.
McGahee a beautiful fit in Baltimore
March 12, 2007
Dave Richard
Senior Fantasy Writer
The Buffalo Bills' offseason started with a bang as they addressed their offensive line needs. They signed guards Derrick Dockery and Jason Whittle along with tackle Langston Walker. Surely these moves were made to improve a running game ranked 27th in the NFL last year.
And somewhere, Willis McGahee shrugged.
"I didn't have a reaction," McGahee told CBS SportsLine regarding the Bills' offseason moves. He knew those signings weren't made to help him succeed.
After the season ended, the 26-year-old running back was aware that his time in Buffalo was coming to an end.
"Did I know (a trade) was coming? Yeah," he said.
After discussions with other clubs, the Bills sent McGahee packing to Baltimore, where the Ravens had lost Jamal Lewis to Cleveland via free agency. In exchange for three draft picks in two years -- none of them higher than a third rounder -- the Ravens landed the versatile running back they've coveted for years.
"We really do think (McGahee) will add -- beyond his physical abilities -- that extra dimension to what we're doing offensively that (will improve) some of the athletes in a way we haven't in the last few years," coach Brian Billick said of McGahee.
One of the aspects of McGahee's game that Billick harped on was his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. The Bills rarely considered McGahee a receiver (he had 68 receptions and zero touchdowns in three active seasons with them), but found a lot of success catching the ball at the University of Miami, averaging 13.3 yards per catch in 2002.
"I'm pretty sure if he talked about it he's going to be about it," McGahee said of Billick. "I know he has great intentions for me. I'm just going to come out and show up."
There is going to be a lot more than receptions for McGahee in Baltimore. Last year the Ravens averaged 29.8 carries per game; only 10 teams ran the ball more than they did. More of the same is expected in 2007.
McGahee spoke with running backs coach Tony Nathan about the kind of offense Baltimore runs the day before his press conference announcing the trade.
"The scheme sounds great," he said. "They say they like to run the ball -- I'm in the right place. I need to put some miles on these legs."
What will help McGahee put on those miles is an offense that is far from one-dimensional. McGahee admitted that in the past he'd see a lot of nine-man fronts because the Bills were inept at throwing the football to the point where teams dared them to throw. In fact, once the Bills became inept in the passing game, McGahee's stats suffered. That won't be the case in Baltimore since Steve McNair is under center and Mark Clayton, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap form a nice trio of targets that defenses must account for.
"McNair is the vet. He's a Pro Bowler. He knows what it takes and what he has to do," McGahee said. "I know it's not going to be as much pressure on me. There's going to be pressure, but it's not going to be like how it was in Buffalo where I had to do it all because J.P. (Losman) was a younger quarterback. He's coming around, he's going to be a great quarterback one day. But I know McNair can take control of a game and do what he does best."
Fantasy owners should be thrilled with McGahee's move to B-More since he should be free to do more with the ball when he gets it, which will be often. There are also no plans as of now for him to lose his goal-line carries, and as long as he proves himself to be a versatile performer, that won't change.
What will change are his bi-annual beatings of the Jets. McGahee is quick to point out that the Ravens play the Jets once in 2007, but he knows he won't see them twice a year like he did in Buffalo. McGahee has five straight 100-yard games against Gang Green.
"You know what it is with the Jets?" McGahee said, revealing his secret to success. "My boy is over there, Jonathan Vilma. So it's like bragging rights. It's cockiness between me and him. That's how it was at 'The U.' We always went after each other."
Speaking of "The U," McGahee will be reunited with college teammate Ed Reed and Miami Hurricane great Ray Lewis in Baltimore, making it an easy transition for McGahee to fit in in the lockerroom. Moreover, he's probably not going to have any problems being motivated to succeed with Reed and Lewis barking in his ear on a daily basis at practice.
Ultimately, McGahee should be successful with the Ravens. Considering what the Ravens ask their running backs to do combined with the lack of competition for carries, McGahee has the makings of a 20-plus carry running back who has 100-yard, one-TD potential on a weekly basis, making him an easy first-round pick in Fantasy drafts.
Buddy Ball 2K3
Footballguy
Well I agree with the self proclaimed best back in the league. I would much rather be with the Ravens then the Bills. I just don't believe in anything the Bills front office has done the past few years.
I wouldn't be shocked if gets double digit TD's this season.
I wouldn't be shocked if gets double digit TD's this season.
David Yudkin
Footballguy
Well, the Ravens outproduced the Bills by 50+ points and 500+ yards from scrimmage last year (although the Baltimore d contributed a lot to the scoring differential).
I think I would rather have 6 games against PIT, CLE, and CIN than 6 games against NE, MIA, and NYJ.
I think I would rather have 6 games against PIT, CLE, and CIN than 6 games against NE, MIA, and NYJ.
The Duff Man
Footballguy
Other things Willis McGahee "believes"
1. It is OK to have three babies with three different women
2. If a team is going to move to Toronto it might as well be the Bills
3. It is 3rd down when it is really 4th down
1. It is OK to have three babies with three different women
2. If a team is going to move to Toronto it might as well be the Bills
3. It is 3rd down when it is really 4th down
Irish
Footballguy
You also have to factor in Buff offseason OL improvements and Balt losing starting OL and possibility of Ogden retirement in the equation.
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switz
Footballguy
Over the last 8 games, Buffalo scored 176 points and totalled 2261 yards. Baltimore on the other hand scored 182 points and compiled 2675 yards over the last 8 games.Buffalo is obviously improving, only a difference of 6 points between the two in the last 8 games, one of those head to head where Buffalo was already out of playoff contention and Bal won 19-7 (I believe Bal's lowest score in the last 8 games.) Yardage is still a big difference with BAL compiling 414 yards more over the last 8 games than Buffalo.I don't see McGahee going to a significantly better offense, especially considering BAL's OL losses.But that's why they play the games.
Kai's Hero
Footballguy
Until Willis can back up "his mouth" than he is, what he is, an average running back. No more excuses Willis. It's time to prove that you're the "Best" 
back in the league.
back in the league.
Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
Also if you look into the numbers,Baltimore ran the ball with Jamalover 20% more than the Bills did with McGahee.Give McGahee the rock 20% more on Baltimoreand we could be looking at a top 5-10 RB next season.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
I'm surprised. I thought McGahee would seize this opportunity to comment on how bad the Raven offense is and how everything was better-managed in Buffalo, which he hated to leave. How odd for a player to compare his new team favorably to his old team.
Edit: Next thing you know, coaches will be saying that their starting RB is in the best shape of his career right around the time camp starts up.
Edit: Next thing you know, coaches will be saying that their starting RB is in the best shape of his career right around the time camp starts up.
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GroveDiesel
Footballguy
I don't have a problem with talking up your new team, that's to be expected and is a necessity no matter if a guy believes it or not. McGahee flat out took some shots at his former teammates though. I can't wait to see what his excuses will be after this next year.
Chunky Soup
Footballguy
Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close. 
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GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
Better WRs? 
Linemen? That's a tossup now. If Ogden retires then Coaching? 
although I think that Billick is overatedI could end up being way off of course, but I think that the Ravens will be the team in the AFC that goes from playoffs to doghouse. I think that this is the year that age really catches up to both Ray Lewis and Steve McNair. I think that age already is catching up with Mason. I don't think that this will be the same Ravens team at all. And let's not forget that the Ravens ended up playing the 6th easiest schedule in the NFL last season. That schedule should tougher this season.I could just be a sour grapes Bills fan, but when I look at the Bills I see an up and coming team with a lot of youth who are improving quickly and when I look at the Ravens I see a rapidly aging very good team whose window could slam shut at any moment.
Banger
Footballguy
At this point I'd call the QB's a wash, Losman has more upside but is still mistake prone while McNair is a vet with a year or two left. If you include the TE in the WR's category (which you should) the Ravens have a better WR squad. Evans is better than any Raven WR by quite a bit but there's a BIG dropoff after that. The Bills top 3 WR's and TE had 2337 receiving yards (55% of which was Evans), while the Ravens had 2850 spread pretty evenly amongst Clayton (33%), Heap (27%), Mason (26%) and D. Williams (14%).Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
cmv5
Footballguy
I think it is a little sour grapes. I also like the direction the Bills are going in but let's make sure Losman can bring some consistency. Also, as much as every Bills fan thinks that going from McGahee to Thomas is a seamless transaction, it is a downgrade.The bottom line is teams do not respect Losman yet and as such stack the box. Teams cannot do that with the Ravens as they have a #1 and a #2 receiver, and a very good tight end that you must account for. I like what the Bills are doing but let's also not forget that signing free agents to your offensive line does not guarantee an upgrade. You have to see how everyone gels. Washington is a great example of a team who always looks great on paper before the season starts with their free agent acquisitions but it never seems to translate to successs.Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
although I think that Billick is overatedI could end up being way off of course, but I think that the Ravens will be the team in the AFC that goes from playoffs to doghouse. I think that this is the year that age really catches up to both Ray Lewis and Steve McNair. I think that age already is catching up with Mason. I don't think that this will be the same Ravens team at all. And let's not forget that the Ravens ended up playing the 6th easiest schedule in the NFL last season. That schedule should tougher this season.I could just be a sour grapes Bills fan, but when I look at the Bills I see an up and coming team with a lot of youth who are improving quickly and when I look at the Ravens I see a rapidly aging very good team whose window could slam shut at any moment.
Grigs Allmoon
Footballguy
And an aging QB, WR getting one year older, compared to a young QB,WR getting 1 year closer to their prime.Irish said:
Franknbeans
Footballguy
poor Willis is in for a rude awakening 
The Duff Man
Footballguy
I keep reading this on here and I can't help but wonder if I watched different games than other people or if Willis supporters are fooling themselves into believing that this is what contributed to his poor play.
Chunky Soup
Footballguy
QBs: Losman's inconsistency leads me to pick McNair.WRs: Buffalo has 1Linemen: Close but Balts history leads me to believe that they are still a better rushing team. I don't care if Odgen retires. When KC lost linemen they still had a great line. Has to do with coaching, etc, and more than just 1 person.Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
Better WRs? :X Linemen? That's a tossup now. If Ogden retires then
although I think that Billick is overatedI could end up being way off of course, but I think that the Ravens will be the team in the AFC that goes from playoffs to doghouse. I think that this is the year that age really catches up to both Ray Lewis and Steve McNair. I think that age already is catching up with Mason. I don't think that this will be the same Ravens team at all. And let's not forget that the Ravens ended up playing the 6th easiest schedule in the NFL last season. That schedule should tougher this season.I could just be a sour grapes Bills fan, but when I look at the Bills I see an up and coming team with a lot of youth who are improving quickly and when I look at the Ravens I see a rapidly aging very good team whose window could slam shut at any moment.
Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
Are you nuts ?You fail to see the big picture.David Yudkin summed it up,500+ more yards from scrimmagefor the Balt offense over the Bolls.Couple this with the fact that the Ravensrun the ball over 20% more than the Bolls,and you have a perfect "buy low"in Willis McGahee, take it to the bank.
cmv5
Footballguy
By no means am I a McGahee apologist but are you saying McGahee had gaping holes to run through? Are you saying that McGahee was the problem with the running game? I am going to trust the Baltimore Ravens FO which has quite the track record for recognizing talent. McGahee is a substantial upgrade over Jamal Lewis.
Banger
Footballguy
I know you aren't a Willis fan and if I were a Bills fan I'd probably feel burned as well but I think what a lot of people are overlooking is ridiculously difficult rush schedule he faced last year. I don't know the strength of schedule of every RB but I doubt anyone had a tougher schedule than he did. The rush defenses ranked 5, 8, 24, 1, 6, 21, 5, 13, 4, 7, 24, 8, 30 and 2 for an average of 11. That's pretty sick. Against the weaker teams Jets (24) x 2 he ran for 42-275-1 and Tenn (30) he ran for 22-95-1 and Det (21) 17-66 for a total of 81-436-2 (5.38 ypc).I know people are pointing to A-Train's success when Willis was out and it happens that he faced Indy (32nd), Houston (20) and GB (13) and ran for 67-260-1 (3.88 ypc) not exactly stellar against weaker competition (avg rank 22nd).As far as Losman goes, I view it as chicken and egg scenario. He finally got decent over the last 6 games and Willis scored 5 of his 6 td's over that stretch and ran for 105-411-5 (3.91 ypc) despite playing teams with an avg defense rank of 12.5. Let's not get carried away with Losman's "success" though. His #'s as a 3rd year player nearly mirror Cutler (a rook making his 1st ever starts) over the same period, 83-139 (60% comp)-1044-9-6 vs. 81-137 (59%) 1001-9-5. He certainly didn't do Willis any favors in the 1st half of the season when he went for a pedestrian 130-212-1415-6-6. I don't see how any defense would respect 177 yrds - .75 tds - .75 int's/game.
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GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Honestly, this is getting to be a pretty old argument. They do great on the defensive side of the ball but what guys have they really hit on on offense? They managed to acquire Mason and McNair which were two pretty big no brainers although both have seen their numbers decline in Baltimore. Todd Heap and Jamal Lewis are really the only guys on offense that they've hit on and I don't think it took a genius to figure out Jamal Lewis. So basically Todd Heap is their only hit that makes them look smart. Wow. Very impressive.
Banger
Footballguy
Basically since '00 they've had 8 1st rounders, they've spent 5 on offense and 3 on defense. Their offensive picks were Mark Clayton (jury is still out but looks decent...ranked 28th as a 2nd year player/Evans was 29th as a 2nd year player), Boller
, Heap 
(last pick in the 1st), Jamal helped win the SB and was very productive before he fell off the cliff, and Travis Taylor So two hits two misses and one jury is out. Not great, not terrible. They really hit HR's on the defensive side though with Ed Reed, Suggs, and Ngata though.
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Grigs Allmoon
Footballguy
Wewillsee.
Banger
Footballguy
Mason is no longer the #1 in Balt and as a 2nd year player Clayton (Balt's #1 WR) ranked 28th last year. Evans as a 2nd year player ranked 29th so who's to say Clayton doesn't make the same improvement in his 3rd year. Mason >> Buff's 2nd wr and Heap >>>>>>>>>> M. Royal or whatever other scrub TE they have.
Grigs Allmoon
Footballguy
I'm not sure Mason will be any better than Price this coming year. I'm a huge fan of Heap, but you probably have too many '>' in there. The big thing to remember though is the Bills depth at WR. They have at least 3 guys that are all pretty descent and play a significant role, so that defecit at TE is less important because of this depth.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
I've seen this argument a few times now. You tell me which QB is more consistent with these QB ratings:QB1: 94.8, 58.0, 83.8, 65.7, 34.6, 16.7, 121.5, 91.5, 90.1, 89.8, 102.8, 82.8, 122.7, 39.6, 98.3, 70.7QB2: 86.1, 90.7, 84.1, 101.6, 35.8, 86.3, 70.8, 97.1, 86.5, 111.7, 74.9, 65.6, 140.8, 142.5, 68.5, 63.6QBs: Losman's inconsistency leads me to pick McNair.Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
Linemen? That's a tossup now. If Ogden retires then
Banger
Footballguy
Last year on Buff...Evans 1292Reed 410Price 402Parrish 320Royal 233BaltClayton 939 Heap 765Mason 750D. Williams 396Wilcox 166Beyond Evans there's nothing to get remotely excited about IMO. Price is a body but no better than Parrish/Reed and probably among the worst "#2" wr's in the league. I'm not enamoured with Balt's wr corp either but they are a few notch's better IMO than Buff.
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Banger
Footballguy
All else being equal (which they pretty much were stat wise) would you rather have a QB that was sacked 3rd most in the league (47) or last among starting qb's (14)? That's a big problem with Losmans' game that isn't reflected in the QB ratings. Those are drive/field position killers.I've seen this argument a few times now. You tell me which QB is more consistent with these QB ratings:QB1: 94.8, 58.0, 83.8, 65.7, 34.6, 16.7, 121.5, 91.5, 90.1, 89.8, 102.8, 82.8, 122.7, 39.6, 98.3, 70.7QB2: 86.1, 90.7, 84.1, 101.6, 35.8, 86.3, 70.8, 97.1, 86.5, 111.7, 74.9, 65.6, 140.8, 142.5, 68.5, 63.6QBs: Losman's inconsistency leads me to pick McNair.Better QB?Better QB, WRs, linemen, and coaches. Ravens also scored when it counted and IMO would trust them MUCH more to get down the field than the Bills. Now they have a better younger RB who didnt serve a length of time in jail. Am I missing something, because this isn't that close.
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The Duff Man
Footballguy
Now these are legit points worth discussing, rather than the "he faced a stacked box" comment which I don't feel is true but has been mentioned many times in different threads as a "reason" he didn't do well.I agree with you the O-line was not good on Buffalo last year, either with pass protection OR run support. I agree with you comparing A-Train's numbers are pointless. I think Losman was decent last year. The games I saw he had NO WHERE to throw the ball. In part because the WRs on the Bills are not that good (apart from Evans). That being said, I don't see a top 10 finish from McGahee even though he is in a better situation and the reason is simple. He does not seem to be dedicated enough or want it enough. I did not see him fight for extra yards like the top backs. I did not see him display football smarts on the field. From what I have seen I think he feels entitled to be a top back but is not willing to put in the work to become one.Maybe some of his new teammates will show him a newsflash YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING IN THIS LEAGUE, YOU HAVE TO EARN IT. If this happens maybe a leopard can change his spots. I'd just have a hard time counting on it and expecting a top 10 finish. I put him around 15 for next year, which may be an upgrade over Lewis, but not the upgrade some Ravens fans are expecting if they haven't watched him play since college and are counting on him being a back worthy of a first round draft pick (where he was taken).
The Duff Man
Footballguy
I agree with your point but feel compelled to point out that the sacks were more a result of having poor WRs (beyond Evans) and a poor line. The main fault that lies with Losman is not throwing it away, which I am sure Bills fans hope is something he will learn to do.
The Duff Man
Footballguy
Since I am bored at work I'll keep adding to the thread. Losman's numbers don't mean anything unless you watch the games. It could mean that he was so bad that teams stacked up to stop the run. Or it could mean that the run was so bad teams stacked up to stop the pass.I feel that people are assuming the latter due to McGahee's upside and stand by my assertion he'll finish around #15.
cmv5
Footballguy
Good point on the motivation factor. He did always seem to do better in games with a University of Miami connection. I do believe 7.5 is guaranteed but Ozzie has a 6 million dollar option bonus that could keep McGahee motivated.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
I agree with both here. The sacks sucked. Even if the the O-line is terrible, QBs need to know when to throw the ball away instead of taking a sack on 2nd down and ending up 3rd and 14. Even worse than the sacks were the fumbles though. That's definitely one stat that simply HAS to improve. And again, that's from not knowing when to throw the ball away IMO. QBs will fumble at times due to being hit from the blindside. But the better QBs in the league can feel that pressure and known when to pull the ball down and protect it. But those are the biggest weaknesses in his game and I think are fairly easily correctable. I fully expect him to improve on those this season and jump into the top 10 of QBs this season. I guess with Losman and McNair it's potential versus potential reached. McNair is what he is at this point. He's a good veteran QB that's tough, a good leader and doesn't make too many foolish plays. Losman is all about potential. I'll freely admit that I'm a Bills fan and could be looking at this whole thing with total blinders on. I guess the bottom line is that I just didn't care for McGahee taking shots at the Bills the way he did. It's fine if he is upset with management and he wants to take some shots at them. But to take shots at your former teammates when I haven't heard a single negative thing about him come out of anyone's mouth is just classless. Like I said, something tells me that his comments will be blown up nice and big on the bulletin board the week before the Bills and Ravens play.
Banger
Footballguy
I especially agree with the dedication part of his game. I don't think there's a doubt about his skill level (at least IMO), it basically boiled down to desire/preparation that you mentioned. He didn't train with the team in the offseason, from what I've heard he wasn't a studier and wasn't aware of game situations/where to go on plays, etc. It seems as though he wasn't happy in Buff and was biding his time until he was a FA and Buff beat him to the punch by dealing him. I've posted this in another thread but I feel that Balt is the perfect fit for him (offense aside) due to the fact that he was teammates with Reed at the U, has some real potential mentors/### kickers if he doesn't pull his weight (which is what he needs). We've already witnessed the 1st babystep that he wouldn't committ to in Buff which is training with the team in the offseason instead of hanging out in South Beach. He said that whenever Billick wanted him to be there, he'd be there. He's got work to do, he's got to back up the words but what he has going for him are a good/very good opportunity (run 1st mentality/very good defense/ST to increase opp's/field position), little talent on the bench to take touches and he's talented. There are only a handful of backs that can boast all 3. I see the situation as limited downside and good/very good (if they use him in the passing game like they've said they would) upside if he can get his head on straight.You've already mentioned the huge disparity in sacks, but fumbles are another thing that aren't factored into the QB rating. Losman had 13 fumbles, 7 lost vs. McNair's 7 fumbles, 1 lost. Losman's style really does not support having a good fantasy RB play with him because he either throws a 50 yard TD pass, takes a sack, loses a fumble or throws an INT. McNair's style on the other hand is very complimentary with a RB because he doesn't make many mistakes and wins games, both of which give a RB more/better opportunities.
I don't understand the Bills' fans love affair with Loseman. He is 8 - 16 as a starting QB!
I don't understand the Bills' fans love affair with Loseman. He is 8 - 16 as a starting QB!
Banger
Footballguy
Agreed. In his 1st year he tended to throw it up for grabs, last year he took the sacks, maybe next year he learns to throw it away.
Banger
Footballguy
Agree with your McNair/Losman comparison. McGahee is/has been a punk plain and simple. Even if he feels that way some things are better off left unsaid. That being said, I'm not looking to make friends with Willis, I like the Bills but am not a "Bills fan/homer", I'm trying to objectively analyze the situation to see if he's a guy I want to target in draft/offseason activity. The key to the whole equation as Duff (and others) have pointed out will boil down to attitude. That more than anything else will be the telling factor through training camp since that is the main ingredient that's been missing from his game.
The Duff Man
Footballguy
For me he would be a target for RB #2 in redraft. In dynasty I would probably steer clear due to his perceived value being high and being afraid that he will put up a good year in year #1 with extra motivation. but return to laid back ways after that.
Gargoylez
Footballguy
Considering the fact that Losman never had a #1 defense to hang his hat on is something to be said.How many 3 and outs and stalled drives did McNair have this season, and the defense kept them in a game until McNair got his head out of his butt and won the game?Stat takers who dont watch games tend to have responses and opinions like this, I am guilty of it myself.Losman WAS the Buffalo offense for the 2nd half. The ONLY reason McGahee finally started breaking lose is because Losman was playing WELL and his long ball was on target, Evans and parrish were both very dangerous.McNair I felt sputtered through out the season, he had good games for sure, but he had some real bad ones too where the defense saved the day keeping them in striking distance. Buffalo's Defense was what 22nd ranked? 25th?Laying out a stat like 8-16 on a QB part of a franchise that had a horrible GM, one of the worst head coaches in recent memory and is rebuilding... is about as useful as t*ts on a bull.Losman played likea top 10 QB in the NFL the last half of the season, AND his stats prove it. The Bills fans DO have a love affair with the guy... he is better then McNair, and he is a decade younger. Now the Bills can get an equal or better RB in the draft and move on... A train is a better RB anyways.
Irish
Footballguy
Kyle Boller 
Banger
Footballguy
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Looks like McGahee is still running his mouth. I'm more and more happy that the Bills dumped this loser. Anyone who makes comment about his motivation like this isn't star material:
Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
He is the perfect "buy low" candidate at this time.
hankey2mlh
Footballguy
He was a perfect buy low candidate before he was traded to Baltimore. Now you won't be able to buy low anymore...
