If you didn't know OBJ was gonna be a stud you didn't do your research. Watch the kid play and you'd see he has the it factor. Always was a stud, always will be.
Yeah because he was such a surefire stud in college topping out at 59 catches his junior year. Good player and likely first round pick. But to insinuate that everyone knew he was going to be the game breaker he has turned out to be is dumb.
What lol? I guess the stats weren't the best leading up to his junior year. He was named to the SEC all freshman team his freshman year. LSU's offense was straight trash most of the time he was there. In his sophomore year Mettenberger threw for 2,600 yards and 12 TD's. Yet he still had a decent year. He was a complete stud his junior year. Mettenberger played better and OBJ had a great season with 19.2 avg/catch. It wasn't hard to see his natural/game breaking ability. If he fell to the Jets and we passed I would have lost it. There is a reason he went #12 overall. I'm not saying I would have taken him over Watkins. But Watkins wasn't worth the #4 overall pick, let alone trading up and selecting him there. Both the two stud WR's from LSU could have been had later on. They were sure fire contributors.
I remember people on here who thought Cooks was better than Odell. There were signs he'd be great, but it definitely wasn't a consensus.
I wouldn't have traded up to get Watkins but he was a surer bet than Odell was, and easily the best wide receiver in the class. The problem with the trade is that the draft was stacked at wide receiver which is why it was silly to trade up to get one. Early on the trade doesn't look so horrible though. The only big time contributor that the Bills could've had from the following year with that first round pick is Landon Collins, or perhaps Shaq Thompson/Bud Dupree (within the next 17 picks of the draft). It's still early though.
This where watching tape comes into play (I referenced this already). Sure he only had 59 catches but Mettenberger was awful... He didn't even complete 200 passes his final year. He barely completed 200 the year before. It's not like OBJ was in the best situation. Put him on Clemson and it would have been much different.
Watkins was more sure fire definitely. The Bucs could have taken Watkins and Mike Evans could have fallen to the Bills. That would have been wild.
I said "dude" not lol. But your inference is that you knew something nobody else knew. First of all, if you think OBJ being a douchebag is having the "it" factor then I guess we have different definitions of "it". Second, he was NEVER considered anywhere near Watkins as a prospect coming out. He wasn't even the top 2 or 3 WR that year and it was a great year for WRs. Evans was a better prospect and Kelvim Benjamin, Brandin Cooks and Marquise Lee were looked at as good or better. I watched a ton of his games his last year because I was interested in seeing Mett and Landry was by far the more productive player. No one, including you, had any idea how good OBJ was going to be. It's now perfect 20-20 hindsight to claim otherwise. _
Watkins was twice the prospect of OBJ when they were coming out. Evan was a better prospect as were 2 or 3 others and OBJ wasn't even the most productive WR on his own college team. Anyone claiming they knew different THEN is just making shit up. Whether you'd trade up or not is a different discussion but please don't tell me you thought OBJ was a stud more worthy than Watkins. _
OBJ made countless tough catches. Sick catches, 1 handed catches. Catching a kick off with one hand. Watching him in practice tear it up you could see the ability. OBJ was sick at LSU and so was Landry considering the shitty offense. I knew they would both be productive, contributing WRs. OBJ had the it factor to me when I watched him play and practice. You can tell me that's not what I thought. However, you would honestly have no clue. Watkins was a stud and I would have taken him over OBJ. Maybe even taken Evans over him too. But you go back and look at what scouts and other individuals said about him and it's not rocket science why he was a top 15 pick. I said anyone that didn't know he would be a stud didn't do their research. I'm not saying I expected him to break the receiving record in 16 games or come out and be a top 5 WR right away. I said he would be a stud and nearly everyone (scouts, FO) knew it. Watkins and Evans have also been studs. Hence the reason they were top 10 and taken over him. If you didn't know what kind of potential OBJ had you didn't watch college football enough. You are acting like OBJ was a 3rd round pick. He was #12 and for a reason. He was taken #12 with only 59 catches his last year. He was taken #12 with only 12 combined TDs in college. You know what? It wasn't even a reach.
Not once in my posts did I say all-world. I said stud and always will be and you said "dude". But I guess my post to the Bills fan may have seem like that. It stemmed from being able to have OBJ over Watkins and I don't know if any teams would have had OBJ as their #1 or #2 WR in that draft.
OBJ was a boom or bust player that ultimately boomed. Watkins and Evans were those guys at the top no question.
Lol at the fact of OBJ busting. Yup, someone that was a prototypical boom or bust player was taken #12 overall. At the very minimum he was going to be a solid #2 WR. Busting would have meant he would have been a below average starting WR. With the ability shown at LSU that wasn't a likely scenario. He wasn't gonna be a super star or a dud. While the Giants take risks (i.e. Eli Apple) he would have been scooped up by nearly every team between the Giants at #12 and us at #18. That doesn't happen on a boom or bust player. OBJ had the potential to be a true #1 receiver or a solid #2. That was his ceiling and floor. Nothing less.
Dude. Every single player ever drafted had the potential to bust. Every single player. Andrew Luck could have busted. No one knew OBJ was going to be the player he became. No one. He could just as easily had flaked out, given his douchebag personality. Did you go to LSU? _
It's funny how dudes look at a player 2 years into the league with perfect 20-20 hindsight and proclaim he never could have busted. Then say "did you even watch him at LSU" like none of us watch college football. Like none of us have ever seen a phenom totally lose it at the NFL level. _
Yes theoretically every player can bust. By this logic Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans were both boom or bust players. Right? Is that what you are saying? It was possible but his comments make it seem like it was 50/50. Teams don't evaluate 1st round picks and say "Yup he has a 50% chance to bust but hell there is a 50% chance he pans out. Lets draft him." They try to minimize risk and OBJ along with SEVERAL other receivers and players had much better odds to pan out more than anything else in 2014. The chances of busting increase exponentially as the draft goes on. No I didn't go to LSU. But I know a good receiver when I see one.
