Friday's player of the day...

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

BILLINGS!!!

Some takes on Friday night's practice...

They use Billings as a symbol of how well the front seven mashed the run game. The O-line was dishing it out Monday
but the Defense turned the tables stopping the Offense on four straight short yardage snaps and later in the evening DT's
Ryan Glasgow and a submarining Chris Baker stoned RB Tra Carson with the help of Hardy Nickerson.

Before that, Glasgow was on the sidelines watching Billings and Geno Atkins going to work against that first Offensive
Line and Billings running with and fighting off LG Hopkins (playing for the resting Boling) made a shoe string tackle on
starting RB Joe Mixon.

Glasgow says it is just another play that shows Billings is recovering from the knee injury that wiped out his rookie season
two years ago and limited him last year.

"That was nice. That was nice. Bill kept with it, he was able to get his hand on him. Bill is doing better keeping up with
blocks than last year, especially with wide zone plays. He's taking a lot of steps in the right direction. It's been showing
every day since OTA's."

Courtesy of Hobson.

Been waiting awhile to see my boy start to look like that player i thought he could be along side Geno.

Some great stuff with Glasgow too, i am liking our DT group for the future. SHOW GENO THE MONEY!

[Big Boss]

I was stoked when we landed Billings. Glad to see he's getting to where he needs to be after the injury setback.

[GreenCornBengal]

Got Billings as a pup, he has potential to be a monster. We could use another giant disruptor in the middle..... can i say we may have missed Peko last year?

[leonardfan40]

BILLINGS!!!!

I definitely think we see another step in the right direction from him this year and think he will be a very solid starter by year end. I also think he continues to improve after the season and into next year and could still turn into the stud some of us expected him to. He was very young and injured to start his career so he still has plenty of room to improve. Nice to see he’s still headed in the right direction.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-04-2018, 03:54 PM)Big Boss Wrote: I was stoked when we landed Billings.  Glad to see he's getting to where he needs to be after the injury setback.

Yeah it was going to take some time after that but honestly i was still disappointed with him last year.

Happy to finally see him coming around. He was just getting washed out of plays too much last season, it wasn't
really a matter of ability. He is so strong he can bull rush anyone and is really quick for a big man.

(08-04-2018, 04:30 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Got Billings as a pup, he has potential to be a monster. We could use another giant disruptor in the middle..... can i say we may have missed Peko last year?  

Don't say it, but it might be true.

(08-04-2018, 04:44 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: BILLINGS!!!!

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-04-2018, 04:44 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: BILLINGS!!!!

I definitely think we see another step in the right direction from him this year and think he will be a very solid starter by year end. I also think he continues to improve after the season and into next year and could still turn into the stud some of us expected him to. He was very young and injured to start his career so he still has plenty of room to improve. Nice to see he’s still headed in the right direction.

I think he is the X-factor on Defense with Ross being the X-factor on Offense.

Need someone to compliment our best players and these guys have the talent to do so.

[jmccracky]

Awesome news! I don't post much these days, but I read the forum every day. I remember how excited I was about Billings. On draft day, I was screaming at the television "Draft Billings you turds!" Lol. Only person on here who loved Billings as much as I did is Nate haha. I thought he was a can't miss kind of guy. Hope he proves me right!

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-04-2018, 05:11 PM)jmccracky Wrote: Awesome news! I don't post much these days, but I read the forum every day. I remember how excited I was about Billings. On draft day, I was screaming at the television "Draft Billings you turds!" Lol. Only person on here who loved Billings as much as I did is Nate haha. I thought he was a can't miss kind of guy. Hope he proves me right!

No doubt, wanted Billings in the first, could not believe we got him in the 4th and got William Jackson III in
the same draft. Billings always just jumped out of the TV at me everytime i watched Baylor. Still say he reminds
me of a mixture of Geno and Vince Wilfork. He isn't bad at rushing the passer either.

The biggest problem with Peko is he was a one trick pony, only a run stopper for the most part.

I think Bill can both be a great run stopper which he is starting to show and a decent pass rusher to compliment
Geno. There will be a time when teams cannot just double Geno all the time cause Billings will be getting home.

Dude is just too strong, picks up little cars and shit.

[grampahol]

Good to see Billings coming into form along with Glasgow and perhaps even the rookie Andrew Brown next year or so which means that they probably won't be in such a big hurry to sign Geno long term nor Carlos for that matter. 
After all, football IS a young man's game. As painful as it may seem to some neither Geno nor Carlos are on the right end of their 20s to be demanding long term contracts. They're not by any means washed up, but the prime days of their potential isn't ahead of them. If players like Billings, Glasgow , Lawson, Hubbard and perhaps Willis all have monster seasons the rationale for keeping the older players becomes weaker and weaker.  The old adage of out with the old, in with the new still applies. 

[Tiger Teeth]

Man if he breaks out this year, imagine him and Geno in the middle. Sorry, I'm gettin' tingly again!

[*Go Cards*]

Loved drafting Billings, especially where we got him.

But not going to lie was ready to call him a bust if he did not start showing promise this year.

Stoked that he is doing just that.

[*SHRacerX*]

The third year, especially when you consider an early first year injury in the case of Billings, is often the "light bulb" year. Here are a few that might be lighting up this season:

Billings

Kroft- Showed a bit last year when given the opportunity

Uzomah- Hasn't really gotten much of an opportunity, but with Eifert in bubble wrap, here is his chance

Core- Finally sees a light at the end of the tunnel with Lafell gone, but still a tough road ahead for him. Maybe go with 7? Or maybe these six if you think you can replace Erickson in the return game?

AJ Green
Ross
Malone
Boyd
Tate
Core

Lastly, Tyler Boyd. Might be the darling of this year's camp. The synergy I hoped to see a year ago with Ross demanding attention opposite AJ Green is starting to happen and the middle of the field will be Boyd's (and the TEs and RBs) domain. Combine that with drive blocking that gives Dalton better throwing lanes and Boyd might become the most important receiver on the team not named Green.

[fredtoast]

Billings was the most overhyped draft pick since P J Dawson.

Hope he becomes the player many people think he will. We sure need him to step it up.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-04-2018, 06:29 PM)grampahol Wrote: Good to see Billings coming into form along with Glasgow and perhaps even the rookie Andrew Brown next year or so which means that they probably won't be in such a big hurry to sign Geno long term nor Carlos for that matter. 
After all, football IS a young man's game. As painful as it may seem to some neither Geno nor Carlos are on the right end of their 20s to be demanding long term contracts. They're not by any means washed up, but the prime days of their potential isn't ahead of them. If players like Billings, Glasgow , Lawson, Hubbard and perhaps Willis all have monster seasons the rationale for keeping the older players becomes weaker and weaker.  The old adage of out with the old, in with the new still applies. 

So what should we do with you Gramps?

J/K

(08-04-2018, 06:43 PM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Man if he breaks out this year, imagine him and Geno in the middle.  Sorry, I'm gettin' tingly again!  

Gonna be a nightmare for Centers and Guards...

(08-05-2018, 02:09 AM)Go Cards Wrote: Loved drafting Billings, especially where we got him.

But not going to lie was ready to call him a bust if he did not start showing promise this year.

Stoked that he is doing just that.

Hey, you know me, if a guy doesn't cut it, cut him. I have no bias for a player that hurts the team.

I had to reserve everything about Billings after that damn injury but the dude is extremely young.

You have to take that into consideration.

(08-05-2018, 08:51 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: The third year, especially when you consider an early first year injury in the case of Billings, is often the "light bulb" year.  Here are a few that might be lighting up this season:

Billings

Kroft- Showed a bit last year when given the opportunity

Uzomah- Hasn't really gotten much of an opportunity, but with Eifert in bubble wrap, here is his chance

Core- Finally sees a light at the end of the tunnel with Lafell gone, but still a tough road ahead for him.  Maybe go with 7?  Or maybe these six if you think you can replace Erickson in the return game?  

AJ Green
Ross
Malone
Boyd
Tate
Core

Lastly, Tyler Boyd.  Might be the darling of this year's camp.  The synergy I hoped to see a year ago with Ross demanding attention opposite AJ Green is starting to happen and the middle of the field will be Boyd's (and the TEs and RBs) domain.  Combine that with drive blocking that gives Dalton better throwing lanes and Boyd might become the most important receiver on the team not named Green.

Boyd looks to be the breakout player on Offense cause AJ and Ross are going to have the most attention.

Ross just being on the field will open things up for the entire Offense. All he has to do is make one catch a game.

It will be a monster play and the entire Defense will be on their heels and the running game will open up and so
will the middle of the field. Should be a fun year watching the Offense, but damn, seeing Billings come around just
makes me salivate. He has a mean demeanor when he is on the field, like GIMME YOUR CORNBREAD!

(08-05-2018, 01:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Billings was the most overhyped draft pick since P J Dawson.

Hope he becomes the player many people think he will.  We sure need him to step it up.

Hey man, don't compare Billings to Dawson, Dawson was bad in practice. Billings has not been.

Dawson didn't get a terrible knee injury, Billings did.

Watch Billings film at Baylor and say you would not want that guy beside the likes of Geno Atkins.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Dude looks menacing out there.

When the RB runs towards him, he says, "he's mine."

[Sled21]

I was extremely hyped over having Billings next to Geno when we took him. Then he injured his knee, and was a disappointment last year (albeit it was to be expected). This year I am excited for him to show what he can do. I cannot imagine a center and guards trying to contain both of them crashing the pocket, let alone with the ends coming in.....

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-07-2018, 10:55 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I was extremely hyped over having Billings next to Geno when we took him. Then he injured his knee, and was a disappointment last year (albeit it was to be expected). This year I am excited for him to show what he can do. I cannot imagine a center and guards trying to contain both of them crashing the pocket, let alone with the ends coming in.....

Yes, if he becomes what i think he can be our Defense could be the toughest to run or pass on in the league.

Need to have a run stopper next to Geno that is too strong to block with one guy. That could be Hundred Dollar Bill.

[bengaloo]

Billings was pretty much unstoppable at Baylor. He is exactly what we need to fix our run game woes. If he keeps playing well he could definitely be the x factor like Nate said.... im getting that same feeling. Peko was very solid for us. A better leader than anything, but a solid player. Billings could be even better though, for sure, and that would get this D beyond back to where it used to be. If he give us what Peko did and more (which is looking more and more possible every day), with the cast of Atkins, Dunlap, Lawson etc around him, we will dominate the los in every game. Its fun to imagine combining a DL with as high of a ceiling as we have with a secondary with as high of a ceiling as we have. With our new aggressive DC? Sheesh..... look out Pig Ben

[*psychdoctor*]

(08-05-2018, 01:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Billings was the most overhyped draft pick since P J Dawson.

Hope he becomes the player many people think he will.  We sure need him to step it up.

I remember pimping him in that draft (along with Nate), and was surprised and somewhat underwhelmed by his performance. Glad to see him putting it all together.  The main knock on him was lack of pass rush and lack of first step.  Some scouts did not see Billings playing every down, which I must admit, the coaching staff will probably stick to the rotation method and move MJ inside on certain downs.  I have no problem with Billings being the NT and stone-walling the rush.  Worth a 4th round draft pick for sure.  

[bengaloo]

(08-07-2018, 02:37 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I remember pimping him in that draft (along with Nate), and was surprised and somewhat underwhelmed by his performance. Glad to see him putting it all together.  The main knock on him was lack of pass rush and lack of first step.  Some scouts did not see Billings playing every down, which I must admit, the coaching staff will probably stick to the rotation method and move MJ inside on certain downs.  I have no problem with Billings being the NT and stone-walling the rush.  Worth a 4th round draft pick for sure.  

Thats all we need him to do is stone-wall the rush on his side and it will be a huge get... I watch Baylor a lot. I thought 4th round was a steal after seeing him play a lot and listening to a lot of commentators hype him up. He was super good.