George Wilson is cut, and that makes me simultaneously kind of sad and really excited. It’s sad because Wilson was a well documented model citizen and good guy in the community making sure not to steal tips while dining Applebees when he wasn’t building a playground or whatever. In a world first of me first GLOREEE BOYS, he was exactly how you wanted a player to handle himself off the field.
On the field, it was a different story. While he may have made the team with a UDFA’s work ethic, he was also plagued by a UDFA’s lack of talent. Wilson was ok in run support, had a decent nose for the ball, but oh my was he awful in coverage. How many times can you think of the governor senator attempting to drag Gronk down from behind as he notched another TD. Buffalo has been consistently awful against tight ends in the past 3 years, and Wilson was the usual suspect.
This raises an interesting point about the uselessness of the idea of players who “play the game right way” are to winning. It’d be difficult to find someone more respected than the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year award recipient, yet it’s really easy to find someone who’s better at safety (DaNorris Searcy). But the fact that Wilson was such a model citizen, a few timely interceptions, and the fact that he played mostly off screen on TV did a really nice job of disguising how mediocre a player he had become. This only goes to highlight that a lot of times, you have to choose between guys like Wilson and scumbags who will help you win games.
So, ambivalently, we say goodbye. While I feel bad for the George Wilson the person, I’m quite encouraged for the team. After all, if we are being honest, we want playoff wins more than Man of the Year awards.
P.S. The whole concept applies to Nick Barnett to a lesser extent as well.
Buddy Nixon is a Buffalo Bills blog that is an extension of how a few of us talk about the Bills. What you’ll find is an eclectic and irreverent mix of deep analysis, Buffalo Bills podcasts, draft coverage, and jokes you may only understand if you know who Fast Freddie Smith was. If that sounds like your kind of tailgate, unfold a chair and enjoy hanging with some of the most hardcore fans you’ll find. Better yet, tweet us, email us, or facebook us we’d love to here what you think!
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