I asked Bills fans some questions about John McCargo last night over at Buffalo Rumblings. Before I post them, I'd like to point at the tremendous resources we have at SB Nation when it comes to learning about a player from another team. Literally, all I had to do to get info on McCargo was go to BR, ask a question in a post comment, and I got something like 30 answers from Bills fans. You can't get such fan reaction anywhere else. Here are their opinions on John McCargo, post-trade:
I think the issue with [McCargo] is desire. He only seems to turn it on the field only occasionally. He has the physical tools to be unstoppable, but he seems to lack focus and a consistent mean streak. When he does get his considerable skills headed one way with a will to make a play he is hard to stop.
I think he just doesn’t have that killer instinct needed by all good DTs to do their job and get it done, thus why someone like Kyle Williams who is less physically gifted than John could beat him out of the job because that kid never takes a play off and has a nasty mindset on the field.
I think if it was obvious [why he never caught on in Buffalo], it could have been fixed and he would still be here. I wish I could tell you, he had plenty of chances. He was beat out for the starting spot his rookie year by a 5th rounder, and has never really been the player we all thought he was. He showed plenty of flashes, (see Giants game last year) but never could produce consistently.
McCargo, on the roster, is listed as 1 inch taller and 1 pound heavier than Kyle Williams. And after seeing both in person at training camp, McCargo is the kind of fat guy where his legs bow out and he is not that athletic. If you’ve ever played football, he looks the kind of player that was always last when you ran laps and to boot, never had the athleticism to make an impact consistently. KW is like a rock with athleticism, and of course he’s fat, but it’s just different. Either way, one is gone, one stayed, and 5th round or late 1st, besides the money, i don’t care where the good players come from as long as they’re good.
twoeightnine
In March, McCargo was a player destined to have a break-out year after...
showing flashes of it the year before. In March, Crowell was a player looking to cash in on a contract year.
A month later McCargo reported to OTAs overweight and out of shape. Five months later Crowell was missing preseason games and practices, having problems staying on the field due to an injury and electing to have surgery right before the season started.