Gil Brandt: Ragland Will Improve the Bills' D by Seven PPG

[eball]

remember rookies hit the wall in the 2nd half of the season

 

Is that still true? Most major college teams are now playing 14-15 games by the time it's all said and done.

[BillsFanThru-N-Thru]

Looks like Brandt corrected his comment:

 

Ragland has a lot of the same physical qualities as David Harris, who played extremely well for Rex Ryan when Ryan was with the Jets. I expect Ragland to fill the Harris role under Ryan in Buffalo. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year had 102 tackles and seven pass breakups in 2015. The latter stat is important, because one of the things you worry about with someone who has Ragland's 4.72 speed is the ability to cover tight ends and running backs -- but that was something Ragland clearly was able to do in college. He has very good instincts and strength, and he's an outstanding tackler. When he gets to 'em, they go down. He's also a great character person. I expect him to rack up 100-plus tackles and help improve Buffalo's defense in a major way.

[dulles]

Somebody must have mentioned to him that a seven point drop in his rookie year, attributable to him, would probably make Ragland the greatest LB of all time. Here's hoping.

Yeah - Ray Lewis territory for sure. I'd be thrilled if he can merely outperform Bradham from 2015.

[YoloinOhio]

 

Is that still true? Most major college teams are now playing 14-15 games by the time it's all said and done.

i think it's more about the number of snaps than number of games as a rookie. Kiko played like 100% of defensive snaps as a rookie and he did get worn down by the last qtr or so of the year. That could happen to Ragland but as you mentioned he's a guy who has played 2-3 extra college games the last two years

[bisonbrigade]

If Ragland & Lawson improve the Bills points per game by 2 points per game I will take it.

[Bookie Man]

I think with Shaq on the edge and Ragland in the middle, run D will be in the top 6 or 7.

[Fadingpain]

If we could have come up with 10 more PPG last year on aggregate (more points scored, fewer points given up however you want to slice and dice it) we would have won five more games than we did and tied one, which would have gone into OT and maybe we could have won that too.

 

That turns an 8-8 team into a 13-3 team or maybe even a 14-2 team!

 

If Tyrod's added experience can get us an extra scoring drive per game, and if a playmaker like Ragland can turn 1 opponent's scoring drive into a punt per game....we may have something.

[ganesh]

 

Is that still true? Most major college teams are now playing 14-15 games by the time it's all said and done.

At least it was true for Darby last year; Same was for Kiko in his rookie year...As the season closed down, he faded down the stretch.

[YoloinOhio]

At least it was true for Darby last year; Same was for Kiko in his rookie year...As the season closed down, he faded down the stretch.

Darby was hurt at the end of the year and affected by Gilmore being out the last month. Not to say he didn't hit a wall based on number of games. But that wasn't the only thing that impacted him. Edited May 4, 2016 by YoloinOhio

[3rdand12]

 

Is that still true? Most major college teams are now playing 14-15 games by the time it's all said and done.

Darby said he did

Yeah - Ray Lewis territory for sure. I'd be thrilled if he can merely outperform Bradham from 2015.

you mean Brown?

[RevWarRifleman]

Ah yes. It's after the draft & some media people like to make bombastic predictions. Been hearing about them for years. And yes, some people get all excited about them and anticipate it will play out that way.

 

Although I hope its true, the big improvement still has to play out on the field this fall. Until the Bills start beating teams "they're not

supposed to beat", they'll remain a sub-500 to 500% team. Just like they've been the last 15 years.

 

[DrDawkinstein]

A 7 PPG swing on one side of the ball would be ridiculous!

 

However, if all they do is convert 1 TD into a FG, that is a 4 point improvement. And if the D improves and they improve field position and allow the Offense to score 1 more FG a game, then combined we have a 7 PPG swing for the team.

 

Where does a 4PPG improvement on D and a 3PPG improvement on O put us?

 

edit: Answering my own question... A 3PPG improvement on O would give us 26.7 PPG, and be the #4 scoring offense. A 4PPG improvement on D would give us 18.4PPG and the #4 scoring defense.

 

That's playoffs guaranteed, if not a Super Bowl appearance.

Edited May 4, 2016 by DrDareustein

[klos63]

A 7 PPG swing on one side of the ball would be ridiculous!

 

However, if all they do is convert 1 TD into a FG, that is a 4 point improvement. And if the D improves and they improve field position and allow the Offense to score 1 more FG a game, then combined we have a 7 PPG swing for the team.

 

Where does a 4PPG improvement on D and a 3PPG improvement on O put us?

 

edit: Answering my own question... A 3PPG improvement on O would give us 26.7 PPG, and be the #4 scoring offense. A 4PPG improvement on D would give us 18.4PPG and the #4 scoring defense.

 

That's playoffs guaranteed, if not a Super Bowl appearance.

Let's not forget that other teams added players as well and expect to improve also. It's game by game that matters, making critical plays and equally as important, avoiding critical mistakes. To borrow a cliche, statistics are for losers. They need to learn how to win.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I think with Shaq on the edge and Ragland in the middle, run D will be in the top 6 or 7.

With That front 4 and defensive genius Rex Ryan? I expect it to be #1....

[DrDawkinstein]

Let's not forget that other teams added players as well and expect to improve also. It's game by game that matters, making critical plays and equally as important, avoiding critical mistakes. To borrow a cliche, statistics are for losers. They need to learn how to win.

 

Of course! Im just playing with the math of Brandt's quote while bored in the offseason.

 

But it does show how little difference there is between 8-8 and SB Champ in this league.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

 

 

Less than 20 PPG would be a good place to start.

I've come to learn from this board that PPG isn't how you rank defenses. It's YPG. So let's talk about how much less ground yardage will result from his play. I bet his presence holds NEw England's ground game under 50 yards!!!

 

(This may or may not have anything to do with that fact Belichick will match gronk up on him and eat the defense for lunch through the air)

"... statistics are for losers...".

That's only true 15% of the time...

Edited May 4, 2016 by over 20 years of fanhood

[CommonCents]

Brandt is a nut, attributing 7 PPG to any one defensive player is silly. For instance say Queen Marsha sits out week 4 and instead of the Patriots putting up 40 they hold Jimmy G. to 17 points. That 23 point differential would = just under a -1.5 for PA over the 16 game schedule. Brandt has been around long enough, if somehow we drop 7 PA per game Rex and the entire defense deserve credit. Heck even Rob should get some. That improvement would put us as a near lock for #1 defense.

[26CornerBlitz]

Brandt is a nut, attributing 7 PPG to any one defensive player is silly. For instance say Queen Marsha sits out week 4 and instead of the Patriots putting up 40 they hold Jimmy G. to 17 points. That 23 point differential would = just under a -1.5 for PA over the 16 game schedule. Brandt has been around long enough, if somehow we drop 7 PA per game Rex and the entire defense deserve credit. Heck even Rob should get some. That improvement would put us as a near lock for #1 defense.

 

He updated the NFL.com piece to say that Ragland will help improve the D "in a major way".

[CommonCents]

 

He updated the NFL.com piece to say that Ragland will help improve the D "in a major way".

If we get down around 17 PA I think that will put all the Rex doubters out to pasture and that also would be playoffs barring a major TT injury.

[TPS]

A 7 PPG swing on one side of the ball would be ridiculous!

 

However, if all they do is convert 1 TD into a FG, that is a 4 point improvement. And if the D improves and they improve field position and allow the Offense to score 1 more FG a game, then combined we have a 7 PPG swing for the team.

 

Where does a 4PPG improvement on D and a 3PPG improvement on O put us?

 

edit: Answering my own question... A 3PPG improvement on O would give us 26.7 PPG, and be the #4 scoring offense. A 4PPG improvement on D would give us 18.4PPG and the #4 scoring defense.

 

That's playoffs guaranteed, if not a Super Bowl appearance.

rex was able to accomplish a 7 point swing last year on D, so maybe he'll do it again....