Brandon Spikes signs with Bills

[John from Riverside]

this is a bit over blown. He was not a liability in pass protection for us. And only was for the patriots because they had weak DB's and Jamie Collins can't do it all.

He only had one play where he completely whiffed on pass defense. Other than that he was fine as can be expected in pass d

This does not worry me at all......

 

We have 2 Lbs that will work the spot that have unique skill sets....I dont know if we have EVER had a MLB with the coverage ability that Zach Brown has.....and Spikes sets the tone for the run D.

[Coach Tuesday]

 

He isn't great in coverage and can rush the passer in certain situations.

 

Man......ringing endorsements.

 

But in comes Rex to tell us how great he is.

 

John who are these great LB's you are comparing him to?

 

I wish the guy luck but he is just another solid ILB prospect.......something readily available with experience and cheap in free agency.

 

Meanwhile I continue to think that Miles Jack will be a multi-year All Pro selection. He should've been the pick - and the fact that they were worried he might miss a year is ironic now, given that he's healthy and playing and Ragland is the one likely to miss time.

[26CornerBlitz]

@WGR550

Bills LB Spikes is a changed man http://bit.ly/2b4cEM9

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Meanwhile I continue to think that Miles Jack will be a multi-year All Pro selection. He should've been the pick - and the fact that they were worried he might miss a year is ironic now, given that he's healthy and playing and Ragland is the one likely to miss time.

 

 

Yeah the elation about the Ragland selection harkens back to the celebration of the Donte Whitner pick.

 

Low hanging fruit.

 

When you pick a player in the early rounds of the draft and they pan out but are still highly disposable that is not a smart use of a pick.

 

You need to target guys who can become great on every down with your early picks and who warrant being re-signed for market value when they pan out.

 

That is the difference between Ragnuts and Jack.........Jack could actually be great.

[eball]

 

 

Yeah the elation about the Ragland selection harkens back to the celebration of the Donte Whitner pick.

 

Low hanging fruit.

 

When you pick a player in the early rounds of the draft and they pan out but are still highly disposable that is not a smart use of a pick.

 

You need to target guys who can become great on every down with your early picks and who warrant being re-signed for market value when they pan out.

 

That is the difference between Ragnuts and Jack.........Jack could actually be great.

 

Is Ragland your latest whipping boy? Give the guy a chance to actually play.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Is Ragland your latest whipping boy? Give the guy a chance to actually play.

 

 

I was dogging him all thru the draft process..........he's OK but this is 2016 not 1986.

 

Drafting him was very Bills-like........gotta' need?........reach for it!

 

On the plus side ILB's are lower hanging fruit in round 2 than OT's(Kouandjio) or NT's(Troupacabra) so we can probably expect him to at least be on the field more downs than not.

 

People argue with me about the concept of drafting a QB in round 1 every year but here is the list of Bills second round picks when they DON'T have a first:

 

Thurman Thomas

Sam Cowart

Roscoe

Ronald Darby

 

In each of those cases the Bills were simply picking BPA. Roscoe was a brain lock but the other 3 are guys you'd be thrilled to have gotten early in round 1. Trying to patch holes in the draft.....particularly early........ is a pretty good way to deprive yourself of difference makers and very often NOT even fill that vacancy. Bad business.

 

Fortunately, as I have said many times.......you have to make A LOT of bad decisions to keep yourself perennially out of contention in the NFL. The reaching for need is a weakness and and should be pointed out.........but it can be overcome.

[John from Riverside]

 

 

Yeah the elation about the Ragland selection harkens back to the celebration of the Donte Whitner pick.

 

Low hanging fruit.

 

When you pick a player in the early rounds of the draft and they pan out but are still highly disposable that is not a smart use of a pick.

 

You need to target guys who can become great on every down with your early picks and who warrant being re-signed for market value when they pan out.

 

That is the difference between Ragnuts and Jack.........Jack could actually be great.

Rex thinks Ragland is a 150 tackle a year guy......that sounds pretty great to me

 

Meanwhile I continue to think that Miles Jack will be a multi-year All Pro selection. He should've been the pick - and the fact that they were worried he might miss a year is ironic now, given that he's healthy and playing and Ragland is the one likely to miss time.

It is still very very early

[GG]

 

 

I was dogging him all thru the draft process..........he's OK but this is 2016 not 1986.

 

Drafting him was very Bills-like........gotta' need?........reach for it!

 

On the plus side ILB's are lower hanging fruit in round 2 than OT's(Kouandjio) or NT's(Troupacabra) so we can probably expect him to at least be on the field more downs than not.

 

People argue with me about the concept of drafting a QB in round 1 every year but here is the list of Bills second round picks when they DON'T have a first:

 

Thurman Thomas

Sam Cowart

Roscoe

Ronald Darby

 

In each of those cases the Bills were simply picking BPA. Roscoe was a brain lock but the other 3 are guys you'd be thrilled to have gotten early in round 1. Trying to patch holes in the draft.....particularly early........ is a pretty good way to deprive yourself of difference makers and very often NOT even fill that vacancy. Bad business.

 

Fortunately, as I have said many times.......you have to make A LOT of bad decisions to keep yourself perennially out of contention in the NFL. The reaching for need is a weakness and and should be pointed out.........but it can be overcome.

 

I guess if you repeat things long enough, they become true?

 

Was Reggie the Bills' first pick this year?

 

Maybe then you can square your inconsistency in claiming that the Bills should have been more aggressive in pursuing David Harris last year (which is a whole another topic you sloth off) and then slamming Bills for drafting a David Harris clone in almost the exact same spot where Harris was drafted?

[BADOLBILZ]

 

I guess if you repeat things long enough, they become true?

 

Was Reggie the Bills' first pick this year?

 

Maybe then you can square your inconsistency in claiming that the Bills should have been more aggressive in pursuing David Harris last year (which is a whole another topic you sloth off) and then slamming Bills for drafting a David Harris clone in almost the exact same spot where Harris was drafted?

 

 

I don't follow your line of reasoning here GG.

 

YES......if David Harris was key to the scheme they should have laid out the extra year/scratch to secure him rather than throwing it at luxury items like Shady and Percy........talented players but not critical to Roman's power scheme.

 

David Harris is David Harris. Proven and ready and the synergy that could have been created by bringing in the modern day leader of Rex scheme would have made a ton of sense to waste an extra couple million per year on.

 

Ragnuts is not David Harris and likely never would be.......that's like drafting John McCargo and saying he "well he was supposed to be Pat Williams".

 

If you need to patch a hole now you do it with a proven veteran.

 

Are you hearing the excuses already? Dennis Thurman says they now HAVE TO CHANGE THE SCHEME because a rookie isn't available. HOLEEE SH*T!

 

The draft just can't be treated that way.

 

QB is obviously a franchise changer that stands alone as a position......... but other than that you really gotta' put yourself in position to draft the BPA at the other most high valued positions and go from there.

 

The observation I was making regarding drafting for need is that when the Bills haven't had their first round pick, the pressure to patch holes has been off...........it's PALPABLE how low the expectations are when the team doesn't have a first round pick.

 

That environment has translated into a HOF'er, an All Pro LB and a CB who played at a pro bowl level as a rookie already.........75% grand slam second round picks.

 

Contrast that to Troupe, Kiko, Woods and Kujo recently........yuck.

 

All players drafted in round 2 to fill immediate needs in the starting lineup and all disappointments.

[thebandit27]

 

Meanwhile I continue to think that Miles Jack will be a multi-year All Pro selection. He should've been the pick - and the fact that they were worried he might miss a year is ironic now, given that he's healthy and playing and Ragland is the one likely to miss time.

 

I'm with you on this one; I wanted Myles.

 

That said, there's a difference between the situations, in that teams were scared off by the increased propensity for career-ending surgery with Jack.

 

Still, the upside was that he could be the game's premier ILB, so I'd have taken him without a second thought.

[eball]

 

I'm with you on this one; I wanted Myles.

 

That said, there's a difference between the situations, in that teams were scared off by the increased propensity for career-ending surgery with Jack.

 

Still, the upside was that he could be the game's premier ILB, so I'd have taken him without a second thought.

 

And yet "many in the Bills organization" are upset with Whaley for taking risks on players with questionable medical backgrounds -- oh the irony!

[John from Riverside]

 

 

I don't follow your line of reasoning here GG.

 

YES......if David Harris was key to the scheme they should have laid out the extra year/scratch to secure him rather than throwing it at luxury items like Shady and Percy........talented players but not critical to Roman's power scheme.

 

But David Harris is also starting to get long in the tooth wouldnt you say? You cannot fault them for trying to find their own David Harris

 

David Harris is David Harris. Proven and ready and the synergy that could have been created by bringing in the modern day leader of Rex scheme would have made a ton of sense to waste an extra couple million per year on.

 

I would not have been opposed to signing Harris AND drafting a guy like Reggie Ragland.....I still feel like they did ok with Spikes here

 

Ragnuts is not David Harris and likely never would be.......that's like drafting John McCargo and saying he "well he was supposed to be Pat Williams".

 

I am not understanding this at all......rookies are rookies but yes you can project a beast like Ragland to grow into a David Harris role...I mean why draft at all if not to try to find players that can play at that level. There really isnt anything that points to him not being a fine player.

 

If you need to patch a hole now you do it with a proven veteran.

 

The problem with this idea is that veterans very seldom play as well for the team they go to as the team they are coming from.....especially players that are getting long in the tooth. I do feel David Harris would have done well because he knows the scheme.

 

Are you hearing the excuses already? Dennis Thurman says they now HAVE TO CHANGE THE SCHEME because a rookie isn't available. HOLEEE SH*T!

 

I did not like that he said that and now am left guessing what he meant by it. Does it mean that now there will be more alternation of Spikes/Z. Brown instead of Reggie just staying on as a 3 down LB? I dont know.

 

The draft just can't be treated that way.

 

QB is obviously a franchise changer that stands alone as a position......... but other than that you really gotta' put yourself in position to draft the BPA at the other most high valued positions and go from there.

 

The observation I was making regarding drafting for need is that when the Bills haven't had their first round pick, the pressure to patch holes has been off...........it's PALPABLE how low the expectations are when the team doesn't have a first round pick.

 

That environment has translated into a HOF'er, an All Pro LB and a CB who played at a pro bowl level as a rookie already.........75% grand slam second round picks.

 

Contrast that to Troupe, Kiko, Woods and Kujo recently........yuck.

 

All players drafted in round 2 to fill immediate needs in the starting lineup and all disappointments.

 

I'm with you on this one; I wanted Myles.

 

That said, there's a difference between the situations, in that teams were scared off by the increased propensity for career-ending surgery with Jack.

 

Still, the upside was that he could be the game's premier ILB, so I'd have taken him without a second thought.

We are a little early here with Jack....I dont wish injury on anything but not a live game played and we are forcasting out Jack who not just us but many other teams were scared away because of his medical.

[thebandit27]

We are a little early here with Jack....I dont wish injury on anything but not a live game played and we are forcasting out Jack who not just us but many other teams were scared away because of his medical.

 

I'm repeating the same thing that I said throughout the draft process--that the upside on Myles Jack is high enough that I'd take him #1 overall regardless of whether or not he may need microfracture surgery in the future.

[CommonCents]

Talking about David Harris when Brandon Marshall was a FA this past season. Ahh the beat goes on.

 

I'm repeating the same thing that I said throughout the draft process--that the upside on Myles Jack is high enough that I'd take him #1 overall regardless of whether or not he may need microfracture surgery in the future.

[Deranged Rhino]

 

I'm repeating the same thing that I said throughout the draft process--that the upside on Myles Jack is high enough that I'd take him #1 overall regardless of whether or not he may need microfracture surgery in the future.

 

You and I were both beating that drum all through the draft process.

 

The two re-do's I'd like to see is taking Jack in round 2 and taking Miller over Washington in round 3. But I guess you can't live in the past or the hypothetical.

[John from Riverside]

Adolphus Washington better end up being a good player.....because I thought there was some good talent still available in that round

 

I was totally ok with the Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland picks and I still am.

 

but then....I like my linebackers that knock the stuffing out of folks and set the tone for the defense........

[The Frankish Reich]

Adolphus Washington better end up being a good player.....because I thought there was some good talent still available in that round

 

I was totally ok with the Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland picks and I still am.

 

but then....I like my linebackers that knock the stuffing out of folks and set the tone for the defense........

I was ok with Ragland, not so much with Shaq -- both because of the known injury, and also because it meant passing on Paxton Lynch. I live in Denver and with the way he's treating Sanchez (not that Sanchez doesn't deserve it), I feel like Elway and Kubiak will find any reason to start Lynch right away. And I think he's got a chance to be very good. Ragland? Not a bad pick, but Brandon Spikes coming off a year off is probably a better player right now than Ragland is, so no real dropoff there. For me the problem with the draft was opportunity cost, and the realization that Tyrod now has the Bills in a very tough place: pay (and overpay) him because there is no Plan B.

[Beerball]

 

Ragland can also rush the passer in certain situations......Rex thinks he is a 150 tackle a year guy

 

Let's not confuse hyperbole from Rex as fact. Get the kid's knee fixed and let's see what we have.

[John from Riverside]

Let's not confuse hyperbole from Rex as fact. Get the kid's knee fixed and let's see what we have.

Yep...no arguement here

[YoloinOhio]

Buffalo Bills players see a version of Brandon Spikes the public doesn't see

http://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2016/08/buffalo_bills_players_see_a_version_of_brandon_spikes_the_public_doesnt_see.html