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Who would be a better fit for our new defense


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Hawk.

 

I'm just as much of a Takeo Spikes fan as the next Bills fan, but let's be real here, TKO is coming back from the surgery that is very difficult to come back from. Plus Fletcher is not getting an younger and Posey is average at best.

 

AJ Hawk has 12 year, 5 time Pro-Bowler written all over him.

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Hawk.

 

I'm just as much of a Takeo Spikes fan as the next Bills fan, but let's be real here, TKO is coming back from the surgery that is very difficult to come back from.  Plus Fletcher is not getting an younger and Posey is average at best.

 

AJ Hawk has 12 year, 5 time Pro-Bowler written all over him.

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I dont even think it's about that. If Spikes can ever play at say 80-85% of his former self he'd still start, Hawk would be an automatic upgrade over crowell/posey. Posey and Fletcher are hitting the wrong side of 30 and tko will be 31 in 2 years. Other then crowell haggan and stamer haven't proved they can fill in and start. So if Hawk falls.... well I'd still want Bunkley but it is something to consider.

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If all three are still available which player would be the best fit for our Defense?

 

Ngata, Bunkley or Hawk???

 

I'd take Hawk even though Linebacker isn't a great need. :rolleyes:

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Hawk then Ngata then someone other than Bunkley. I don't want Erik Flowers Jr. unless it's in the middle 1st round.

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One of the reasons i asked this question is I caught Kirwan and Ryan doing a mock today on Sirius and they had Hawk slipping to the Browns at #12 and the Bills taking Bunkley. :rolleyes:

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I heard that as well...Kirwan was trying to prove his point that Hawk is likely to fall out of the top 10.

 

I don't agree with everything Kirwan says, although I do respect his knowledge. He is big on Buffalo taking Bunkley.

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If all three are still available which player would be the best fit for our Defense?

 

Ngata, Bunkley or Hawk???

 

I'd take Hawk even though Linebacker isn't a great need. :rolleyes:

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OK, I'll be the lone voice in the wilderness. I still say plug Ngata in & the entire D gets a whole lot better.

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Hawk.

 

I'm just as much of a Takeo Spikes fan as the next Bills fan, but let's be real here, TKO is coming back from the surgery that is very difficult to come back from.  Plus Fletcher is not getting an younger and Posey is average at best.

 

AJ Hawk has 12 year, 5 time Pro-Bowler written all over him.

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Amen! Just like Cowart's career ended before it started, TKO prolly won't return to form.

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OK, I'll be the lone voice in the wilderness.  I still say plug Ngata in & the entire D gets a whole lot better.

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I actually wouldn't mind signing Ngata in four or five years as a free agent. Remember, when we signed Ted Washington, it was after he had a fairly so-so career for the 49ers, who drafted him the first round. Then, he signed with the Bills, finally got motivation to start dominating now that he was on a second contract with a different team, and the rest is history.

 

I'd much rather be the Bills in that situation than the 49ers.

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Hawk would be able to step right into SLB over Posey.  I don't like either Ngata or Bunkley.

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Hawk is a weak side linebacker, you would have to move Spikes to the strong side. The top Strong side linebacker is Demaco Ryan, who wouldnt be a bad idea if you trade down. Ryan is a strong stand up leader who demands the most of his teamates. He made everyone pick up the trash off the floor from around their stalls so the cleaning crew did not have to pick up after the players. I think if you traded down picked up some extra picks Ryan might be the best fit.

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Hawk is a weak side linebacker, you would have to move Spikes to the strong side. The top Strong side linebacker is Demaco Ryan, who wouldnt be a bad idea if you trade down. Ryan is a strong stand up leader who demands the most of his teamates. He made everyone pick up the trash off the floor from around their stalls so the cleaning crew did not have to pick up after the players. I think if you traded down picked up some extra picks Ryan might be the best fit.

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I heard Hawk could play any LB position...can't remember if the source was reliable or not but....I don't think if he fell to us we could afford to let him go.

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Scouts Inc. is no Joel Buschbaum (who's probably watching film in Heaven right now), but there are some interesting comments here about each player:

 

Haloti Ngata

DT | (6'4", 338, 5.16)

 

Strengths: A mammoth DT/NT prospect. Possesses good height and is thickly built. He has brute strength and can be absolutely overpowering at times. When he is fresh and playing hard, he shows the ability to dominate the POA. He will knock OL back with initial pop and can drive them back off the LOS. He shows the ability to take on two blockers and hold his ground versus the run. He is an ideal two-gap run plugger in the middle of a defense. He flashes the ability to split double teams. He also shows enough initial quickness, size and power to consistently collapse the pocket as an interior bull rusher.

 

Weaknesses: A bit top-heavy. Effort can be inconsistent. He takes too many plays off. His technique needs improving. Plays too high at times and loses his leverage. Tires easily and will look sluggish. Needs to improve his hand usage and do a better job of getting off of blocks quicker. He does not seem to possess great anticipation skills and will get too many late jumps off the snap. A one-dimensional bull rusher who lacks an effective array of pass rush moves. Stamina and conditioning need improving. May only be a two-down player in the NFL. Durability is also an issue after knee injury in 2003 and hamstring injury in 2004.

 

Overall: Ngata played in 12 of 13 games as a true freshman in 2002. He suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left in the 2003 season-opener (Miss. State) and wound up redshirting that year. He returned as a third-year sophomore in 2004 and was still slowed by the knee injury and also a hamstring injury that season, but he finished with 46 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. As a senior, Ngata became the Ducks' first consensus All-American in 43 years while finishing the 2005 season sixth on the team in tackles with 61 total tackles. He also notched nine TFL, three sacks, five passes broken up and two blocked kicks.

 

Ngata has many flaws as a first round draft prospect. He is a bit top-heavy, he needs to learn to use his hands more properly and his motor tends to run hot-and-cold. However, Ngata is a massive, powerful and quick two-gap DT/NT prospect with tremendous upside as a potential anchor in the middle of an NFL defense. Furthermore, with no clear cut No. 1 DT in this year's class and with such a high demand in the NFL right now for his kind, it would not be surprising to see a team reach for Ngata in the top-half of the first round.

 

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Brodrick Bunkley

DT | (6'2", 306, 4.97)

 

Strengths: Is a quick and explosive DT prospect with a lot of upside. Has versatility as a player that has experience at NT and DT. Seems to be at his best in a one-gap scheme. Shows explosive initial quickness. Fires out of his stance quickly and with good leverage. He lacks lower body strength but shows power in his hips and upper body. He has strong arm and hands. Can "rip" off of blocks and does a good job of using his hands to keep blockers off his body. Has a lot of potential in terms of pass rush moves if he can refine his technique. He shows burst through the hole and good COD skills. He plays with a good motor and will pursue from behind. Is an explosive hitter who will force fumbles with power on contact.

 

Weaknesses: He is undersized and will not fit in a two-gap scheme in the NFL. Needs to add bulk and improve his lower body strength. Too short and lacks the ideal speed to move out to the DE position fulltime. He plays with a narrow base and will struggle to hold his ground in the phone booth when teams run at him. He lacks great recognition skills and will occasionally take himself out of plays by getting too far upfield. Durability is a concern. He has had multiple knee injuries and an ankle injury that lingered past the 2004 season. Also has had trouble with academics. There are concerns about his character, work ethic and mental capacity. He has stayed out of trouble and shows signs of maturing, but he has made a lot of poor decisions and has shown a lot of immaturity throughout his career at FSU.

 

Overall: Bunkley tore the ACL in his left knee in high school. He played in eight games as a reserve NT during his true freshman season in 2002 before tearing the MCL in his left knee. He started three of the 13 games he played as a sophomore in 2003. He was arrested in January of 2003 for petty theft (stole a video game from Wal-Mart) and was forced to pay a fine and complete 16 hours of community service. He moved into the starting lineup at NT during his junior season in 2004 but he missed two games (Syracuse and Wake Forest) because of an ankle injury and wound up finishing with just 12 tackles, three TFL and one sack. He started all 13 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 66 tackles, 25 TFL and nine sacks.

 

Bunkley is one of the fastest ascending prospects in the 2006 draft class right now. He started at the NT position as a junior but made the move to the UT spot as a senior and flourished as a one-gap penetrating type using a three-technique. Bunkley has some baggage in terms of his history of durability and character issues. However, he stayed completely healthy as a senior, he has missed just one game because of injury over the course of the last three seasons and he has remained out of trouble since his completion of community service in 2003.

 

As a player, Bunkley has the quickness, explosiveness and playmaking skills to develop into an impact penetrating interior lineman in the right scheme at the next level. Following an exceptional showing at the combine (44 reps on the bench press and 40-yard dash time of 4.97 seconds at 306 pounds), Bunkley has become legitimate competition for Oregon's Haloti Ngata for first defensive tackle off the board in 2006. In our opinion, Bunkley is worth the risk in the bottom-half of the first round.

 

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AJ Hawk

OLB | (6'1", 248, 4.65)

 

Strengths: Has been one of the most productive and reliable LB's in the nation since 2003. Plays the game with great intensity and toughness. An absolute throwback with ideal recognition skills and motor for the position. Plays with a mean streak. Has some versatility with experience at WLB and ILB. He is one of the most instinctive linebackers in college football. Few play the position with better recognition skills and toughness. He reads his keys as quickly as any linebacker in the nation. His pursuit angles are outstanding. He shows good closing burst to the ball carrier and is a powerful tackler that will also break down and consistently wrap-up in space. He is the definition of a sideline-to-sideline player. Is always around the play and has a knack for making things happen. Has adequate range in zone coverage and can match up underneath vs. most RB's one-on-one. Has better than average ball skills. He is explosive and instinctive as a blitzer. Can be extremely disruptive when turned loose upfield. Shows good initial quickness and burst to the quarterback as a pass rusher. Also flashes some good pass rush moves after he's been reached.

 

Weaknesses: Has had some minor durability issues in the past, including season-ending injury as a senior in high school. He lacks ideal fluidity. Has quickness and speed when working laterally and forward, but is a bit stiff in the hips and will lose too much in transition when opening to turn and run. Will struggle to match up against elite receivers at the RB position in the NFL. He is powerful but lacks ideal lower body strength. Is much more effective when covered. Will fill hard but doesn't always match up in the phone booth. Has somewhat of a narrow base and will get washed out by bigger iso-blockers at the POA.

 

Overall: Hawk served as a backup to Cie Grant (Saints) during his true freshman season in 2002. As a sophomore in 2003, he led the Buckeyes with 106 total tackles, including 13.5 for loss and four sacks. As a junior in 2004, he finished with 141 tackles, eight tackles for loss and one sack. Hawk started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 121 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. He was a two-time first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-Big 10 selection, and he also was the defensive MVP of the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

 

Hawk lacks elite fluidity in his hips, which will limit him a bit in coverage in the NFL. He also lacks ideal lower body bulk and strength to take on bigger blockers versus the inside run. However, what he lacks in elite athleticism and base he more than makes up for with instincts, toughness, speed, quickness and power. Hawk is at his best when he has room to roam uncovered, which allows him to best use his diagnostic skills and high motor to chase plays down without having to fight through much traffic.

 

Hawk is an absolute ball-hawk versus the run and he is a playmaker in the passing game both as a pass rusher and in coverage. He could probably play inside or weak-side linebacker in the NFL but we think he'll fit best at WLB, where he'll be in space more often. Hawk should be the first linebacker prospect to come off the board in the 2006 draft somewhere between the fifth and tenth overall selection.

 

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From an immediate impact standpoint, I'd pick Hawk. But LBs have a short shelf life and are more easily replaced than DTs, so from a long-term benefit perspective, I'd go with Bunkley.

 

Ngata scares me for some reason...I just hate guys who take plays off and aren't self-motivated. We wasted a lot of time and money on another guy who fits that description, who we drafted #5 not long ago.

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