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Could Spikes' replacement already be on the Roster?


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With TKO's days in Buffalo numbered, I've read a ton of posts about addressing the hole through the draft with either Willis, Polz, Black etc etc. But is it possible the Bills already have their OLB of choice on the roster in the form of TSW whipping boy, Coy Wire? During the final stretch last year he lined up quite a bit at OLB and played to rave reviews from the staff.

 

Personally, this option would terrify me -- but I wouldn't put it past Dick or Marv since they moved quickly to resign Coy to a multi year deal. Perhaps the plan is to go in with Ellison, Crowell and Wire as the LBs and add a mid round pick to the mix?

 

Why else would the staff be so willing to get rid of not only Fletch but TKO when there are no guarantees that Willis will be there at 12 or that Polz will be there in round 2? You can argue it's a strictly finacial move on the Bills' part, but why would the team willingly put another hole in their lineup unless they had a plan already in place?

 

Just food for thought ...

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In all honesty, I don't care for Coy Wire as a Saftey... however... if DJ and company have a desire to put him in at weakside OLB, then it may be something worthwhile to do. Assuming that Coy puts on some weight, he may be that "hawk" type of LB they are looking for to blitz the QB and spy RB's out of the backfield.

 

While I hope it doesnt happen... I can see them doing just that.

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I don't think it's farfetched at all. There seemed to be alot of people around wanting Cato June. Wasn't he a S at one point? Like it or not the past and current staff thinks Wire can play. Do you think that they might know something? Just asking.

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I don't think it's farfetched at all. There seemed to be alot of people around wanting Cato June. Wasn't he a S at one point? Like it or not the past and current staff thinks Wire can play. Do you think that they might know something? Just asking.

 

I think they do know something. Coy played the WLB for a bunch of snaps the last 3 or 4 weeks of the season and played fairly well. Well enough that Dick praised him in several PC after the games. At the time, you could argue they were had no other options with Crowell, Stammer and TKO being banged up. But looking back at it now when you factor in how quickly they moved to resign Coy and how little interest the club had in any FA solutions at LB, it's very reasonable to assume they have had this plan in place since last year.

 

TKO being pushed out the door only furthers this logic. You can't gamble that Willis is going to be there at 12, or even that Polz will be there -- so you can't push TKO out the door unless his replacement is already on the roster. There needs to be a saftey net in case the draft prize isn't there. Who else could that saftey net be?

 

Again, I'm not saying Coy is going to be the answer, I'm just saying it's possible that the staff thinks he is their answer and will thus not go LB in round 1 or 2.

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Coy hasn't been the answer to any question asked of many hard core Bills fans for awhile besides the question who would you most liked to see cut. However, even though I have long thought and said he was horribly miscast by GW/Gray in the role of starting SS because of their miscue of judging that former Titan Jenkins had anything left in the tank.

 

However. I think that a lot of this bad feeling stems from his problems at safety (a position he had never played at any level of organized ball since HS when the Bills made this rookie their SS starter) and it is not impossible that he may prove to be a satisfactory OLB.

 

He certainly has been never afraid to hit (though at times I feared he had Kurt Schulz disease and his teammates were as much in danger as his opponents from him throwing his body into a pile). If the Bills are looking for more attacking LBs than the old lineup, Wire may well be the answer.

 

The main question I think is can he bulk up a bit (he was listed at 220 which is a weight I think he stayed at in order to be as quick as he could at SS). If he comes into camp bulked up a little so that he is not too light in the pants to be a run plugger and does so in away that still allows him to maintain some speed, it is certainly possible (though his past problems at SS do not allow me to do more than wish for this) that he may be a good LB for us.

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How much weight would we be looking at him needing to put on? BB.com lists him at 6-0, 220 (I am guessing that is closer to what he was toward the end of last season) while NFL.com has him at 6-0, 205 (last season's Opening Day weight?) What weight does he need to be at that allows him to engage lineman while not losing any speed?

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Coy Wire couldn't hold Takeo Spikes jockstrap, thats like saying Willis Mcgahee filled the void Thurman Thomas left.

 

This is just getting depressing. Remember how pumped we all were when Takeo came to town. He WANTED to be here in Buffalo and we wanted him to be here. We were giving him standing ovations in the final game of the '02 season. I really hate losing this guy.

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He certainly has been never afraid to hit (though at times I feared he had Kurt Schulz disease and his teammates were as much in danger as his opponents from him throwing his body into a pile). If the Bills are looking for more attacking LBs than the old lineup, Wire may well be the answer.

 

The main question I think is can he bulk up a bit (he was listed at 220 which is a weight I think he stayed at in order to be as quick as he could at SS). If he comes into camp bulked up a little so that he is not too light in the pants to be a run plugger and does so in away that still allows him to maintain some speed, it is certainly possible (though his past problems at SS do not allow me to do more than wish for this) that he may be a good LB for us.

 

All good points. This of course is all a hypothesis on my part, but based on everything we saw at the end of the season, and now with the TKO rumors, it seems to be a logical stepping stone. It may not be the staff's "A" plan, but it appears to be their backup plan if things in the draft don't go the way they want it.

 

Though, of course, if Willis or Polz are there when the Bills are on the clock in the first two rounds and they pass on them -- well, then we'll know that No. 27 might be up for a number change.

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I'm on the record as upset that we might lose Spikes for dollars. I don't think we are going to start three LBs better than what I expect from TKO in 2007, so unless I prove to be wrong about that, we are making the decision because of cash and possibly overpaying Walker, etc., and that isn't cool. I'll cheer like hell for whichever three we run out there. But I will be disappointed if Spikes isn't one of them and money is to blame.

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This is just getting depressing. Remember how pumped we all were when Takeo came to town. He WANTED to be here in Buffalo and we wanted him to be here. We were giving him standing ovations in the final game of the '02 season. I really hate losing this guy.

I completely agree. It just won't be the same losing without him.

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