The King
06-02-2014, 10:40 AM
On SB Nation:
D-Line Rated As "Damn" Good. http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/28/5739748/2014-nfl-defensive-line-rankings-rams-panthers-saints-broncos
Buffalo Bills (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/buffalo-bills)DT Marcel Dareus, DT Kyle Williams, DE Mario Williams, DE Jerry Hughes, DT Alan Branch, DT Stefan Charles
The Bills, perhaps somewhat quietly, finished second in the NFL in sacks in 2013 with 57.0, and their core group of Dareus, Williams, Williams, Branch and Hughes is among the most destructive in the NFL while rushing the passer. The depth behind those five is somewhat tenuous, but with luck in the health department, Buffalo will continue to get after quarterbacks with success.
Linebackers Rated as Elite: (1 of 2) http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/30/5742946/best-nfl-linebacker-corps-bills-49ers-kiko-alonso-novorro-bowman
Buffalo Bills (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/buffalo-bills)MLB/WLB Kiko Alonso, MLB Brandon Spikes (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108553/brandon-spikes), SLB Manny Lawson (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2100/manny-lawson), WLB/ILB Nigel Bradham (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/155016/nigel-bradham), OLB Ty Powell, MLB/OLB Keith Rivers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34370/keith-rivers), MLB Preston Brown
The Bills already had a very nice group of linebackers in 2013 featuring Nigel Bradham, Manny Lawson, and highlighted by Kiko Alonso's (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/193401/kiko-alonso) Defensive Rookie of the Year performance. Alonso racked up an impressive 159 tackles while adding 11 passes defensed and four picks in his premiere season out of Oregon. Alonso is an instinctive, fast-flowing and aggressive linebacker built in the "new-school" mode which asks for more speed and coverage ability.
Because of this, he will now play on the weakside in base downs his sophomore season with the addition of Brandon Spikes in free agency. Spikes, a fearsome old-school run stopper that has yet to prove he's a three-down player, will likely rotate a little bit with Bradham and Alonso in nickel or third down looks, as both are strong in pass coverage. Alonso in particular
With the selection of Preston Brown in the Draft, Buffalo's linebackers group gets another talent infusion, and with Ty Powell and Keith Rivers for depth, I like the group they've built there.
I might reverse the two, but it's nice to be liked I guess.
D-Line Rated As "Damn" Good. http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/28/5739748/2014-nfl-defensive-line-rankings-rams-panthers-saints-broncos
Buffalo Bills (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/buffalo-bills)DT Marcel Dareus, DT Kyle Williams, DE Mario Williams, DE Jerry Hughes, DT Alan Branch, DT Stefan Charles
The Bills, perhaps somewhat quietly, finished second in the NFL in sacks in 2013 with 57.0, and their core group of Dareus, Williams, Williams, Branch and Hughes is among the most destructive in the NFL while rushing the passer. The depth behind those five is somewhat tenuous, but with luck in the health department, Buffalo will continue to get after quarterbacks with success.
Linebackers Rated as Elite: (1 of 2) http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/30/5742946/best-nfl-linebacker-corps-bills-49ers-kiko-alonso-novorro-bowman
Buffalo Bills (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/buffalo-bills)MLB/WLB Kiko Alonso, MLB Brandon Spikes (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/108553/brandon-spikes), SLB Manny Lawson (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/2100/manny-lawson), WLB/ILB Nigel Bradham (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/155016/nigel-bradham), OLB Ty Powell, MLB/OLB Keith Rivers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/34370/keith-rivers), MLB Preston Brown
The Bills already had a very nice group of linebackers in 2013 featuring Nigel Bradham, Manny Lawson, and highlighted by Kiko Alonso's (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/193401/kiko-alonso) Defensive Rookie of the Year performance. Alonso racked up an impressive 159 tackles while adding 11 passes defensed and four picks in his premiere season out of Oregon. Alonso is an instinctive, fast-flowing and aggressive linebacker built in the "new-school" mode which asks for more speed and coverage ability.
Because of this, he will now play on the weakside in base downs his sophomore season with the addition of Brandon Spikes in free agency. Spikes, a fearsome old-school run stopper that has yet to prove he's a three-down player, will likely rotate a little bit with Bradham and Alonso in nickel or third down looks, as both are strong in pass coverage. Alonso in particular
With the selection of Preston Brown in the Draft, Buffalo's linebackers group gets another talent infusion, and with Ty Powell and Keith Rivers for depth, I like the group they've built there.
I might reverse the two, but it's nice to be liked I guess.