Zach Brown, OLB??

by Nepenthe88 on Dec 11, 2011 10:28 PM EST

A bunch of Rumbler's want to draft OLB Courtney Upshaw. I think he'll wind up being a solid prospect, but I don't think he solves the problems of our defense. Most pressingly, we need an OLB prospect who can rush the passer. Upshaw would work well in this regard, but what about his other responsibilities? Does he have the speed to chase down running backs in the flat? I'm sure he's faster than S.Johnson, but (unfortunately) Upshaw has below average speed for the position. I also wonder if he has the speed / agility to drop and cover TE's. He's not much (if any) faster than Sheppard / Kelsay so I doubt we would see any improvement to the team there.

One Prospect that COULD make a dramatic difference at is Zach Brown. In many ways he's everything Upshaw isn't (agility and speed vs. strength). Brown is an elite athlete who's excellent in coverage and runs a 4.4 40 (if not faster). He could make a dramatic improvement to our outside run defense, as well as our ability to cover TE's. But.... At 6-2, 235 he would be slightly small for OLB, (would be 1" and 10lbs smaller than Clay Matthews coming out of college, but measures VERY similar to Lawrence Taylor). Bull rush might be out of the question, but there's lots of ways to rush the passer. That and... he has excellent football IQ, and is great against the run (from his ILB position anyway) and is from UNC, CHIX's favorite school!

Maybin's bust (in Buffalo anyway) should make fans leery of drafting another fast LB, & rightfully so. But Maybin didn't succeed (in Buffalo) because he was a one trick pony (despite how badly we need that trick) and because he was a bad locker room presence (remember his fight w. Wood?). CHIX seems set on drafting high character guys who hustle, are good football players, and are flexible in terms of position. Brown-- assuming he couldn't cut it at OLB-- would undoubtedly find a starting role on this team (be it ILB, Safety or the hybrid S/LB role that B.Scott plays) if only because he is an elite playmaking athlete on a team in desperate need of elite talent.

Sooo... I guess my mock draft would look something like this:

(12) 1- (OLB) Zach Brown 6-2 235 (UNC)

(44) 2- (OLB) Nick Perry 6-3 250 (USC)

(76) 3- (CB) Casey Hayward 5-11 190 (Vanderbilt)

(107) 4- (OT) Josh Oglesby 6-7 330 (Wisconsin)

(120) 4- (DT) DaJohn Harris 6-4 300 (USC)

(139) 5- (RT) Ryan Miller 6-8 300 (Colorado)

(170) 6- (WR) B.J. Cunningham 6-2 216 (Michigan St.)

(171) 6- (CB) Asa Jackson 5-10 188 (Cal Poly)

(201) 7- (TE) Josh Chichester 6-7 245 (Louisville)

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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Comments

Depending on where we pick, gotta want a QB. Fitz is a below average QB, average at best.
RG3, Barkley, or Jones have to be selected if available. If not I’d like Brown, Upshaw, or Clairborne if available

Kenny Powers is back!

by atlantalove on Dec 11, 2011 10:36 PM EST reply actions

draft is still far away though and we could end up selecting top 10 or we could win 2/3 last games and select somewhere around 15-20

Kenny Powers is back!

by atlantalove on Dec 11, 2011 10:36 PM EST up reply actions

I HOPE

We at least beat the Dolphins …

RED HULK: Pos: OLB, Height: 6'4, Weight: 1,040 .. uummm looks like we found our OLB BOYS!

by khameleon59 on Dec 12, 2011 7:21 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t think Jones will be a first round guy

by billsfan26 on Dec 12, 2011 1:17 AM EST up reply actions

He will be but for a 4-3 team.

by Brennan McCoy on Dec 12, 2011 2:53 AM EST up reply actions

….Landry Jones

by billsfan26 on Dec 12, 2011 10:05 AM EST up reply actions

Size shouldn’t matter about bullrushing.
I don’t remember what game it occurred, but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named bull rushed a tackle back and he’s only a svelte 230lbs.

Da'Jon McKnight - WR (Minnesota) - 6'3'' 211Lbs. (5th Round)

Courtney Upshaw - Alabama - the answer at OLB
Vinny Curry - Marshall - the other answer at OLB.

Both can be gotten, whether Vinny Curry falls to the 2nd or we trade up in the last 1/3 of the 1st Round. Snagging one or both will help our defense immensely.

by NordicBillsfan on Dec 11, 2011 11:09 PM EST reply actions

One question.

Was the tackle in question laughing uncontrollably at the time due to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s Scooby-Doo running style?

Where u guys going to be send. You will not need prayers you do not need your soul. You will be in a place not even the. Undead. Walk.

-abayarde

by APhoenixDestiny on Dec 11, 2011 11:42 PM EST up reply actions

no he bull rushed

our RT Eric Pears. I remenber that.

by Fernando brazil on Dec 12, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

6-2, 235?

Well Moats is 6-2, 250, and he’s considered too short for whatever they call a system.

by dgrid on Dec 12, 2011 12:47 AM EST reply actions

and if u havent noticed, moats has been completely invisible this season… because (spoiler!) hes really not a very good football player

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Dec 12, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

Brown also plays in 4-3 D

He is a way better prospect as a 4-3 OLB than a 3-4.

by Brennan McCoy on Dec 12, 2011 2:57 AM EST reply actions

ummm...

where is the QB in the mock?

by JustAskTheAxis on Dec 12, 2011 7:27 AM EST reply actions

we aren’t really in a position to draft a QB. The 1st rd QB’s will be gone by the time we draft (except Jones, who doesn’t merit a low round pick), and Tannehill will be gone before our rd2 pick (who I think will be an excellent QB). After rd2, I would consider Harnish, Keenum, Moore, and D.Davis, but… I don’t think any of them are noticeably better than Fitz (and I don’t have a tremendously high opinion of Fitz right now)… that means they would compete with thigpen for the “backup of the future” role. and honestly I think we can still find fringe starters in Miller, Cunningham, Jackson & chichester. To me, they provide more value than a backup QB

by Nepenthe88 on Dec 12, 2011 10:20 AM EST up reply actions

Like and Dislike

First off, thank you for noting Zach Brown as a potential draft pick for the Bills. While he is a solid 4-3 OLB, he does have skill sets to shift to be the occasional pass rusher. However, given that he has only logged 5.5 career sacks and his size, the inside linebacker position would make a lot more sense for him. ILB is not the biggest need for the Bills and while Shepp has done well, it does not mean that there are better players in this draft than he. ILB is an important aspect of a 3-4 defense, and Brown complementing Perry on the strong-side certainly has its merits. Not the best of fits, but clearly, something needs to give in fixing the defense.

by DynamicHero22 on Dec 12, 2011 10:08 AM EST reply actions

true

but almost anyone we draft to be a 3-4 OLB is going to be a player converted From some other position. Just cause its more common to convert a DE doesn’t mean an ILB can’t succeed…

I would also consider converting Mante T’eo, or Vontaze Burflict (Yes he was benched for too many personal fouls, Yes he’s been tainted and might be too aggressive BUT… that’s another thing this defense doesn’t have, and adding an element of fear isn’t all bad.)

by Nepenthe88 on Dec 12, 2011 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

T'eo

is staying at ND, and no thanks on shifting everyone to new positions

by fanick82 on Dec 12, 2011 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

um, but almost all 3-4 OLB's are converted from another position

so… how do you plan on going about getting an OLB?

by Nepenthe88 on Dec 12, 2011 5:00 PM EST up reply actions

There are some college programs that run 3-4 systems now. Alabama for starters which is why I like Upshaw more than the rest of the options. He’s at least played OLB during his college career so there SHOULD be a shorter adjustment period.

Punt?! In our moment of triumph?! I think you overestimate their chances!!
Chan Gailey to Brian Moorman

by TexasBillsFanatic on Dec 12, 2011 5:35 PM EST up reply actions

t’eo would make little sense as an outside backer. the way that guy moves in space he needs to play in the middle.
i wouldnt touch burfict with a 10 ft. pole. the fact that ASU’s coaches have benched him repeatedly for lack of discipline and overall bad play tells me literally everything i need to know about the guy

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Dec 12, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions

Pass rushing DE or OLB in free agency

QB with the first pick

by Winnie33 on Dec 12, 2011 10:27 AM EST reply actions

trade out

trade #10ish pick (prob 11 or 12 more likely) to the low 20’s (if possible) and draft tannehill, then pick up 2 OLB or CB and OLB in 2nd round where they are more deserving to be selected (obviously netting an additional 2nd round pick by trading down)

by Air Compressor on Dec 12, 2011 12:00 PM EST reply actions

I love the idea

and that’s probably the smartest course of action. We could take
rd1— R.Tannehill (QB)
rd2— N.Perry (OLB)
rd2— C.Heyward (CB)
rd3— Devin Taylor (OLB) S.Carolina
that would be amazing in my book… I just don’t see Nix trading down (unfortunately) since his philosophy is "if there’s a guy you like, TAKE HIM, cause he might not be there later. Part of me agrees, because there’s no guarantee Perry would be there in rd2…

by Nepenthe88 on Dec 12, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

have to disagree, Courtney Upshaw is the better 3-4 prospect

a 3-4 olb should be about 260 6’2" or taller. 235 is 4-3

You are now Watching The Throne.

by tomcs on Dec 12, 2011 4:46 PM EST reply actions

I think both could be useful to a 3-4. Irregardless, isn’t Upshaw similar to a Calvin Pace OLB? He’s good about everything but not a dynamic pass rusher (not saying this is a bad thing, we could still use an OLB like this)?

Da'Jon McKnight - WR (Minnesota) - 6'3'' 211Lbs. (5th Round)

Courtney Upshaw - Alabama - the answer at OLB
Vinny Curry - Marshall - the other answer at OLB.

Both can be gotten, whether Vinny Curry falls to the 2nd or we trade up in the last 1/3 of the 1st Round. Snagging one or both will help our defense immensely.

by NordicBillsfan on Dec 12, 2011 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

your right about upshaw being a better 3-4 prospect, but youre wrong on the position.
upshaw in a 3-4 fits much much better as an ILB.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Dec 12, 2011 5:28 PM EST up reply actions

You don’t think he’d fit at the SOLB spot (Kelsay’s currently)? He strikes me as an ideal fit for that position. While I would say the weak-side is in more desperate need of upgrading, it seems like Upshaw would make a nice little upgrade over Kelsay.

Punt?! In our moment of triumph?! I think you overestimate their chances!!
Chan Gailey to Brian Moorman

by TexasBillsFanatic on Dec 12, 2011 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

i think he could fit at that spot. but i wouldnt could on him to (1) cover TEs, (2) be an impact rusher off the edge, or (3) hold containment on speedy guys coming on end arounds/reverses.
so the question is would he be significantly better in that position than kelsay already is? i really dont think so.
in a 3-4 i think upshaws got a much better chance to be in impact NFLer if he gets to play like bart scott. go downhill and hit people. i could see him being a very good strong side end in a 4-3, but thats another argument entirely.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Dec 12, 2011 5:53 PM EST up reply actions

browns way too small for the bills hybrid scheme. not even close to upshaw in terms of taking on blockers and playing with strength. not even close. and i dont even like upshaw as a prospect very much, but i dont see much of any similarity between him and brown.
z.brown belongs in a tampa 2. 100%.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Dec 12, 2011 5:30 PM EST reply actions

I’d be shocked if Buffalo had Zach Brown on their draft board as anything other than a 3rdish round ILB.

Don’t be fooled by his sack total this year, it’s just blizting numbers. He doesn’t actually beat blockers for his sacks. I’d bet that he doesn’t even weigh 235 and plays at about 230.

Here’s Wes Bunting’s opinion of Brown:

“looks like a starting caliber 43 weak side guy who would be ideal in a cover two scheme.”

Brown isn’t good at handling defenders as a 4-3 OLB, he won’t be considered by teams in a 3-4 role that asks him to engage blockers. He needs to be in a scheme that asks him to run sideline to sideline, avoiding blockers, not in a scheme that asks him to go north/south.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on Dec 12, 2011 7:01 PM EST reply actions