Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher?

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Was watching NFLN Total Access.

Mike Lombardi mentioned last night that Brandon Spikes provides flexibility as an OLB pass rusher. Nobody seemed to disagree.

I haven't heard anything about that.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[RussFrancis]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Id much rather see this guy play next to Mayo on the inside and focus on his blitz rush and coverage skills that worry about setting him up outside and ask too much too soon. He's a thumper, not a rush man.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I wouldn't use him like that. He has solid technique but I could see him having a huge amount of trouble against getting around tackles. He's best used as an inside pass rusher and that's where he'll disrupt things the most against quarterbacks like Manning.

 

[tobias funke]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I'm sure he will have his opportunities to rush the passer, but I doubt they are going to try and teach him multiple LB spots in his first season.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I wouldn't use him like that. He has solid technique but I could see him having a huge amount of trouble against getting around tackles. He's best used as an inside pass rusher and that's where he'll disrupt things the most against quarterbacks like Manning.

Agreed.
I don't think he'll play any outside backer but I think he will improve the pass rush. It is a lot easier for a player as big as Spikes to rush the passer inside than a faster lighter linebacker like Guyton.

Speed it not that important for rushing the passer up the middle, because more often than not you are running at the middle of the line.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Agreed.
I don't think he'll play any outside backer but I think he will improve the pass rush. It is a lot easier for a player as big as Spikes to rush the passer inside than a faster lighter linebacker like Guyton.

Speed it not that important for rushing the passer up the middle, because more often than not you are running at the middle of the line.

Agreed. And as a power rusher you are more likely to collapse the pocket, preventing the QB from stepping up. A speed rusher would have to go to one side or the other of a lineman, allowing the QB to step up to the side that the rusher did not go to.

I think that BB defenses like to collapse the pocket rather than go for the sack, and adding a power ILB helps that quite a bit.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I read this about this too it gives us the possibility of keeping Guyton in on 3rd down playing inside next to Mayo and putting Spikes at OLB to keep him on the field.

 

[Joker]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Did anybody read up on his speed breakdowns?

He was timed on a slow track at 4.95 in the forty BUT his time in the ten yard burst was a stellar 1.5 and 1.48 seconds...this would seem to indicate his value as a blitzer would be from the inside, hitting the gaps.

 

[DarrylS]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I read this about this too it gives us the possibility of keeping Guyton in on 3rd down playing inside next to Mayo and putting Spikes at OLB to keep him on the field.

With his speed and height, has Guyton been considered for OLB???. I know he struggles in coverage, but that can change.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Did anybody read up on his speed breakdowns?

He was timed on a slow track at 4.95 in the forty BUT his time in the ten yard burst was a stellar 1.5 and 1.48 seconds...this would seem to indicate his value as a blitzer would be from the inside, hitting the gaps.

This also indicates to me that he is much better suited to the 3-4 ILB than the 4-3 MLB, as he'll have the quick step to cover between the hashes, but not so much the long speed to cover sideline to sideline. Good compliment to Mayo if he pans out.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Did anybody read up on his speed breakdowns?

He was timed on a slow track at 4.95 in the forty BUT his time in the ten yard burst was a stellar 1.5 and 1.48 seconds...this would seem to indicate his value as a blitzer would be from the inside, hitting the gaps.

Yah, like Wilfork he just slows down as the distance gets longer

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Yah, like Wilfork he just slows down as the distance gets longer

Well, technically he's still running faster over the last 30 yards than he was over the first 10, it's just that he hits his maximum speed sooner relative to other players at his position. His acceleration is good, but his top speed is low.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

Did anybody read up on his speed breakdowns?

He was timed on a slow track at 4.95 in the forty BUT his time in the ten yard burst was a stellar 1.5 and 1.48 seconds...this would seem to indicate his value as a blitzer would be from the inside, hitting the gaps.

He also has top notch technique as well. Not only is he powerful enough to bullrush the interior linemen, but he can also use his technique to get around them. As I said, this will be EXTREMELY valuable when going up against Manning. Like Brady, his achilles heel is pressure up the middle.

 

[pats1]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

With his speed and height, has Guyton been considered for OLB???. I know he struggles in coverage, but that can change.

1) Guyton does not struggle in coverage. This is the strong point of his game and he will be used mostly in sub packages as a linebacker.

2) Guyton does not have the size to play 3-4 OLB. He struggles against the run and would be eaten alive trying to set the edge, just like he struggled playing 3-4 ILB going against guards in 2009.

3) Brandon Spikes does not have the speed to play 3-4 OLB. He is an ILB who will most likely be counted on to stop the run.

Basically, think of Guyton as Roman Phifer and Spikes as Ted Johnson.

 

[TheComeback]

Re: Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher

I wouldn't be so dismissive of Spikes playing OLB in certain situations. Obviously his main position would be ILB, but we all know how Belichick loves to mix things up on the field.

A linebacker like Spikes allows him to be pretty creative. Spikes has the size and strength to play OLB, even if ILB is his better position. Back in "the day," our linebackers would be all over the place, which causes big problems for centers and "cerebral" QBs like Peyton Manning who try to pick up blitzes before the snap.

BB knows his scheme is based around that kind of flexibility, though it's unlikely he will be able to fully execute it with so many rookies and young players this year. However, with more players like Spikes and Cunningham (who, like Vrabel and Bruschi, could occasionally move inside after he learns how to play like a linebacker), we should be at that place again in a few seasons.

 

[cstjohn17]

Re: Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher

Was watching NFLN Total Access.

Mike Lombardi mentioned last night that Brandon Spikes provides flexibility as an OLB pass rusher. Nobody seemed to disagree.

I haven't heard anything about that.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I saw several Florida games where he was used at DE in a 4-3 front, he was good enough player in college to perform in this role. It shows his versatility and he could move inside and outside, this provides depth for the LB core. Think of him as a reverse Vrabel who was mostly OLB but could move to ILB in a pinch.

 

[spacecrime]

Re: Brandon Spikes- OLB Pass Rusher

I wouldn't use him like that. He has solid technique but I could see him having a huge amount of trouble against getting around tackles. He's best used as an inside pass rusher and that's where he'll disrupt things the most against quarterbacks like Manning.

I agree. I see him in the ILB spot rushing as Bruschi did, not from the outside like Vrabel.

I don't see why it makes a big difference where he starts his rush, as long as he gets there, and since he rushed from the middle in Florida, why not let him use his instincts there?

 

[TruthSeeker]

Re: Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher

Man, I don't care where he plays, I'm just psyched to have him on this team. He's a beast. I've seen him compared to Bryan Cox, I'll take Bryan Cox in his prime, any day of the week. Also, he reminds me a bit of Bruschi in his ability to pick-6, and his pass rush. I think we are gonna love this guy. Spikes and Gronkowski were my two favorite picks, they are both so physical, and beasts.

 

[BradyManny]

Re: Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher

Was watching NFLN Total Access.

Mike Lombardi mentioned last night that Brandon Spikes provides flexibility as an OLB pass rusher. Nobody seemed to disagree.

I haven't heard anything about that.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Spikes was a pretty effective blitzer at Florida, he can probably do likewise in the pro's. He's much stronger than Guyton or Mayo, so he can have an effective bullrush on interior blitzes. Of course, this presumes Spikes is on the field on 3rd downs - which he may not be. Though, for his purported lack of speed, the guy has been successful enough in coverage to be in the right place at the right time quite a bit.

I do not see him as an edge rusher option though, under any circumstances, so I'm not sure what Lombardi is specifically talking about there.

 

[TripleOption]

Re: Brandon Spikes - OLB pass rusher

Was watching NFLN Total Access.

Mike Lombardi mentioned last night that Brandon Spikes provides flexibility as an OLB pass rusher. Nobody seemed to disagree.

I haven't heard anything about that.

Anyone have any thoughts?

ILB. I suppose he could rush the passer, but he seems more instinctive dropping into coverage underneath.

Maybe Lombardi is a nitwit.