[Colts have traded Jerry Hughes for Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard]

I'm having a hard time thinking a guy could make 80 tackles and never make a play as you said in an earlier thread. Was everyone else trhat much worst?

 

Being a tall Lillipution is not impressive. 

 

2 of the Bills top 4 leading tacklers were DBs. The Bills already cut the other LB that was part of the linebacking debacle (Nick BArnett) and Barnett was 10x the backer Sheppard was. Sheppard might have made tackles but never one that mattered. If he ever filled a hole, it was the wrong one. 

 

Poster Gavin above has some ESPN tracked stat that says Sheppard stuffed one run (a tackle for a loss) all last season. I'm shocked he had one it but I guess it happened...part of me wonders if it was a running back who stumbled. That's behind a strong defensive line. I'm telling you: He's really that invisible. If he succeeds, I'll be shocked. 

 

http://espn.go.com/n...kelvin-sheppard

 

Enough ranting on poor Kelvin. I hope the Bills trade for someone else on your team so I can be back to tell you about some better player in the future. 

[Colts have traded Jerry Hughes for Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard]

Sheppard played ILB at LSU and was dominate over 100 tackles junior and senior year. The Bills ran a 4-3  and he played MLB which isn't the right fit but he still was 3rd on the team in tackles with 80. Now hes coming back to the 3-4 and he should be dominate again alongside Freeman.

 

A couple guys and I have long theorized that Shep was the worst starting LB in the NFL last year. He's really pretty awful, and not saying Hughes is better. This trade is our junk for yours. But 4 sacks would put Hughes as the Bills 2nd leading sack-getter last year...that's how sorry the Bills are at D-Line. I bet Hughes will have space to make more plays on the lousy Bills defense.

 

For the curious, here is the mirror image of this thread from the Bills fan's perspective.

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/157965-bills-trade-kelvin-shephard/

[Colts have traded Jerry Hughes for Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard]

Watched quite a few Buffalo games and despite Kelvin starting those games, his name is hardly mentioned. Seems to be a money saving trade while adding some backup depth possibly.

 

My condolences. 

[Colts have traded Jerry Hughes for Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard]

I don't know if this guy will start or not but I don't like the idea of pulling your MLB in a 3-4 defense on any down. Your MLB is your qb of the defense. They get the coverage called in and the package set. They are an every down player. I don't mind bringing one off the field but don't you always have one that takes care of all the plays. I have never seen a team pull both their mlb and few pull either except in nickle or dime coverages. I would think we have one starting MLB....that would never come off the field except in an unusual coverage scheme because they have to relay the calls to the rest of the team....unless our safety is doing that .....but they usually only relay the secondary and get them set up in coverage...they can't be worried about who is blitzing and gap assignments. To me....this kid will fight for a starting lb role....and we will likely have one guy that never leaves the field....and the possibly rotate the other lb between nickle and coverage lb....I have no clue who plays what....but someone isn't coming off.

 

Reminding you all that I'm a Bills fan and I've seen Sheppard play. No one in Buffalo is talking about missing Sheppard. He was 100% going to be cut this year, and he was the starting ILB on one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. He has a pretty darn good D-line in front of him and if he ever made a play that mattered (not, frankly, that the Bills are often in a game where any play matters!), I don't remember it. 

 

I'm just trying to give you perspective from someone who never misses a game. Sheppard is a good guy by all accounts, but not a good player. I would put the odds at less than 50% that he makes the team. The Colts have good linebackers and Sheppard is not a good linebacker. 

 

By the way, I don't expect much, if anything, from Hughes. But at least reading the posts here, there are at least some people who liked his play. You'd be hard-pressed to find any Bills fan missing Sheppard. He was a guy in a uniform last year. 

 

To the posterwhose rationale is that this is a bad move by the Bills because the Bills are inept, well, I can't argue their ineptitude, but I can say that in this case they are purging a mistake instead of making one. Sheppard is in no way the next Paul Pozlusny--when the Bills let Poz go, it was over money more than productive play. Sheppard stinks and was a wasted 3rd round pick. 

[Colts have traded Jerry Hughes for Bills LB Kelvin Sheppard]

A Bills fan came over to weigh in. I have nothing against Kelvin Sheppard and your muted reaction is probably right. He's not been much of a player in Buffalo, and despite a good D-Line, never did jack behind them. He often ends up running into their backs and I don't recall him ever making a single play since he was in Buffalo. There was almost no chance he was making the Bills this year. 

 

I have no idea if Hughes will help much, so I figure it's your junk for our junk, but I believe Hughes has more upside (though it costs a little more). Sheppard is probably making his last stop before he's out to pasture. 

 

Anyways, good luck (except when playing the Bills).