Upon Further Review - Takeo Spikes
Landon Reed
IDPBlitz was abuzz last season with questions
about Takeo Spikes. Well, nothing's changed this season. I dunno, maybe it's the
first name, but subscribers want the news of where to draft Spikes this season.
Last season was Spikes return from the Achilles injury that ended his 2005
season early. Here's what we wrote last season about him and his prospect. Last
year's assessment follows in italics.
2006: Takeo Spikes, LB, Buffalo
Injury: Achilles heel
Level of concern: high
Expected return to
previous performance levels: very questionable production
Snap decision: Leave him
be
Achilles injuries, as noted earlier, are brutal.
Expect a diminished player to take the field, especially when that player is
coming back a bit too fast and getting a little older than peak age. His
dwindling solo tackles over the last three years are proof of age. He's still
got the savvy to play well in open spaces but his teammates are as hungry as he
is in Crowell and Fletcher.
-
Double reverse decision: The same decision but it takes longer for
me to explain.
Takeo Spikes. What a great football name. I seriously
considered naming my first son Takeo Reed or Spikes Reed, but that dream fell
apart once I made the mistake of voicing it to Mrs. Reed. And, upon further
review I realized that 5' 7" guys who marry 5' 7" women do not produce
linebackers --or running backs, quarterbacks, etc. for for the NFL. They can
produce gifted coaches though with the moniker Chucky. So watch out!
IDPBlitz has already shared its view on Takeo.
We think he's going to have a down year as he recovers from his injury and
has to battle both age and Angelo Crowell. A look at his three year
trends in solo tackles shows that maybe he was on the downside of his great
career even before this significant injury. The stepped up numbers in sacks and
picks really helped keep him afloat. But, the issue for him is going to be his
speed and timing. He's got the savvy, but can he execute properly this coming
season?
solo tack
assisted tack sacks picks
2002: CIN: 81 32
1.5 0
2003: BUF: 70
56 2 2
2004: BUF: 64
35 4 5
2005: BUF 11
6 1 0 (injury in game three)
There are also impact of other players in Buffalo
to consider. London Fletcher is still producing and taking away tackles from
Spikes; and if Crowell lands the other LB spot, as we believe, then there goes
more tackles and big plays. We feel Crowell has the wheels to get to the QB.
On the other side of the coin, Buffalo is an awful offensive team. (Oh,
please read the word offensive as meaning both "to try to score in football when
having the ball" and as "distasteful, ugly, a blight on humanity". It's meant
both ways when speaking of the Buffalo offense. Before anyone from Buffalo seeks
to attack me here, please rest easy knowing I too suffer as a long time Raiders
fan. Sigh.) This means that Spikes and company will be on the field a lot.
They'll get opportunities to pad stats for themselves and you.
Take IDPBlitz to heart
here and keep Spikes on your screen, just not as high as you might normally.
He's a good middle pick and a great pick in late rounds. That is if his
reputation hasn't already made him a player for another owner early on. Another
way to consider Spikes is thusly (I've been trying to find a way to sneak this
word in all day). Players will less well known names or pedigree like Kirk
Morrison, Jeremiah Trotter, Cato June, and James Farrior are likely to
still be on the board once Spikes is long gone. And, IDPBlitz feels that's great
news because you'll get the same types of, maybe even better, performances from
these guys without the worry of a lingering injury which takes more than a year
to recover from properly.
2007: Takeo Spikes, LB, Buffalo
Injury: 18 months removed
from Achilles heel
Level of concern: low
Expected return to
previous performance levels: questionable but not unreachable
Snap decision: Draft him
IF late rounds or deep leagues
As you read and likely surmised, I'm a fan of Takeo. I
really want him to be a rebound player this season in Philadelphia. His plusses
are that he's among the savviest players at LB. He's driven to perform well and
he seems to make big plays. He was brought to Philadelphia specifically to shore
up the LB corps. Philadelphia believes in him and generally does a good job of
helping guys succeed given their skills and level of play. He's also over
the 18-month mark we like to see for players returning from Achilles injuries.
The negatives aren't as numerous, but they are weightier. He's 31 now, which is
the tail end of peak for a stud LBer. It's beyond the tail end for one
coming back from an Achilles injury. Spikes fits the high reward big gamble
label. I have to be honest here. I will keep passing him over unless I see him
there in late, late rounds of drafts.
I will dangle a little something out there to make you take
pause however. In Spikes first 7 games he managed 1 sack and 35 tackles. And, 15
of those 35 tackles were assisted tackles. In Spikes final 5 games he managed 35
tackles, 11 of those were assisted. It's a small measure to be sure but maybe
suggestive of more confidence in his Achilles. Training camp and preseason in
particular will tell the tale for Spikes. We'll let you know more about what we
think of him closer to the end of August. | 
Subscribe Now
