Terrel Bernard signed

[3rdand12]

3 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I hope that he can contribute beyond special teams.  He is very small for a NFL LB and isn’t super fast to make up for his lack of size.  I understand that he is very smart and a hard worker.

London Fletcher small ?

[Joe Mama]

2 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

London Fletcher small ?

Short yes, small no. 5'10 242

[without a drought]

3 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

I wanna like the guy. I really do. He’s just so small! He’ll get swallowed up by Guards. Maybe a Poyer replacement??

Then just do it unless he proves otherwise.

 

I think the league is moving more and more to pass catchers and pass stoppers, than more traditional positions. Offenses are getting faster and shiftier, with many of these players being smaller than the prototype player. I can see more tweener type players in the mix at LB and the Bills fluidity between the safeties becoming the norm.

[mrags]

5 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m really eager to see If they plan on giving him snaps alongside Milano and Edmunds. He’s really effective in coverage and blitzing.  Seems like a great fit on 3rd and long

100% believe he will be in the field on 3rd down situations as opposed to Johnson. Especially on short 3rd downs when it could be a run or pass. 

[Richard Noggin]

29 minutes ago, mrags said:

100% believe he will be in the field on 3rd down situations as opposed to Johnson. Especially on short 3rd downs when it could be a run or pass. 

 

Maybe on 3rd and short, maybe. Don't forget Johnson is a pivotal guy in this defense, who (if I'm reading spotrac correctly) is entering the 1st year of a 3 year extension that pays him well for a strictly inside CB. It's much more likely that Johnson continues to see the field a TON and Bernard is maybe sprinkled in for specific sub-packages and later in lopsided games. It took Milano half a season to really see the field as a rookie. (Don't get me wrong, I really like the player/person and hope he blows us all away.) 

[NewEra]

54 minutes ago, mrags said:

100% believe he will be in the field on 3rd down situations as opposed to Johnson. Especially on short 3rd downs when it could be a run or pass. 

Yeah, that could definitely be the case.  The third down terminator.  He can be like Tyler Matzek last postseason.  

[mrags]

41 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Maybe on 3rd and short, maybe. Don't forget Johnson is a pivotal guy in this defense, who (if I'm reading spotrac correctly) is entering the 1st year of a 3 year extension that pays him well for a strictly inside CB. It's much more likely that Johnson continues to see the field a TON and Bernard is maybe sprinkled in for specific sub-packages and later in lopsided games. It took Milano half a season to really see the field as a rookie. (Don't get me wrong, I really like the player/person and hope he blows us all away.) 

Maybe the way I worded that was incorrect. But I do see him as pivotal as a serious chess piece 

[Rubes]

Am I mistaken or isn’t he the exact same size as Milano?

 

[FLFan]

5 hours ago, Rubes said:

Am I mistaken or isn’t he the exact same size as Milano?

 

Virtually identical size as Milano when he came out of college.  Bernard is faster.

[MRW]

13 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Yes, 3rd and 4th, something about more flexibility in the terms of their contracts

Getting rid of that fourth rounder already paying dividends, they could just focus on this one

[YoloinOhio]

7 hours ago, Rubes said:

Am I mistaken or isn’t he the exact same size as Milano?

 

He is Milano. The Bills like Matty so much they got themselves another one. 

[First Round Bust]

no doubt under-sized...in addition to Milano...here is an under-sized vet NFL LB most teams would love on their team, including ours:

 

Born: April 21, 1994 (age 28 years), Sacramento, CA

Height: 6′ 0″

Weight: 230 lbs

Number: 7 (Carolina Panthers / Linebacker)

Parents: Patrice Thompson

Position: Linebacker

 

yep- Shaq Thompson - a McClappy late first-round draft pick from the Carolina days...in other words it can work

[OldTimer1960]

14 hours ago, Joe Mama said:

Jack Ham, Mike Singletary, Sam Mills, Greg Lloyd

I’m not trying to be argumentative, but overall players were lighter back when Ham and Singletary played.  Remember Refrigerator Perry was HUGE at 300 LBs back when Singletary played.

[I'm Spartacus]

17 hours ago, Rico said:

I get a Coy Wire vibe myself, but I'm looking forward to seeing him on the field.

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

59 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I’m not trying to be argumentative, but overall players were lighter back when Ham and Singletary played.  Remember Refrigerator Perry was HUGE at 300 LBs back when Singletary played.

How big do you think Lbs are today? He’s 6’1 225lbs. I guess you’re looking for that 6’2 245lb LB?

what people are trying to tell you is the game is different today and LBs come in many different sizes. The league doesn’t put a bunch of big people on the field to bang heads anymore. A lot of 3 WRs without FBs.

 

225 will get the job done. In fact I can’t remember the last time I cared about height and weight for any player. Maybe NT. 
 

It does matter when putting a grade to a player, I mean if everything is even you probably lean towards the more physically gifted player. But other than that it doesn’t really matter. Bernard won’t fail because he’s 225 instead of 235.

 

[HappyDays]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

How big do you think Lbs are today? He’s 6’1 225lbs. I guess you’re looking for that 6’2 245lb LB?

what people are trying to tell you is the game is different today and LBs come in many different sizes. The league doesn’t put a bunch of big people on the field to bang heads anymore. A lot of 3 WRs without FBs.

 

225 will get the job done. In fact I can’t remember the last time I cared about height and weight for any player. Maybe NT. 
 

It does matter when putting a grade to a player, I mean if everything is even you probably lean towards the more physically gifted player. But other than that it doesn’t really matter. Bernard won’t fail because he’s 225 instead of 235.

 

 

The worrying thing with Bernard is that he has a history of injuries. Being undersized alone isn't a career killer, but the injuries make you wonder how he'll hold up in the pros. Milano has dealt with the same problem. I guess in that sense it's a good thing we have two versions of the same player.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

10 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

The worrying thing with Bernard is that he has a history of injuries. Being undersized alone isn't a career killer, but the injuries make you wonder how he'll hold up in the pros. Milano has dealt with the same problem. I guess in that sense it's a good thing we have two versions of the same player.

Injuries are an individual thing, big and small can be injury prone. They are a concern with Bernard. 

[OldTimer1960]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

How big do you think Lbs are today? He’s 6’1 225lbs. I guess you’re looking for that 6’2 245lb LB?

what people are trying to tell you is the game is different today and LBs come in many different sizes. The league doesn’t put a bunch of big people on the field to bang heads anymore. A lot of 3 WRs without FBs.

 

225 will get the job done. In fact I can’t remember the last time I cared about height and weight for any player. Maybe NT. 
 

It does matter when putting a grade to a player, I mean if everything is even you probably lean towards the more physically gifted player. But other than that it doesn’t really matter. Bernard won’t fail because he’s 225 instead of 235.

 

I agree that good players come in different shapes and sizes.  I also agree that athleticism can make up for less than optimal size.  I also recognize that there are examples of great players who have less than ideal size and some that succeed despite less than ideal athleticism.  Further, intangibles matter.

 

Still, Bernard is light - maybe he can add some strength.  He is a good athlete and is supposed to be a leader and high effort player.  All that I am saying is that his athletic testing numbers say good, but not eye popping and he is somewhat undersized.

[TampaBillsJunkie]

16 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

If a reduced salary was in the works for a Klein return, they wouldn't have cut him. He'd have been in the group of players we brought back on a paycut/restructure. I don't see Klein as the type of player to turn down a pay cut in lieu of a release to test his market. Whatever we'd have offered him on a restructure will surely be just as good or better as whatever he'll sign for elsewhere. And we wouldn't have drafted two LB's.

 

We don't know all of the parameters of his relationship with the Bills or with his agent.  Maybe the salary reduction was too much and his agent said let's test the market. If what they are looking for doesn't pan out, then who knows. He may be willing to come back to be part of the Super Bowl run at the rate the Bills offered. 

Beane is a master at being patient and open with players and not much was said about Klein's departure and fit for the defense. 

 

At any level, one thing we know for sure is that they want competition in every position. So if he's willing to come in and compete it doesn't matter that they drafted 2 LB's.  Spector was a 7th round pick and is not a lock to make the roster.  Bernard should make the team, which leaves Dodson, Giles-Harris, Lee, Matekevich and Smith all fighting for roster spots, along with Klein should he chose to return.  

 

I personally think Klein is better than the rest of them and his closest competition is Dodson. Matekevich is special teams, but that doesn't mean he's a lock either.

 

 

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

1 minute ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I agree that good players come in different shapes and sizes.  I also agree that athleticism can make up for less than optimal size.  I also recognize that there are examples of great players who have less than ideal size and some that succeed despite less than ideal athleticism.  Further, intangibles matter.

 

Still, Bernard is light - maybe he can add some strength.  He is a good athlete and is supposed to be a leader and high effort player.  All that I am saying is that his athletic testing numbers say good, but not eye popping and he is somewhat undersized.

He’s also a 3rd round pick, he’s not likely to have eye popping physical ability.