Bills Acquire DT Walker for Spikes, Holcomb
In a much-anticipated move that has been discussed for a couple of days now, the Buffalo Bills have finally traded away their veteran dead cap space in LB Takeo Spikes and QB Kelly Holcomb. The two veterans will be playing in Philadelphia next season, where Spikes is expected to start at outside linebacker and Holcomb will compete with A.J. Feeley for the right to back up Donovan McNabb.Meanwhile, the Bills acquired veteran DT Darwin Walker (right) in the deal, as well as a 2008 unconditional late-round pick. Marv Levy continues to make solid moves in the trade market - Walker is exactly the type of veteran run-stuffing presence that the team needs on the inside. Walker will likely push for a starting job along with Larry Tripplett, Kyle Williams and John McCargo. All four will see significant playing time next year. This move could spell the end of Tim Anderson's tenure in Buffalo.
Initial Reaction
I love this move. By moving the two veterans in Spikes and Holcomb, the Bills save about $6 million in cap room this year, which will help in signing their draft picks. They also get another veteran presence in the middle who is still relatively young (he'll be 30 in June) and can push youngsters McCargo and Williams. Yes, Walker has had injury problems, but his playoff experience could be invaluable on a young ballclub.
A lot of fans are going to be upset by this move. They'll see the name "Takeo Spikes" involved, say "Who's Darwin Walker?", and immediately be irate, claiming the Bills got ripped off. Believe me when I say that Levy made a good deal - quietly, he is finding quality individuals for this football team while giving young players such as J.P. Losman and Angelo Crowell the opportunity to step up as leaders. I love what's going on in Buffalo!
BuffaloBills.com story
Chris Brown's take
Sound Off!
What's your opinion on the Spikes/Holcomb for Walker trade? Boon or rip-off? Comment below, let's hear it people!
posted by Brian Galliford at 8:57 PM
7 Comments:
TKO brought so much intensity to the Defense, it will be interesting who is going to step up. Has a defensive captain been named yet?
9:43 PM
Captains likely won't be named until at least training camp, but my money is on Crowell for the moment. Tripplett, Aaron Schobel, Kelsay and possibly even a guy like Whitner or Simpson are darkhorses.
Who do you think should be named captain?
9:48 PM
Walker reaaaally fell out of favor in Philly the last couple of seasons. He used to be considered a lunch-pail guy and was often referred to as the strongest guy on the team, but his performance has really dropped off over the last couple of years. He battled injuries a few years ago, but was completely healthy last year and just really didn't seem to be playing that well. He gets a nice penetration as a pass rusher, but has a tendency to take himself out of running plays. Maybe he'll find new life in a new uniform, but honestly I wouldn't expect too much from him. If anything, he's a nice rotation tackle who made sure the Bills got something for Spikes, rather than just letting him walk.
Of course, we let Hollis Thomas go last year and he promptly turned into the second coming of Warren Sapp for the Saints. Of course, he also got busted for steroid use too...
So what's with giving us Kelly Holcomb? How random is that?
11:43 PM
Welcome, Derek. I didn't find the Holcomb trade random at all - it worked out well for both sides. Philly gets a QB who has the perfect type of arm for their dink-and-dunk West Coast system, and the Bills got rid of a veteran who they weren't going to use as a backup QB and saved money in the process. I didn't expect Holcomb to be traded this off-season, but his moving certainly makes sense.
I think you might be spot on about Walker. For me, his play dropped off as soon as the Eagles dealt Corey Simon. Walker is good, but he's not a #1 DT in this league. I think in a new situation in Buffalo in a situation where he won't be counted on to be something he's not, he'll thrive. Thoughts?
7:02 AM
Here's how the local paper in Philly is describing the Holcomb thing: "The inclusion of Holcomb in the deal is a bit of a surprise, since the Eagles already have committed to A.J. Feeley as Donovan McNabb's backup. They figured to add a third quarterback in the draft. But when the Bills offered to throw him into the deal, they accepted."
As for Walker, he really needed a change of scenery. I don't think he liked that the Eagles drafted two first-round guys to replace him. I'd expect him to put a little more effort in this offseason, although he still has his limitations.
Glad the deal worked out for both teams though. Hope Spikes kicks some ass for us :)
10:48 AM
I think the best thing about this move is the money. We get a lot more cap room to sign key players, either this year or next year. JP and Lee hopefully will get extensions in the coming year.
11:57 AM
Derek, I don't think you have to worry about Spikes - he's not as explosive as he used to be, but he is a far steadier performer than Dhani Jones. You'll get 3-4 well-above-average years out of him.
What's your opinion on Holcomb? Do you think he can be the Eagles' top backup? How does he fit in the Reid/Mornhinweg offensive scheme?
12:59 PM
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