Buffalo Bills rookie LB Reggie Ragland out for season
The Buffalo Bills confirmed that rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland will be out for the season after tearing his ACL…
The Buffalo Bills made official news that no one wanted to get this offseason, that rookie linebacker Reggie Ragland would be out the entire 2016 season after suffering a torn ACL.
LB Reggie Ragland has suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the season.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 10, 2016
Details: https://t.co/bB3kSwU6D8 pic.twitter.com/F4BXq6GTfb
Ragland was slated to start next to Preston Brown in the Bills’ talented defense, but this news is nothing they weren’t expecting. They re-signed Brandon Spikes, who spent a year away from football in 2015. Spikes’ veteran presence in the lineup should help, but the Bills have to be crushed about the loss of Ragland, who had the potential to be a defensive rookie of the year candidate.
Last year’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Ragland has an old school type of game, setting the tone on the inside.
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Rex Ryan’s defense is now without its top two rookies as pass rusher Shaq Lawson remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a shoulder injury he’s recovering from after having surgery.
The Bills didn’t have a first round pick a year ago either, so they’re really needing some new young talent to step up and help this team get back into contention for an AFC East title.
The loss of Ragland hurts, but combined with the absence of Lawson, it stings a little bit more. This Bills defense is still going to be really good, but they didn’t really make many impact free agent signings this year. This is a team that needed contributions from its young players, and now they aren’t likely to get it from their top two picks.
Long-term, we should see both Lawson and Ragland doing great things in this league. It’s a shame to see their careers starting like this.