Who will replace LB Tremaine Edmunds in the Bills defense?
The Buffalo Bills will have a major challenge filling a void in the middle of their defense left by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
The Bills addressed the position in the 2023 NFL Draft when they selected Dorian Williams in the third round. The rookie will compete this summer alongside veterans A.J. Klein and Tyrel Dodson for the open starting gig.
“I know everyone is concerned about [who is starting at middle linebacker], but we have good guys who are working hard. We've got a veteran defense around them,” Bills GM Brandon Beane told the media following the NFL Draft. "We believe in these guys, and we're going to give them a chance.”
After drafting Williams in the third round, Beane initially said that the team would play him at outside linebacker. However, head coach Sean McDermott is testing the rookie's ability to play on the inside.
“He played a little bit of both in college," McDermott explained.
Williams is a 6-foot-1, 228-pound linebacker out of Tulane who was a team captain and three-year starter in college. He may lack size, but he makes up for it with athleticism. Williams posted 132 total tackles (8.5 tackles for loss) and five sacks as a senior in 2022.
Competing alongside Williams is the veteran Klein. Entering his 13th season in the league, Klein was re-signed this offseason to compete with the team's young guys for the starting middle linebacker spot. However, with only $100,000 in guaranteed money on his contract, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic predicts that Klein will be a cap casualty prior to the start of the regular season.
If Klein is indeed cut, it will be up to the Bills' youth talent to take on the middle linebacker position. Dodson, 24, is entering his fourth season in the NFL and has experience at the position, starting three games at MLB last season while Edmunds was out with an injury.
After the draft, McDermott highlighted Dodson's experience and mentioned him as a leading candidate to take on the job. Between he, Klein, and Williams, it will be an intriguing battle to keep an eye throughout the summer.
More must-reads: