State of the Buffalo Bills Roster: Linebacker

This season saw a good few breakouts for Buffalo. One of the brightest spots was Terrel Bernard at middle linebacker. In a position battle that seemed undecided until the season opener, expectations were low. A few weeks later, many — including myself — were eating their words. A few months after that and he had a case for All-Pro. Those words get thrown out a lot, but Bernard performed like a premium player. He was consistent, and available, playing 999 snaps through the season, more than any other player on the Buffalo Bills defense.

The Bills seem to have found their replacement for Tremaine Edmunds, maybe even an upgrade. Bernard has another two years left on his rookie contract, hitting a total of only $3M on the cap over those two seasons. At negligible cost, and with great upside, it’s a no-brainer that we’ll see him starting alongside Matt Milano for the next two seasons.

A.J. Klein

A.J. Klein was just about done with football, it seemed, until he got the call from Brandon Beane. At the minimum he was in offseason mode, prepping the RV for a trip with the family when his phone rang. It’s a good thing he picked up, the Buffalo Bills needed him. He joined the roster and played well enough in their postseason linebacker emergency. Klein took two-thirds of the snaps against Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round, and all but one snap against the Chiefs. He was by no means elite, but he came off the couch and played as well as any depth linebacker.

Whilst his season was as fun as it was brief, his contract was never anything more than a 911 call. He’s an unrestricted free agent for 2024, and a return would be both unexpected and inconsequential. So long, and thanks.

Dorian Williams

In 2022, fans were frustrated at the Buffalo Bills spending a third round pick on an undersized linebacker who couldn’t play Edmunds’ position instead of a weapon for the offense or offensive line depth. That pick was Terrel Bernard, and worked out very well. We have the same issue with the Dorian Williams pick, but when linebackers started dropping like flies we were glad to have him. Like Bernard, he can play above his size, and fits the defense well.

Williams can develop as he plays depth for the Bills, but his presence allows the team to run different looks if Taron Johnson is ever off the field. There’s no path to him starting on his current contract, but the Bills don’t need him to. He’s got three more years on his rookie deal, and should be a round for some time.

Baylon Spector

Spector made a few good tackles this season. Unfortunately for him, he’s getting time on the field only because of injuries to others, buried on the depth chart. He seems capable of more, but his injuries limit his already-few chances. The emergence of Bernard alongside the selection of Williams last season puts him on the outs. His value this season was negligible.

With two years left on his rookie deal, there’s some potential value as trade bait, but he wouldn’t command more than a late 6th or 7th rounder in exchange. Spector is far from a lock to make this roster, barring a special teams commitment.

Tyrel Dodson

Dodson returned to Buffalo this season on a one-year deal, for a shot at winning the starting MLB job. After some training camp issues set Tyrel back, Bernard won the gig and ran away with it. Dodson was still needed after all, as injuries plagued the position, and provided good depth. He was adequate, provided decent value for his deal, but it wasn’t the job he was here for.

A year removed from that initial return, there’s now no path to starting. If Dodson wants a chance at taking over he’ll have to go elsewhere, and he should. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and will almost definitely be on a different roster come September.

Tyler Matakevich

Returning for 2023 on a one-year deal, Tyler Matakevich is a linebacker in name only. Matakevich played the second-most special teams snaps on the Buffalo Bills roster, behind only Reggie Gilliam. He’s been a favourite of the front office and coaching staff for some time, but is expensive for a pure special-teamer in a unit that was ineffective in 2023.

Elected a team captain for the past three seasons, the Bills may attempt to retain Matakevich regardless. As of now, however, he is an unrestricted free agent.

State of the Roster: Linebacker

Buffalo’s season ended in part due to the play at linebacker when it mattered most. It was an issue of health, not talent. Now, linebacker is a position of strength, with an offseason to get healthy and return to form. Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard are an elite duo at the position, and the Bills don’t need a third starter with how much dime they play.

They rank sixth on our priority list for the Buffalo Bills offseason solely because of depth issues. After the season we just had, cutting some weight and finding yet more affordable players who can plug the gaps will matter for this team, but the top of the depth chart is already set.