The Buffalo Bills made some important tweaks to their defense this offseason, investing most of their draft capital on that side of the ball.
But while the Bills gave plenty of attention to their secondary and defensive line, the linebacking corps remained relatively intact from last season. One insider predicts that the changes will come later in the summer, speculating that the Bills will part ways with a veteran linebacker who has shown flashes of talent but struggled to stay on the field.
End of the Line for Baylon Spector?
Reporter Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com speculated that the Bills would part ways with linebacker Baylon Spector at final cuts, noting that he has struggled with injuries. The Bills value availability, which has been a struggle for Spector.
“This summer should likely end the Baylon Spector experiment. He has talent, but cannot stay healthy,” Talbot wrote.
The 26-year-old Spector has appeared in just 26 games over his three seasons with the Bills, with his best campaign coming in 2024 as he appeared in 11 games with four starts and made 40 total tackles with 1.5 sacks.
Talbot predicted the Bills could give a bigger role to a popular young linebacker, hometown product Joe Andreessen.
“Joe Andreessenâs strong spring answered a lot of questions about the depth of Buffaloâs linebackers,” Talbot wrote. “Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano provide Buffalo with an excellent 1-2 punch at linebacker, with Dorian Williams and Andreessen offering strong depth. Ulofoshio claims the final spot and takes on a big special teams role.”
Talbot also predicted the Bills would release Shaq Thompson, the former first-round pick who played under Bills head coach Sean McDermott while they were both with the Carolina Panthers.
ESPNâs Alaina Getzenberg agreed that Andreessen could take on a bigger role, naming him as the team’s potential “surprise” player for the 2025 season.
âLargely a special teams player as a rookie last year, Andreessen was signed after trying out at rookie minicamp, and he then earned a roster spot. He made a significant statement going into his second season with his performance during the mandatory minicamp,â Getzenberg wrote.
Bills Could Set Up Battle at Another Position
The Bills could have more difficult decisions coming in the secondary, where first-round rookie Maxwell Hairston will likely compete with veteran Tre’Davious White for the chance to start alongside Christian Benford. The Bills brought back White after he spent the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills earned praise for other additions to their defense, with Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine noting that the team was aggressive in addressing last season’s shortcomings.
“For the first time in four years, the Bills defense did not rank in the top 10 in both scoring and total defense. Brandon Beane responded by signing Joey Bosa and getting aggressive in the draft,” Ballentine wrote.
“Bosa, 29, will join Matt Milano as two talents who have shown the ability to be at the top of their position when healthy. The problem is the latter has played in just nine games over the last two seasons. The former has been on the field more, but injuries and aging have limited him to 13 sacks over the last three years.”
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