Deion Jones signed to 1-year deal per Schefter

[Beck Water]

26 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

For only using 2 LB, we have a TON.

 

We normally carry 6 LB on the roster and bring 9 or so into camp

 

That's NORMALLY.

Check it out

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-buffalo-bills-53-man-roster-roster-cuts-brandon-beane-nfl/

 

People aren't always aware because Dodson and Matekevich primarly played teams and had been hanging out as depth 4-Ev-Ah

Edited May 2 by Beck Water

[NewEra]

I can’t understand why we continue yo sign and draft off ball LBs while our WR room looks like it does.  Maybe they have plans post 6/1?   
 

 

[ColoradoBills]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

We normally carry 6 LB on the roster and bring 9 or so into camp

 

That's NORMALLY.

Check it out

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-buffalo-bills-53-man-roster-roster-cuts-brandon-beane-nfl/

 

People aren't always aware because Dodson and Matekevich primarly played teams and had been hanging out as depth 4-Ev-Ah

 

With Jones signing and the 1 UDFA that makes 8 so far.  Plus the rookie camp invitee.

You need camp bodies.  I'm not sure what some of these other posters are worried about.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

10 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

We normally carry 6 LB on the roster and bring 9 or so into camp

 

That's NORMALLY.

Check it out

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/2023-buffalo-bills-53-man-roster-roster-cuts-brandon-beane-nfl/

 

People aren't always aware because Dodson and Matekevich primarly played teams and had been hanging out as depth 4-Ev-Ah

There was also an uptick in 3 LB deployment last year, I suspect this trend continues. 
 

[Taro Nimbus]

A few years back, people around here wanted the bills to sign Deion Jones.  People already forgot about him.  

12 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I can’t understand why we continue yo sign and draft off ball LBs while our WR room looks like it does.  Maybe they have plans post 6/1?   
 

 

Maybe the Bills know more than we do?  🤷🏻‍♂️

[NewEra]

8 minutes ago, Taro Nimbus said:

A few years back, people around here wanted the bills to sign Deion Jones.  People already forgot about him.  

Maybe the Bills know more than we do?  🤷🏻‍♂️

Hopefully that’s the case.  I’m flummoxed at all of these LBs

[TheyCallMeAndy]

1 minute ago, NewEra said:

Hopefully that’s the case.  I’m flummoxed at all of these LBs

They are all exceptional cover LBers, that isn’t by mistake! 

[HOUSE]

I been waiting 25 years for a signing like this

[BuffaloRebound]

maybe we carry an extra LB this year with the new kickoffs rules.  

[NewEra]

7 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

They are all exceptional cover LBers, that isn’t by mistake! 

 
as any LB we sign should be, other than strictly ST guys…..which I prefer not to roster.  If jones is a minimum, no money gtd, I’m all for bringing in vets
 

I guess going into camp with 7 off ball LBers isn’t a big deal- it’ll make the competition all the more intense.  It’s just starange that we seem to have more off ball Lbs on our team than Edges. 

I suppose they’re happy with the quintet  of Shorter, Shavers, Isabella, Hamler and Cephus to battle for WR5-6.  Hopefully they bring in someone better 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Losing Dodson and Matakevich is valid. Klein was only brought in as a very late replacement, so in essence he would be "replaced" by Milano's return IMO. 

 

Also, not sure how much the really would have done earlier in the off season without much cap and the draft still ahead of them.

 

Again, not saying Milano won't be back. But as always, we don't know what we don't know.

 

OK, Fair.   We don't know what we don't know.  Matt Milano probably even doesn't know if he'll start the season in All-Pro form.

 

But Deion Jones, who signed a vet minimum deal with Carolina last season, is not being brought in as a potential Milano replacement. 

He's here as depth, on the wager that even at age 30 and having dropped off significantly, he might still be a better defensive player than 33 year old AJ Klein or 32 year old Tyler Matakevich.

54 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Bills now have 9 or 10 LBers under contract for the summer, up from 8 last year. 
 

2 is a pretty significant increase…

 

It was 9 last year over the summer.  Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Tyrel Dodson, Dorian Williams, Tyler Matakevich, Baylon Spector

Cuts were Travin Howard, DaShaun White, AJ Klein.

 

We currently have Milano, Bernard, Williams, Spector, Morrow, Jones, Olofoshio, and I think one UDFA signing.  That's like 8.
 

Pro football reference still lists Tyler Matakevich on the Bills 2024 roster but I'm pretty sure that's just wrong, everyplace else says he's a FA.

[Einstein's Dog]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Too bad we never went after DJ Moore.

Might not be too late.  Chicago bought K Allen and just drafted Rome.  Moore has a reasonable $16M salary and we have some draft capital.

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

I can’t understand why we continue yo sign and draft off ball LBs while our WR room looks like it does.  Maybe they have plans post 6/1?   

 

Deion is formerly an excellent LB who struggled with injuries at the beginning of the 2022 season, and as a result is down to signing 1 year contracts, vet min last year, probably vet min this year or even VSB.  He started the 2023 season on the Panthers practice squad.  Brings us to 8 LB plus a rookie camp tryout.

 

We just signed Quintez Cephus, a guy who played 3 years for Detroit with some nice catches, got spanked by Goodell and out of football for a year, probably similar vet minimum.  We currently have what, 11 WR on the roster?   We took 13 into camp least season, I believe, so expect a couple more.

 

I'd like to see the Bills make a swing for a quality guy by trade or FA signing, but I don't think we're likely to see any more significant moves until after June 1 when Tre White's money comes off our cap

 

But we're likely to continue to add vets here and there for depth.

[harmonkillebrew]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

I can’t understand why we continue yo sign and draft off ball LBs while our WR room looks like it does.  Maybe they have plans post 6/1?   
 

 

They've told OBJ don't sign anywhere b/c we'll come get him June 1.  ...maybe....

[NewEra]

24 minutes ago, harmonkillebrew said:

They've told OBJ don't sign anywhere b/c we'll come get him June 1.  ...maybe....

I’m good with that

[Buffalo Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, NewEra said:

I’m good with that

 

I'd rather have D.J Clark but unsure of everything lol

[NewEra]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo Bills Fan said:

 

I'd rather have D.J Clark but unsure of everything lol

Me too…but beggars can’t be choosers

[BuffaloBillyG]

2 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

Well, let me put it to you in a different light.

 

Beane has said that the last game the team plays tends to showcase the weaknesses.

 

What happened in the last, the last 2 games really, that the team played?

1) we had inadequate LB depth - Milano had already been lost to the season.  Tyrel Dodson, who replaced him platooning with Poyer, was lost halfway through the final regular season game.  Terrel Bernard was lost halfway through the WC playoff.   So we platooned AJ Klein, Dorian Williams, and Baylon Spector during the Pittsburgh game after Bernard went out, then Klein, 1-armed Dodson, and Dorian Williams vs KC.  Let's just say, "It didn't work".

2) our WR were getting out-physicaled by the KC LB and DB.  I'm not sure who it was but I literally saw one of our receivers shoved like 3 yards off his route - all legal and within 5 yds of the LOS

 

Basically, McDermott and Beane were forced to acknowledge that 31 yr old Matekevich was 100% there for ST at this point, that they couldn't count on Dodson or Spector to back up Bernard at MLB, and maybe Dorian Williams will develop but he's not there yet.  So Dodson and Matekevich are gone. 

 

That left our LB corps at Milano, Bernard, Williams, Spector, Morrow, and who?  We usually have 6.  I don't think they want to count on a late 5th round rookie; if he can beat someone out, great, if not, he can sit on the practice squad.  

 

Even if they 100% count on the return of Milano (and in one of his brief press interactions, Milano said that his recovery was on track and he would have a normal off-season; he strode into the building for OTAs like a man on a mission), the Bills badly need adequate depth at LB, that is an upgrade to Matekevich, Dodson, Klein, Spector, and Williams.  Morrow started in Chicao 2 yrs ago and Philly last year; he also played teams.  It's been 3 years since Deion Jones started in Atlanta, but he played about 1/3 of the defensive snaps for Carolina last season and more for Cleveland the year before (after an early stint on IR).  

 

Now Spector and Williams may take a step, not saying they can't especially rookie Williams.  But if they don't, Beane is a Man with a Plan.  None of us want to see AJ Klein walk out on the field at MLB next to Tyrell Dodson for a playoff game, and that includes Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott.

 

 

 

Oh I completely agree with what you're saying with about 95% of that. It's well stated and I believe it's as close to accurate as can be. I do  discount the statements made by Milano as players will often say "Oh, yeah, best shape of my life, injuries all heals and at 100%" this time of year without it being the case. Is it an example of an athlete providing accurate assessment of where he is ..or is this a Michael Thomas situation where we hear how close he is for 2 years. Time will tell.

 

Am I reading way to much into a move like this? Possibly. Heck, I'd even go as far as probably. But it's that lull part of the off-season where moves get over analyzed and often are much ado about nothing. 

 

Still, with the injury suffered all we have really been told is "on track" but the coordinates for said track aren't ever pinpointed from what I have seen. This was from what it looked, a catastrophic knee injury. Is week 1 the goal? A candidate to open the season on the PUP? We won't know until we know, most likely. But taking a chance on vets like Morrow and Jones with the experience they have over some young guys with upside in an off-season where the theme has been "younger" may (keyword may) suggest they are preparing for a later Milano return than week 1. 

[DJB]

2 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

There was also an uptick in 3 LB deployment last year, I suspect this trend continues. 
 

Was that because Milano was out or were we using 3 while he was healthy? 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Bills are hilarious sometimes. Last year at this time we didn’t know we had 2 starters and they do nothing at LB. This year they are loading up at LB. 
 

So weird. Maybe they are planning to run more 3 LB sets.

But, I remember hearing how the new kickoff rule makes having a lot of LBs more likely. You know how the Bills love special teams. This is probably it.

Edited May 3 by Buffalo_Stampede