Getty Buffalo Bills linebacker Tyler Matakevich reacts to a play in the 2022 AFC Wild Card playoff game.
The Buffalo Bills did some work to boost their special teams during this week’s NFL Draft, which could mean the end of the line for two specialists currently on the roster.
With another season starting with Super Bowl aspirations, the Bills focused more on immediate needs in the recently ended draft, selecting players who will fill roster holes and largely staying clear of longer-term projects. That included a potential upgrade at punter and an athletic linebacker who could push out a special teams ace, leading to some roster battles at training camp.
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Bills May Have Found Their New Punter
The Bills made waves on Day 3 of the draft by picking one of the most high-profile special teams players in years, the big-footed San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, who earned the nickname “Punt God” in college. Araiza earned the Ray Guy Award last season for the nation’s best punter, averaging an NCAA all-time record 51.2 yards per punt.
𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐃‼️
Welcome to Buffalo, @Matt_Araiza! #BillsMafia
Araiza is expected to bring serious competition to incumbent Bills punter Matt Haack, who struggled in more limited action last season. As the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported in March, Haack had already agreed to a pay cut and a new contract that shaves off his final year, making it easier for the Bills to move on in training camp if he loses the position battle.
#Bills punter Matt Haack signed a revised contract, reducing his pay to $1.135 million in 2022 and voiding the last year of his contract. He now can be a free agent after the season.
At the time, Sal Capaccio of WGR 500 predicted that the Bills were planning to bring in serious competition for Haack.
“Given Brandon Beane’s comments at the end of the season, saying they’d be looking at punters this offseason, I’m surprised they didn’t outright move on from Haack,” Capaccio tweeted. “But he will stick….for now. Maybe until they find someone else, or he has a chance to win the job again at camp.”
Haack could have some advantage in the battle for his position, however, as Beane has praised his skill as a holder for kicker Tyler Bass.
We’re getting into the specifics of holding with Bills GM Brandon Beane. He said that Matt Haack is an “elite holder” and that they think Matt Araiza can hold, but they’ll have to see how he does.
Another Specialist Could Be Gone
The Bills also found some depth at linebacker in the third round, picking Baylor’s Terrel Bernard. The position grew thinner this offseason after the Bills released veteran A.J. Klein. As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, Bernard will likely not see many snaps on defense behind Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds, but has the chance to make his mark on special teams.
“If Bernard wins the third linebacker job in 2022, he likely won’t see the field much as a rookie, barring an injury,” Buscaglia wrote. “The Bills prefer to play only two linebackers, so his primary contributions would be on special teams. In the long term, the Bills believe Bernard has the potential to play the outside and middle linebacker spots in their defense. His best fit, due to his size above all else, is as an outside linebacker and as Milano’s primary backup.”
Bills draft Terrel Bernard: Baylor leader will have important role as third linebacker t.co/nIUIUzESEO
Bernard’s selection could mean the end of the line for Tyler Matakevich, who is listed as a linebacker but plays mostly on special teams. As Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News noted, the Bills could find potential cap savings by parting ways with Matakevich.
“If Matakevich doesn’t make the team, the Bills will save $2.5 million against the salary cap.,” he wrote. “Matakevich is 235, [linebacker Tyrell] Dodson 237. The Bills surely need one of them for the rare occasions they use their base, 4-3 front.”
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