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The Buffalo Bills only drafted one wide receiver and one edge in the 2024 NFL draft. Therefore, analysts expected Buffalo to add another veteran playmaker in free agency.
So, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Bills were signing linebacker Deion Jones to a one-year deal, the news came as a surprise. Buffalo has solid depth behind projected starters Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard.
In addition to drafting linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio in the fifth round, they have Dorian Williams, Nicholas Morrow, and Baylon Spector. If Buffalo felt the need to add more depth, Bills Mafia grew concerned over Milano’s return.
Talking Buffalo’s Patrick Moran posted, “Glaring need to add an edge and probably another WR, and the Bills are signing yet another LB? Should I start being a teeny weeny bit worried about Matt Milano?”
Last season, Buffalo lost the backbone of their defense when Milano fractured his leg in Week 4. While Milano underwent what was expected to be season-ending surgery, he wasn’t officially ruled out until late December.
Speaking to reporters on April 29, Bills general manager Brandon Beane declined to give a firm timeline on his return. He noted that the 29-year-old is training at the team’s facility. “We’re very optimistic that he’ll back. Hopefully, at the start of camp.”
Jones’ addition could signal Milano’s limited status during training camp and preseason. Others didn’t see a correlation between the addition of Jones and Milano.
“Locked on Bills” host Joe Marino posted, “After calling on AJ Klein out of retirement and Tyrel Dodson with 1 arm against KC in the playoffs last year, Brandon Beane is determined to not let LB depth be an issue for him in 2023.”
UPDATE: Bills signed wide receiver Chase Claypool and defensive end Dawuane Smoot to one-year deals on Friday, May 3.
Bills News: Matt Milano Expects to Have a ‘Normal Offseason Offseason of Training’
Milano hurt his right leg after colliding with former teammate, Leonard Floyd, and Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little on October 8. While Floyd eventually returned to play, Milano required assistance getting off the field.
Buffalo kept the details surrounding Milano’s status and the exact nature of his injury a mystery for months. Milano, who signed a two-year, $28 million extension last offseason, spoke about his injury for the first time on January 4.
The Buffalo News Ryan O’Halloran wrote, “Milano revealed he sustained a fractured right tibia (the bone that runs down the front of the leg) just below the knee, but there was no damage to any knee ligaments.
“Milano said he could not put any weight on the leg for about eight weeks and he continues to rehabilitate at the Bills’ facility. He expects to have a normal offseason of training.”
Beane, however, isn’t going to rush Milano back. “We want to make sure that when we put him out there, that he’s ready to roll, so that he can play the whole season,” Beane noted.
Bills LB Deion Jones Spent Last With the Carolina Panthers
Bills Mafia struggled to get excited about Jones joining the team. Cover 1 host Anthony Prohaska tweeted, “I mean this in as non-disrespectful a way as possible: if this was 2017-2021 I’d be stoked.”
In 13 games with the Carolina Panthers last season, Jones recorded 35 total tackles, 6 passes defensed, 1.0 sack, and 1.0 interception. The former second-round pick from the 2016 NFL draft spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons signed Jones to a four-year, $57 million extension in 2019 before trading him to the Cleveland Browns during the 2022 NFL season.
In 11 games with the Browns, Jones registered 44 total tackles, 3 passes defensed, 2.5 sacks. 1.0 forced fumble, and 1.0 interception. The last time he recorded over 100 total tackles was in 2021.
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