The Buffalo Bills‘ defense has been an issue this season, and they could look to bring in some veteran players.
Buffalo is off to a 4-1 start and is coming off a thrilling 37-34 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. However, the Bills’ defense once again struggled, and it’s becoming a major issue for the team.
Buffalo is set to remain on the road to play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday before their bye week.
Buffalo Bills Urged to Sign Matt Milano
Buffalo’s linebacker unit has struggled this season, as Terrel Bernard has been a problem, while Dorian Williams and rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr have had mixed results.
With that, many fans and analysts have called for the Bills to acquire a linebacker to bolster the unit. Buffalo does have veteran Shaq Thompson on the practice squad, but analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report urges the Bills to bring back Matt Milano.
“Meanwhile, at linebacker, Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson played a combined 1,165 defensive snaps for Buffalo last season, and both remain viable options—Milano as a free-agent signing and Thompson as a practice-squad elevation,” Gagnon wrote.
Milano remains a free agent after playing his first nine years in Buffalo. He was a fan favorite in Buffalo and is a hard-hitting tackler who could help bolster the defense.
However, given Milano’s injury history and the fact that he hasn’t signed, it’s unclear if he’s still willing to play football or in football shape.
The Bills selected Milano in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Boston College. He had 101 tackles in 2019, the most in his career, while his other career highs are 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions.
Buffalo Looking to Enter Bye Week on a High Note
The Bills remained on the West Coast ahead of their game against the Raiders.
Buffalo is looking to enter its bye week on a high note at 5-1 and atop the AFC East. The Bills are favorites to beat the Raiders, but Buffalo isn’t overlooking them.
“We’re looking to improve,” QB Josh Allen said. “Watching the tape, there’s a lot of things we can be better at, both sides of the ball, all three phases of the game… Got a chance to put our feet down and really just try to hone in on getting better, continue to build our team camaraderie and hang out with each other, breaking bread. But yeah, we’re here for a business trip.”
The Bills are using the week away as another training camp to get closer to one another and build even more of a bond.
Buffalo vs. Las Vegas will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Analyst Urges Buffalo Bills to Bring Back 9-Year Veteran LB to Solidify Defense