Bills Not Rushing to Name Starter at MLB, 'Will Happen Naturally'
Though the Buffalo Bills are set to return many of the primary defensive contributors from last year, parts of the defense will still look much different this upcoming season.
Along with Sean McDermott taking over defensive coordinator duties while maintaining his responsibilities as head coach, the most glaring difference for the Bills defense is the absence of middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who departed the team in free agency to sign a four-year, $72 million with the Chicago Bears.
This now leaves a big hole in the middle of an already elite defense. Who takes Edmunds' place at middle linebacker? This question is one of the more interesting discussions for the team this offseason, but the Bills are making it clear there's no rush to name a starter.
"I think what will happen naturally, is there will be a conclusion at some point – I don't think it's worth setting a date," Bills linebacker coach Bobby Babich said. "I don't think that's advantageous for anybody. I think the decision on who will be the day one starter in September, it'll come when it comes."
The Bills have multiple candidates that have a chance to prove themselves worthy of earning starter's reps. There's the veteran A.J. Klein, who re-signed with the team this offseason for yet another stint. Tyrel Dodson is in contention as well, and has the confidence to back it up. He's previously said "I can be a starter in this league."
Most of the eyes, however, are drawn to some of Buffalo's young guns. Second-year linebackers Baylon Spector and Terrel Bernard showed nice flashes as rookies in 2022, while Dorian Williams - Buffalo's third-round pick in last month's draft - is making a solid impression early on in OTAs.
Luckily for these guys, Babich is laying out what he expects when identifying a potential starter for this defense.
"Making sure that our defense can function through the way the Mike linebacker gets us into a defense, potentially sets a front, sets this, sets that so we can operate at a high level," he said. "That's the hardest thing."
And when looking at someone like Bills linebacker Matt Milano, who is set to command the defense for the foreseeable future after inking a two-year, $28.33 million contract extension this offseason, a shining example of what the team is looking for in a starter might just be right in front of the defenders vying for that middle linebacker spot.
"The other thing, and I believe Sean and Brandon (Beane) have talked about it, is we want football players," Babich said. "We don't care what they look like. We don't care what the measurables are."
Fans will likely have to wait before getting a definitive answer. But keeping the competition ramped throughout the rest of the offseason could prove to be for the betterment of the team, regardless of who's starting once Week 1 against the New York Jets rolls around in September.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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