Bills Middle LB Spot 'An Area of Concern,' Says Sean McDermott

As the Buffalo Bills face questions at linebacker, coach Sean McDermott believes the unit still has a long way to go

For the first time in half a decade, the Buffalo Bills will roll out a new starter at middle linebacker this season.

Tremaine Edmunds had held down the middle of the defense since the Bills drafted him in 2018, starting all 74 games he played. Edmunds was very effective in the role, earning two Pro Bowl appearances in his time in Buffalo. With him signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Chicago Bears in free agency, the Bills have been looking a replacement all offseason.

The preseason is underway, and yet, the Bills are still in search of solutions in the middle of the defense. For coach Sean McDermott, the position remains a serious concern heading into the season.

"Right now, I think there's room for improvement, quite honestly," McDermott told reporters. "We've got to do a better job with leading the defense, we've got to do a better job with communication, execution, so that's an area of concern right now."

As a defensive-minded coach, McDermott is very demanding with what he asks from his middle linebackers. He expects them to essentially be the quarterback of the defense, communicating with teammates at all times to help the unit perform at its best. 

"It's what the job description is, right?" McDermott said. "The total job description of running a defense, leading the defender, standing in front of the huddle, communicating the defense. It all goes together, it's all connected."

As it stands, the two players competing for the starting role are Tyrel Dodson and Terrel Bernard. Dodson joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and even started three games last season while recording 22 solo tackles. Bernard, on the other hand, was a third-round pick out of Baylor in last year's draft and had 11 solo tackles as a rookie.

The Bills announced they will be briefly playing their starters on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which should go a long way towards clearing up the position battle.

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