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NFL.com is higher on Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano than most.
Throughout the offseason, various outlets have ranked football’s upcoming free agents side-by-side, regardless of position. This week, the league’s official website did so and in it, Milano slots in higher than he usually has.
Our friends over at the NFL Wire had Milano finish near the middle of the pack at No. 50. That’s usually been status quo until now as NFL.com has Milano at No. 22 overall.
In addition, Buffalo offensive lineman Daryl Williams finished at No. 37. Here are both breakdowns:
22. LB Matt Milano
Milano isn’t quite a young Lavonte David, but he’s close enough. There aren’t many off-ball linebackers left who can be an asset on all three downs, tracking down runners while holding up in coverage.
37. OL Daryl Williams
A dislocated kneecap a few years ago ruined Williams’ previous chance to cash in following a second-team All-Pro season. Now fully recovered, Williams proved in Buffalo he can still play right tackle at a high level.
The latest news on Milano suggests that he is going to test the free agent market. That had long seemed likely because of the Bills’ salary cap situation. If the 2021 cap falls between the reported $180-185 million reported area, Buffalo lands right between those two numbers.
That alone would make it hard for the Bills to re-sign Milano, but so does such rankings. Milano is the highest-ranked linebacker among all pending free agents on NFL.com’s list, even edging out the Bucs’ Lavonte David (No. 36). That could create a big-time bidding war for him, one which Buffalo is unlikely to be relevant in.
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