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At this point it’s hard to envision the Buffalo Bills retaining the services of Matt Milano.
Had COVID-19 not existed, the $198.2 million 2020 salary cap likely goes up. In recent memory, the cap had increased pretty much each year. At minimal, it would not have lower to a $180M cap floor which was recently announced.
In a perfect world, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane actually put the Bills in a great position to retain Milano. Alas… here we are. With recent reports that Milano will test the free agency market, Beane’s time might be better spent finding a replacement.
Bleacher Report recently suggested one via the 2021 NFL Draft.
In a B/R mock draft, the Bills select a linebacker with their first-round pick at No. 30 overall. The player is Missouri’s Nick Bolton:
The Buffalo Bills are expected to be tight against the salary cap with several key players hitting free agency, which could make it difficult to keep top off-ball linebacker Matt Milano.
Missouri’s Nick Bolton is an ideal first-round replacement for Milano and at least an upgrade over third linebacker A.J. Klein. He and Tremaine Edmunds would form an exciting young duo in the middle for the Bills, who ranked below the league median in DVOA against the run in 2020, per Football Outsiders.
The two-time first-team All-SEC defender is a big hitter with great chops in run defense, and his extensive resume in the best conference in college football indicates he could be ready to play a major role on a contending team like Buffalo right away.
Naturally this selection is based on Milano leaving the Bills. If he returned to Buffalo, linebacker doesn’t happen here. But in Sean McDermott’s nickel-based defense with two starting linebackers, getting a more versatile option in the fold than Klein could be a smart play. Klein did do well rushing the passer at times while filling in for Milano, but he struggled in other areas.
In the past, Beane has remarked that he hopes to have all starting spots filled before the draft. He does not believe in drafting a player for “need.” That’s a great policy… under normal circumstances. In 2021, that might have to adjust because of the pandemic and Bolton would attest to that.
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