As of now, linebacker Matt Milano has one foot out the door.
He could circle back to the Bills, but at minimum, Milano is reportedly going to test the free agent market. In the past when defenders like Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson did that… the other foot followed.
If that scenario does unfold, linebacker could become a position high on the Bills’ list of needs heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Bleacher Report recently made a guess that this would happen.
Pegging a “dream prospect” for every NFL club, Mizzou linebacker Nick Bolton is the pick for the Bills:
Nick Bolton has the short-area burst with the ability to cover shallow zones on the second level. As a full-time starter over the last two seasons, he’s accumulated 198 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.
Although Bolton isn’t an elite athlete, his football instincts serve him well at the position. He’ll sniff out the run on early downs, fire through gaps for stops in the backfield and has enough speed to cover athletic tight ends. His adequate lateral quickness helps him chase down running backs in the flat, too.
Next to linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Bolton could fill an every-down role.
Currently Bolton’s draft status is somewhere toward the end of the first round at the upcoming draft. That could change, but Buffalo picks at No. 30, so he could very well be on their radar.
If Milano does depart, the Bills will likely have to consider finding a long-term answer as soon as possible. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott runs a nickel-based defensive scheme, which means only two linebackers take the bulk of the snaps. Because of this, the Bills will want to find the best-possible solution. A stop-gap or short term answer just won’t do.
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