Bills Predicted to Cut Ties With Former 1st Round Pick in Roster Surprise

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has a knack for bringing back his former players, though there aren’t many left from his time as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.

One of those few remaining former Panthers players has found his way to Buffalo this season, with the team signing linebacker Shaq Griffin. The lasting connections to McDermott might not be enough for the former first-round pick to land a spot on the final 53-man roster, however.

Shaq Griffin Predicted to Miss the Cut

Reporter Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com predicted that the Bills would stick with the same linebacking corps as last season, with Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano as starters and Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, and Edefuan Ulofoshio providing depth.

That leaves Thompson on the outside of the roster bubble, Talbot wrote, losing out mostly to the recent spate of injuries that have kept him off the field.

“Shaq Thompson has ties to Sean McDermott, but I can’t justify a roster spot for him at this point,” Talbot wrote. “The veteran has missed most of the past two seasons and will have to stay healthy to have any shot of making the initial 53-man roster. This summer should likely end the Baylon Spector experiment. He has talent, but cannot stay healthy.”

Thompson has appeared in just six games over the last two seasons, making 43 total tackles. He has been a productive linebacker in the past, topping 100 tackles in four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022.

Bills Could Get ‘Surprise’ From Joe Andreessen

While the 31-year-old Thompson could face a challenge in earning a roster spot, the Bills could be looking at handing a bigger role to a second-year player who was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season. Andreessen came to the team as a rookie minicamp tryout, earning a contract to return for training camp and eventually earning a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Andreessen played mostly on special teams but also saw time on defense, making 26 total tackles in 13 games with one start. ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg predicted that the former University of Buffalo linebacker could find an even bigger role on defense in the coming season.

“Largely a special teams player as a rookie last year, Andreessen was signed after trying out at rookie minicamp, and he then earned a roster spot. He made a significant statement going into his second season with his performance during the mandatory minicamp,” Getzenberg wrote.

Getzenberg noted that Andreessen’s ability to stay healthy and available could give him a leg up in a unit that has been hit hard by injuries. While Thompson has injury concerns in the past few seasons, veteran Matt Milano has also missed significant time with a variety of injuries.

“Availability is something the Bills emphasize, and Andreessen saw increased time during team drills, in part due to Baylon Spector’s injury,” Getzenberg wrote. “He made multiple notable plays, including picking off Josh Allen. And he put himself in a good position to compete for the backup middle linebacker job.”