The Buffalo Bills currently have just 52 players on their 53-man roster, and as fate would have it, a familiar face around One Bills Drive is set to become available.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported on Monday afternoon that the Seattle Seahawks are set to release Tyrel Dodson, showing the exit door to a defender who has started all nine of the team’s games thus far at interior linebacker. It signals the end of what amounted to a cup-of-coffee stint for Dodson in Seattle, as the 26-year-old just signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in the 2024 offseason.
Dodson must pass through waivers before signing with any club.
Dodson commenced his professional career in Buffalo, signing with the team after going unselected in the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in 59 games throughout his five-year stint in Orchard Park, primarily playing on special teams before being thrust into the starting lineup in place of the injured Matt Milano midway through the 2023 campaign. He finished that season with 74 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits, notably being graded as one of the best defenders in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
Buffalo’s brass demonstrably likes Dodson, as it developed him from an undrafted defender into a reliable spot starter over five seasons. The team having an open roster spot makes Dodson’s sudden availability particularly interesting, especially considering that the Bills currently have two linebackers (Milano and Baylon Spector) on injured reserve; bringing back a player who has starting experience in this defensive scheme as a depth option behind Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams wouldn’t be a bad utilization of an open roster spot.
Bernard (when healthy) and Williams have performed well this season, and Buffalo hopes to get Milano back from his offseason bicep tear before the campaign’s conclusion. Dodson, in a perfect world, wouldn't see significant defensive snaps if re-signed, but having him available in a pinch would certainly behoove the team.
