The Buffalo Bills are about to find themselves in a very advantageous position in their linebacker room: head coach Sean McDermott could have more qualified starting candidates than spots on the field.
The Bills opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Matt Milano on November 11, meaning the former All-Pro is not only back in action at the field house, but they project to have him active on Sundays, possibly as soon as the Week 13 home clash against the San Francisco 49ers on December 1. However, as Milano ramps up towards playing a full snap load, you can expect linebacker Dorian Williams' defensive snaps to diminish.
For starters, don't expect this to be like flipping a switch, as the team will likely slowly ramp Milano back up to a full-time starting role. Remember, the Boston College product hasn't played since October 8, 2023, after missing most of last season with a fractured tibia. One could envision something like a 25% snap count in game one, 50% in game two, 75% in game three, and full-go from there on out. That math tells you that Williams would be 75%, 50%, 25%, solid full-time backup.
Having Williams as a full-time backup as we enter January is an awesome predicament for McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. Through Week 11, he's ninth in the NFL in total tackles at 97. He also showed an ability to play on the right side and left side of the defense, with 216 snaps to the right and 247 to the left. His total snaps of 493 are already up from his rookie year, where he logged 193. His 9% missed tackle rate is 18th best among linebackers to play 50% of their team's snaps.
As those snaps inevitably go down with Milano's return, you need to still find ways to get Williams on the field. The first place he should be utilized is on obvious running downs and on third-or-fourth and short. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder ranks 15th among qualified linebackers against the run, per Pro Football Focus. Upgrading from Baylon Spector as your third linebacker to Williams is a fantastic trade. Think of Milano's return in this circumstance like a team trading for an ace pitcher: everyone else gets bumped down the rotation, and they should become more effective in their new role.
Speaking of new roles, Williams' new role for 2024 should be one he excelled at in 2023, special teams. He's only played 47 snaps combined between kick coverage, kick return, punt coverage, and punt return this season. Last year, he had 87 snaps in kick coverage, 65 in kick return, 48 in punt coverage, and 55 in punt return. It feels safe to assume he hasn't played on special teams this year because he was needed to start on defense, so this should shift him back to being a proficient piece for Bills' special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley.
In conclusion, bringing Milano back into the active roster is going to have a ripple effect on both defense and special teams, and it's one that should bolster the Bills even further as they get ready to make a playoff run.
