Possible Tremaine Edmunds replacements for the Bills

What should the Bills do at inside linebacker?

The Bills recently lost starting linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to the Chicago Bears in free agency and are now in need of his replacement. Will the Bills find his replacement in-house, go into free agency to find a veteran, or draft his replacement?

Buffalo drafted Edmunds back in 2018 with the 16th overall pick at the young age of 19. Edmunds just recently had the best year of his career, putting up 102 total tackles, 66 solo tackles, 1 interception, 7 passes defended, and 8.5 stuffs in only 13 games played in 2022. Edmunds was a bright spot for the Bills and will be missed in the middle of the defense.

Here is Edmunds’ outgoing message to Buffalo:

Roster Options:

The Bills have recently re-signed a veteran linebacker who was already on the roster and drafted a couple rookies last year that might be able to impact the game going forward.

— Terrel Bernard 

Terrel Bernard, 6’ 1”, 224 lbs, was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Bernard might have been a surprise pick for many Bills fans in round 3 but Brandon Beane and the front office might have been preparing for Edmunds’ departure. Bernard didn’t see the field much in his first season sitting behind Matt Milano and Edmunds, but when he was out on the field many Bills fans were not impressed. Bernard is still young and has a lot of room to develop but his ceiling in the NFL is hard to see, having only played a limited amount of snaps. Bernard, at just 23 years old, is definitely a player on the Bills roster to keep an eye on moving forward.

— Baylon Spector 

Baylon Spector, 6’ 2”, 233 lbs, was drafted in 2022 like Bernard, but was taken in the seventh round. Spector played only six games in his first season and ended up with a total of six tackles (all solo tackles) on special teams. Spector was drafted as more of a depth piece than a contributing factor to the Bills defense but he will get an opportunity to prove his worth this coming season.

— Tyrel Dodson

The Bills recently re-signed linebacker Tyrel Dodson to a one-year deal. Dodson is a special teams contributor for Buffalo who also stepped in last year at inside linebacker when Edmunds was injured. But, he might get an opportunity to test his skills this offseason to compete for the starting gig.

Free Agency:

This off-season’s NFL free agency list was loaded with linebackers, with Edmunds being atop the list with many other talented linebackers to follow. Many top linebackers have already signed to new teams or re-signed with their former teams but there are still some honorable talents in free agency that the Bills can seek to replace Edmunds. 

— Bobby Wagner 

Bobby Wagner was recently released from the Rams for salary cap reasons. Wagner played 17 games in 2022, posting 140 total tackles, 6 sacks (most in any season), 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended, and 16.5 stuffs. Wagner (32) is still a good linebacker waiting in free agency and the Bills could use him for a season or two and develop a younger linebacker. 

— Rashaan Evans

Rashaan Evans is still a productive linebacker who is waiting in free agency. Evans was drafted in the first round in the 2018 NFL draft by the Titans and most recently played a season with the Atlanta Falcons. Evans played 17 games in 2022 having 159 total tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defended, and 8 stuffs. Evans is still a young player and could help Buffalo fill the hole at inside linebacker.  

NFL Draft:

The draft is where the Bills landed Edmunds at the ripe age of 19 years old and they were able to get production from him on a rookie contract. The Bills can look to get one of these young guys to come in and replace Edmunds:

— Jack Campbell 

Jack Campbell out of Iowa has great size, standing at 6’ 5” and weighing 246 lbs. Campbell was a leader at the linebacker position for the Hawkeyes through his four seasons with them. Campbell brings size similar to Tremaine Edmunds and can fill in his spot nicely and develop quickly next to Matt Milano. He is projected as an early day two pick.

— Drew Sanders

Drew Sanders out of Arkansas has great size just like Campbell, standing at 6’ 5” and weighing 232 lbs. Sanders transitioned to an off-ball linebacker in 2022 and played outstandingly. Sanders has fluid and swift movement making him a beast combined with his size and athleticism. Sanders is a hard hitter and covers great with his length which makes him good in the middle of the field. Many scouts and analysts even compare Sanders to Tremaine Edmunds. 

— Trenton Simpson 

Trenton Simpson out of Clemson stands at 6’ 3” and weighs 240 lbs. Simpson is very versatile on film and shows up everywhere on the defensive side of the ball. Simpson can be great playing in the middle of the field, and he is not afraid to fill a gap and make a play when need be. He should be on the top of the Bills radar because of what he can bring to a defense right away. He would be the ideal Tremaine Edmunds replacement.