Sean McDermott to call defensive plays in 2023 + more things we learned from NFL Owners Meetings

Since the start of the Free Agency period, the Bills have added depth at various positions up and down the roster by filling vacancies following the departure of players who landed on new teams. McDermott addressed where he sees those new additions and familiar faces fitting into the 2023 roster.

Former Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds found a new home in Chicago on the opening day of free agency. Edmunds took on the middle linebacker position when he lined up on the Bills defensive line, which is now a position that needs to be filled. McDermott said that Tyrel Dodson, Baylon Spector, and Terrel Bernad are in the running to fill that role.

“We owe it to those guys,” McDermott said. “And certainly happy for Tremaine. We’ll miss him. Never replace a player like Tremaine, but it’s great to see a young man work hard, be drafted by us, work hard … And for the guys that we have at the middle linebacker position, they deserve a shot. Our guys that are in the locker room deserve a shot and we’ll see where it goes.”

Being the center of the defense, McDermott explained how the middle linebacker is a big leadership piece to the defense that entails a lot of communication and a lot of leading by example throughout the entirety of the season.

“It’s a unique position because of the load that comes with it, the responsibility. Not just making your own plays but getting us lined up, knowing how we want to look defensively, the philosophical approach,” McDermott said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a lot for a young player, but there’s also a first time for everyone. So, I’m excited to see those guys. We’ll take it one day at a time here, but we’ll see how that whole thing unfolds. And it’ll be an open competition, and we’ll see where it goes.”

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