Bills’ rookie Kevon Seymour is expected to start vs. the Jets with Stephon Gilmore in concussion protocol.
Last week when the Buffalo Bills hosted the Miami Dolphins, Stephon Gilmore suffered a concussion and entered the league’s concussion protocol. After not participating in any practices this week, he is officially ruled out for Sunday’s matchup vs. the New York Jets.
In a way, it’s not a bad thing we won’t see Gilmore on Sunday, although we hope he is okay and recovers well. With him sitting out, that means we will get a very good look at Kevon Seymour, the Buffalo Bills‘ sixth round draft pick this season.
We’ve seen a little bit of him this season, but this will give us an idea of what he brings to the table. Plus, with Gilmore possibly suiting up for another team next season, we might be needing Seymour a lot next year. This will give him more experience in case that does happen.
No matter how Seymour performs against a pretty talented group of receivers, there’s no doubt he has surpassed every expectation of the Bills. Taken in the sixth round, there’s a very good chance he becomes a steal and we’ll get to see that on Sunday. If so, Whaley would get a little bit of bragging rights for this.
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So far this season, Kevon Seymour has started two games and only missed one game this season. He has had a decent role for Buffalo, passing several defensive backs on the depth chart since being drafted.
In four different games, he finished with three tackles. On the season, he has a total of 20 tackles. Other than that, the only statistic he has are three passes defended — one vs. the Browns, one vs. the Jaguars and one vs. the Bengals. He will have a chance to add to those stats vs. the Jets and possibly get his first career interception.
As for Stephon Gilmore, he will finish the season with 48 tackles, 5 interceptions and 12 passes defended. The Bills will have a decision this offseason on whether to keep him around or not. Here’s what interim head coach Anthony Lynn had to say about Gilmore, regarding his play this season and injury:
"“It seemed like every week and even though I was on the offensive side of the ball before I became the head coach, you notice guys on the defense that stand out, and especially on scout team when they’re covering your receivers, and he’s done a heck of a job all year, and he’s had a great week of practice so far.”"
Whether the Buffalo Bills keep Stephon Gilmore or let him walk, they should feel okay knowing Kevon Seymour is on the rise and could be the cornerback this team needs.
For now, we will wait to see how he performs on Sunday. I smell a good one from Seymour.
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Do you think Kevon Seymour earned more playing time next season? Leave your comments below!