Coverage Team
This may be the area that the Buffalo Bills improved the most as they signed linebackers Tyler Matakevich and running back Taiwan Jones. This past season, according to Team Rankings, Matakevich finished first in the league in special team tackles with 16, Jones was tied for 11th with 11. These two will be joined by defensive back Siran Neal, who finished tied for 22nd in the league with 10.
These three are going to be critical to this group but they will also be joined by A.J. Klein, another free agent linebacker the Bills signed, who has experience on special teams.
There is no question that having players like Matakevich, Jones and Neal on your coverage team is crucial to this part of the game. It is great to have punters and kickers who can drive the ball deep but if teams don’t have those players that are sound tacklers that get to the returner quickly, it won’t matter how deep they kick it.
The moves on special teams that the Buffalo Bills made this offseason aren’t going to dominate the headlines. However, the special teams unit is certainly important to a team’s success and these moves are going to likely play a role in the outcome of some games this upcoming season.