Buffalo Bills 2021 Player Profile: Linebacker Andre Smith
Can Andre Smith hold onto a spot on the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster?
The Buffalo Bills right before the start of the season made a trade to bolster the depth at linebacker by acquiring linebacker Andre Smith for a conditional 2023 seventh round pick. While Smith is a linebacker, he has most of his experience on special teams and was brought in to help that part of the team.
He was released before the start of the regular season but brought back on the practice squad. He was elevated a few times before being officially added to the 53-man roster at the end of October and finished the year on the team’s active roster.
The Buffalo Bills signed Andre Smith to a two-year deal this offseason but also added a few linebackers in free agency which could move him onto the roster bubble during training camp.
Profile
Position: Linebacker
Age: 24
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 240 pounds
Years of Experience: 4
2020 Stats
Andre Smith appeared in 12 games last year for the Buffalo Bills and had nine total tackles and one forced fumble. He finished the year playing only 4% of the defensive snaps but made more of an impact on special teams where he played 48% of the team’s snaps last year.
Expectations for the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills did sign Andre Smith to a two-year deal this offseason which would be a good indication that he is expected to be a part of the team for at least the 2021 season. However, after signing Smith they also signed linebackers Tyrell Adams and Marquel Lee.
The question for Andre Smith is can he show the coaching staff enough to be confident that he can contribute not just on special teams, but also on defense if the need were to arise. The team currently already has one linebacker, Tyler Matakvich, who is primarily a special teams contributor.
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This would mean that Andre Smith would need to show he can step in if Tremaine Edmunds or Matt Milano were forced to miss time. If he isn’t able to, he could lose his spot to one of the other free agent additions this offseason.