Buffalo Bills: 4 Takeaways from the initial 53-man roster

Reggie Gilliam, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)
Reggie Gilliam, Buffalo Bills (Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)
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Aug 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson (53) defends as Chicago Bears wide receiver Jesse James (18) tries to catch a pass in the end zone during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson (53) defends as Chicago Bears wide receiver Jesse James (18) tries to catch a pass in the end zone during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The linebacker core is deeper than most think

The Buffalo Bills had a tough decision to make at the linebacker position during Tuesday’s roster cutdowns.

Going into the day, there were five players who were locks, or at least relatively safe bets to make the final roster. Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, A.J. Klein, and Tyler Matakevich were all locks to make the roster, and Andre Smith was a safe bet due to his special teams abilities.

There were two players worthy of taking the sixth and final spot on the linebacker depth chart, Tyrel Dodson and Joe Giles-Harris.

Dodson signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and has shown promise during his time in Buffalo. Joe Giles-Harris was also an undrafted free agent in 2019, but he signed in Jacksonville with the Jaguars, where he played for two years.

The decision could have come down to the fact that Dodson is a home grown talent, and that is something that the Bills pride themselves on.

Giles-Harris is a solid depth player who the Bills should certainly look into bringing back to the practice squad if he does not find work elsewhere. The conundrum that the Bills were in at the last linebacker spot is a testament to just how deep the group is.

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