Buffalo Bills re-sign Tyrel Dodson to a one-year deal
The Buffalo Bills have begun the process of re-signing the players on their active roster and the first player that has agreed to return is linebacker Tyrel Dodson. He was set to be a free agent but has agreed to a one-year deal.
Dodson joined the Buffalo Bills in 2019 as an undrafted free agent but it wasn’t until the 2020 season that he played in a regular season game. That year he appeared in 10 games, and would make his first career start in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins with Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano both unavailable due to injuries.
He would finish the 2020 season with 22 total tackles, one sack, and two passes defended. This past season, Dodson would appear in 16 games and finish the season with 15 total tackles.
Tyrel Dodson’s return is big for the Buffalo Bills’ special teams unit
While Dodson didn’t make any starts on defense last year, he has shown to be a key part of the special teams unit for the Buffalo Bills. Last year, he played 67% of the special teams’ snaps, an increase from 49% in 2020.
Now that he is returning, he once again should figure into being a key part of that part of the team next year. However, his role could expand some depending on how the Buffalo Bills approach the linebacker position next year.
The Bills are going to have to decide whether or not to keep A.J. Klein on the roster. The veteran linebacker is entering the final year of his contract and if Buffalo were to release him, it would free up over $5 million in cap space.
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If Buffalo does release Klein, then it would likely be Tyrel Dodson who could step in as the primary backup and the third linebacker on the field when the Buffalo Bills play in 4-3 defense. These types of signings don’t generate big headlines but they are key to the success of the team.