The biggest question the Buffalo Bills have at this point of the offseason is without a doubt middle linebacker. The team saw Tremaine Edmunds leave in free agency and join the Chicago Bears.
Edmunds has been the starter for the past five seasons and as it presently stands the coaching staff is looking at a training camp battle between Tyrel Dodson, Terrel Bernard, and Baylon Spector. However, that competition likely will get much tougher and change over the next few weeks with the team using either a draft pick or signing a veteran free agent.
If the Buffalo Bills want a veteran, the good news is that there are a number of players still available that could be fits for this defense.
Ranking the best remaining linebackers targets in free agency for the Buffalo Bills
4. A.J. Klein
The first player is one that the coaching staff knows well in linebacker A.J. Klein. He began his career with the Carolina Panthers and played four seasons in McDermott’s defense when McDermott was defensive coordinator.
Then when Sean McDermott was head coach of the Buffalo Bills they would sign Klein as a free agent in 2020 and he played two seasons in Buffalo. He would start 15 games during that stretch but would play nearly 1,000 defensive snaps and had over 100 total tackles.
However, the Bills released him last offseason to create cap space but the team would eventually claim him off waivers and bring him back.
At 32 years old, A.J. Klein likely wouldn’t be the best option to replace Tremaine Edmunds but at the very least it gives the team a veteran who knows this defense that could step in if the need were to arise. He also could be signed for a reasonable contract, likely the veteran minimum, that would fit within the current cap space.
3. Jon Bostic
The next linebacker is one that has never played under Sean McDermott but shouldn’t face much of a learning curve. The reason is that Jon Bostic has been a linebacker for the Washington Commanders since 2019 and has played the last three seasons under Ron Rivera.
Rivera and Sean McDermott have worked together for a number of years from their time with the Carolina Panthers and run very similar defensive schemes. He has appeared in 121 games and has 86 starts with 584 total tackles and 9.5 sacks.
Jon Bostic is similar to A.J. Klein in that he has been an excellent backup and has shown at times in his career that he can be a starter. Both players are getting toward the end of their careers and Bostic will be 32 years old also this season.
The reason that Bostic is ahead of Klein, and it isn’t by much, is that Bostic is a little better in coverage. If the Buffalo Bills want to continue operating in a nickel defense, that little extra athleticism that Bostic has could be valuable.
2. Myles Jack
Myles Jack was a second round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2016 NFL Draft and had a very promising start to his career. He would start 42 games in the first three years in the league and would have 221 total tackles, five sacks and got a four-year extension prior to the 2019 season.
Jack would play three more seasons in Jacksonville and after an injury-shortened season, he had back-to-back seasons with over 100 total tackles. He would be released this past offseason and signed a two-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He would start 13 games and once again had over 100 total tackles, along with three passes defended and three tackles for a loss. Jack would be released for the second straight offseason after the Pittsburgh Steelers added free agent linebackers Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb.
Myles Jack is a veteran linebacker that certainly could step in as the starter but similar to other linebackers, the biggest concern will be him in coverage. He has allowed QB ratings of 95+ in each of the past five seasons and quarterbacks complete over 70% of passes thrown his way when he is in coverage.
1. Zach Cunningham
At this point, the best option for the Buffalo Bills at middle linebacker, if they want to add a veteran to the competition to replace Tremaine Edmunds, would be Zach Cunningham. Cunningham was released last month by the Tennessee Titans as they had to cut a bunch of salaries and look to be heading toward a rebuild.
Prior to joining the Titans midway through the 2021 season, Cunningham played in 72 games since 2017 for the Houston Texans, starting 66 of them. Zach Cunningham is a tackling machine with 620 career total tackles and led the league in total tackles in 2020 with 164.
One of the reasons that Zach Cunningham is a good fit is that he does a good job making plays at the line of scrimmage. Entering last season, Pro Football Focus had Zach Cunningham leading the league in most tackles for loss/no gain with 48, which was nine more than Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano.
The Buffalo Bills certainly are taking a risk with a competition at such a pivotal position and will likely add at least one more player. If they want to go the route of a veteran, then Zach Cunningham would be a great signing.