Through the first week of the NFL’s new year, the Buffalo Bills have improved some aspects of their defense. In the secondary, they have made the additions of Dee Alford, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Geno Stone. They have also added Bradley Chubb to bring the pass rush on the outside on a three-year deal.
While those additions have been solid, the Bills still have some work to do to add to their linebacker room. Terrel Bernard is solid but he has missed nine games in the last two seasons. Dorian Williams is a fantastic run-stopper, but he sometimes overpursues and ends up making mistakes.
However, if the Bills see a long-term future with Williams as a great run-topping linebacker then Buffalo needs to strongly consider a veteran linebacker who is on his way to the Hall of Fame and can mentor Williams.
Bobby Wagner would be perfect addition for Bills' defense and Dorian Williams
There is no denying that Wagner is a future Hall of Famer and yet he is still going strong. In every single season since 2012, Wagner has recorded over 100+ total tackles with no less than 67 total tackles. He was part of the Legion of Boom defense in Seattle in the early 2010s, and has earned Pro Bowl honors ten times, and is a six-time All-Pro player who has won a Super Bowl.
Wagner has been in Washington the last two seasons and his performance as a run-stopper still makes him one of the best in the league. While Buffalo should be looking for versatility in their linebackers to drop back into coverage, getting someone like Wagner would be extremely beneficial for Williams.
Both Wagner and Williams are downhill stoppers where they have no problem lowering their shoulders and taking down the ball carrier at or behind the line of scrimmage. When Matt Milano missed a good chunk of the 2024 season, Williams stepped in and he had some flashes of being a potential starter.
Who knows, maybe the plan is to have Williams start next to Bernard. At the same time, gaining someone like Wagner who can help Williams control how fast he attacks would help him in the long run and it could help Buffalo keep a potential franchise player.
The Bills still have a need at linebacker and quite frankly, it would make more sense to go through the draft and develop. However, with a new era at One Bills Drive, fans should not put anything past on what could happen. If the Bills were to land Wagner on a one-year deal, it would bring immediate improvement and leadership to this defense.