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Matt Milano

Bills Pare Roster To 53; LB Matt Milano Receives IR-Return Designation

August 27th, 2024 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Bills dropped their roster to the 53-man limit:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

  • T Travis Clayton

Placed on IR (return designation)

Milano suffered a biceps tear and will aim to return late in the season, though the All-Pro linebacker’s injury trouble is obviously a big-picture concern at this point. The Bills are also using one of their eight IR activations, mandated for teams who take advantage of the new rule to designate IR-return players today, on a backup running back. That is a rather interesting decision, as Evans has totaled just 62 carries since being drafted in the 2020 third round.

Residing on the Bills’ roster bubble going into camp, Damar Hamlin made the team. Ditto Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who joined Hamlin on the bubble. The bubble burst — for the time being, at least — on Collins and Clapp, who were vying for swing spots. Collins had been shuttled to guard — where he had not played since 2016 — in recent practices. Jackson joined the Bills after they ran into some injury trouble at safety early in camp.

Steveson, who has an Olympic wrestling gold medal, could be a practice squad candidate. The Eagles carried Olympian hurdler Devon Allen on their P-squad for two years, though the latter has far more football seasoning compared to Steveson. Attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps by securing a Bills gig, Gore is a P-squad candidate, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. He will need to clear waivers first.

Bills LB Matt Milano Suffers Torn Bicep

August 15th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the second straight year, Matt Milano is facing a lengthy absence due to injury. The All-Pro Bills linebacker suffered a torn bicep during practice earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

As a result of the injury, Milano is out indefinitely. Schefter notes Milano will undergo surgery with the hope of being able to return at some point during the campaign. For the foreseeable future, however, Buffalo will need to make alternate arrangements at the linebacker spot.

Milano suffered a fractured leg as well as a knee injury in Week 5 of the 2023 season, ending his availability for the year. That injury left the Bills without a full-time starter at the second level of their defense through the playoffs and well into the 2024 offseason. The 30-year-old made progress in his rehab to the point he was able to participate on a limited basis during minicamp in June. Milano had been taking part in training camp while preparing to return to regular season action, but his attention will now once again turn to recovery.

Buffalo was set to rely heavily on Milano in 2024. The former fifth-rounder has spent his entire career with the Bills, starting 74 of his 90 games. He racked up three interceptions, 11 pass deflections and 99 tackles in 2022; those totals earned him a Pro Bowl invitation in addition to his All-Pro nod. Especially with Tremaine Edmunds having departed in free agency, the Bills were counting on Milano to remain a key member of their defense in 2023.

His absence was acutely felt, and the same will no doubt be true in 2024. Buffalo still has Terrel Bernard in the fold, and he served as a full-time starter last season. Buffalo also has 2023 third-rounder Dorian Williams on the depth chart; after logging a special teams workload as a rookie, Williams may now be thrust into a starting role. Other linebacker options include free agent signings Nicholas Morrow and Deion Jones, as well as fifth-round rookie Edefuan Ulofoshio. Of course, replacing Milano’s unique skillset with any one player will be challenging.

The Boston College alum signed a two-year, $28.33MM extension last offseason. Milano is thus under contract through 2026, although no guaranteed salary is in place after the coming year. Another major injury will lead to an on-field absence felt by the team, but it could also lead to efforts to restructure his deal and lower his future cap hits. In any event, Milano’s 2024 debut will be much later than anticipated.

Bills LB Matt Milano “Limited” Participant At Minicamp

June 15th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Ben Levine

Matt Milano‘s leg injury was expected to keep him off the practice field until training camp, but the veteran linebacker was able to put in some work during this week’s minicamp. Coach Sean McDermott told reporters (including Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com) that Milano was a limited participant at last week’s practice.

While Milano isn’t all the way back to full strength, this is still an encouraging update. McDermott noted that Milano would spend most of minicamp doing individual work. The linebacker is officially considered “day-to-day,” and there’s hope he’ll be a full participant by the time training camp kicks off. Even then, McDermott cautioned that the team may bring the veteran along slowly as he returns from a broken leg.

“One day at a time,” McDermott said (via Matthew Fairburn and Tim Graham of The Athletic), “and hopefully tomorrow, if overnight things stay managed, then we’ll continue to build through the break that we’re going to go on. Then, hopefully in training camp, he’s at a spot where, when we open up, he’s available. It’s just a matter of … trying to put practices back to back”

We heard previously that Milano was on schedule with his recovery but it was “probably going to be more closer to training camp until” he sees the field again. The fact that the linebacker is getting a head start could only be seen as a positive for the Bills.

Milano suffered a broken leg during Buffalo’s trip to London last October. Prior to that, the seven-year veteran had collected 30 tackles, one forced fumble, and two interceptions in five games. This followed a standout 2022 campaign where Milano earned a first-team All-Pro nod after finishing with 99 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defended.

With Milano temporarily absent from practices, the Bills could have given the likes of Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, and rookie fifth-round pick Edefuan Ulofoshio more reps, but that trio is currently sidelined with their own injuries (per The Athletic).

AFC East Rumors: Patriots OL, Saleh, Milano

May 26th, 2024 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

With veteran left tackle Trent Brown departing in free agency, the Patriots are looking to fill his old role this offseason. As organized team activities have opened, free agent addition Chukwuma Okorafor has been taking first-team snaps at the position, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.

Okorafor, a former third-round pick for the Steelers, has spent the first six years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh. His first two seasons only saw the Nigerian find starting time as an injury replacement. After Okorafor finished out his rookie contract with two straight seasons as a starter, the Steelers rewarded him with a three-year, $29.25MM extension. After losing his starting job to first-round rookie Broderick Jones last year, though, the Steelers released Okorafor to free agency.

Now in New England, Okorafor will have the opportunity to re-earn a starting job and fill in for the departed Brown. Okorafor’s competition for the job will be Vederian Lowe, who started eight games in injury relief for the Patriots last year, and third-round rookie Caedan Wallace out of Penn State.

In additional offensive line news out of New England OTAs, second-year lineman Atonio Mafi was seen taking snaps at center behind starter David Andrews. Mafi, a former fifth-round pick who converted from defensive line to guard at UCLA, had yet to seen time at center while making five starts at left guard as a rookie. New offensive line coach Scott Peters and assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler seem to have some interest in expanding his role on the line.

Here are some other rumors coming out of the AFC East:

  • We had reported previously that Jets head coach Robert Saleh had explored the idea of reducing the role of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. This exploration came after the seeing Hackett seemingly lost for options after the loss of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the season. A more recent report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini claims that Saleh is now taking a deeper role in the offense himself. The former defensive coordinator seems to be keeping a close eye over the shoulder of Hackett as their jobs both heat up in 2024.
  • Long-time Bills starting linebacker Matt Milano missed 12 games after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. The team is looking to pair Milano back up with last year’s emergent starter Terrel Bernard, but that won’t be happening in OTAs. According to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, Milano is on schedule with his recovery, but “it’s probably going to be more closer to training camp until” he sees the field again.

Bills To Activate DT DaQuan Jones From IR

December 29th, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 29: Jones is ready to return from the pectoral tear that altered his season. The contract-year D-tackle will be back against the Patriots, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the Bills are using an IR activation. The Lions have ruled out Gardner-Johnson for their Week 17 game, and it is not yet known if the Eagles will activate Avonte Maddox. Despite suffering his pec tear three weeks after the both DBs did, Jones will be in uniform as the Bills continue their late-season push toward a playoff berth.

The Bills have now used two of their IR activations this week. Jones’ return to Buffalo’s 53-man roster follows the team’s activation of cornerback Kaiir Elam. The team has four IR-return moves remaining. McDermott reiterated Milano, even if the Bills make the playoffs, would not be expected to join Jones and Elam in being activated from IR, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg tweets.

DECEMBER 19: Days after Sean McDermott mentioned DaQuan Jones — on the shelf since early October after a pectoral injury — could come back, the Bills are putting the wheels in motion here. The veteran defensive tackle returned to practice Tuesday.

This will start Jones’ 21-day activation clock, representing a surprising development after the 10th-year defensive tackle suffered a torn pectoral muscle. While players returning in-season from pectoral surgery is rare, two are on track to do so. The Lions are on the verge of opening C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s IR-return window. Both teams stand to benefit from the returns of starting defenders before the playoffs.

Both Jones and Matt Milano went down during the Bills’ loss to the Jaguars in London in Week 5. Those setbacks came a week after Buffalo once again lost Tre’Davious White to a season-ending injury. Milano is not expected to come back, McDermott added (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) Tuesday. The All-Pro linebacker suffered a serious leg injury. But Jones being near a return stands to boost Buffalo’s run defense.

Prior to Jones going down, he was off to a strong start in a contract year. Pro Football Focus had slotted Jones third among interior D-linemen through five games; the former Titans draftee had started all 21 games since his two-year, $14MM Bills deal came to pass in 2022. Over his career, the soon-to-be 32-year-old defender has started 93 games — for the Titans, Panthers and Bills.

The Bills will be in need at defensive tackle going forward as well. Jordan Phillips suffered a dislocated wrist against the Cowboys and has already undergone surgery, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. Summoned to replace Jones in Buffalo’s starting lineup, Phillips is hoping to be ready to return if the Bills make the playoffs. The team beating the Chiefs and Cowboys in consecutive weeks paves a clear path to the postseason, and both Phillips and Jones being in uniform would round out a veteran-fueled contingent alongside the recently extended Ed Oliver.

Buffalo re-signed Phillips to pair with Oliver, Jones and Tim Settle inside. The Bills also added Poona Ford at the position, but the ex-Seahawk has only played 95 defensive snaps this season. PFF has rated Settle much higher than Phillips, a veteran that checks in as the advanced metrics site’s second-worst regular interior D-lineman. Phillips has registered 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and five pass batdowns this season, a nine-start campaign for the ninth-year veteran. The Bills may not be able to reform their Oliver-Jones starting DT tandem immediately, but with games against the Chargers and Patriots on tap, the team does not look to have a difficult matchup on its docket again until a Week 18 Dolphins tilt that could decide the AFC East.

Bills Place LB Matt Milano, DT DaQuan Jones On IR; Sign LB A.J. Klein From PS

October 11th, 2023 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills did some housekeeping today, clearing out some roster spots as a result of recent injuries and preparing to refill them. Losing two defensive starters in London was tough, but Buffalo has no choice but to reset and reload from their existing stock of talent.

After a potentially season-ending injury to veteran linebacker Matt Milano and a pectoral injury to defensive tackle DaQuan Jones that likewise doesn’t look promising, the Bills have placed both players on injured reserve. This now opens up two new spots on the active roster for the staff to fill. To fill Milano’s roster spot, Buffalo is calling up practice squad linebacker A.J. Klein. The veteran, who has become a mainstay in Buffalo over the past few years, will be signed to the active roster.

Klein started 11 games for the Bills during his first year with the team back in 2020 before taking a bit of a smaller role the following season. Buffalo released him two years into his three-year deal. Klein signed to the Giants’ practice squad before getting signed off of it three days later to the Ravens’ active roster. Three weeks later, he was shipped to Chicago with a second- and fifth-round pick in exchange for Roquan Smith. He lasted a couple weeks in Chicago before getting waived and picked up by the Bills, who have kept him close ever since.

Buffalo didn’t immediately fill the second roster spot opened by the two IR moves, but they did set a plan in motion for it. Today, the team designated linebacker Baylon Spector to return from IR. After only appearing in six games as a rookie last year, Spector has spent the first five weeks of the season on IR with a hamstring injury. With Spector returning to practice, he’ll enter the 21-day window in which he can return to the active roster.

While Spector doesn’t replace the position slot of Jones, the Bills did add a defensive tackle to the practice squad. Already a bit of a journeyman in his sixth NFL season, new defensive tackle Andrew Brown will be joining his seventh team since getting drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He only has one start in his career and hasn’t appeared in more than five games for a team in a season since his rookie year in Cincinnati.

Bills Fear Season-Ending Knee Injury For LB Matt Milano

October 9th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The standout linebacker will require surgery, Sean McDermott said Monday. While the seventh-year HC did not confirm Milano is done for the season, that is the expectation at this point. The Bills have lost three defensive starters — Milano, Jones and White — to major injuries in a seven-day span.

OCTOBER 8: The Bills suffered a loss to the Jaguars in Week 5, but the team was dealt a more significant blow in the process. Linebacker Matt Milano is feared to have suffered a season-ending knee injury, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Milano was carted off the field in the first quarter, and Rapoport notes he has since been diagnosed with a fractured leg. Further tests are set to be conducted to see if an ACL tear has occurred as well, and confirmation on that front would confirm he will miss the remainder of the year. The Bills’ defense has already lost top corner Tre’Davious White to a torn Achilles, and being without Milano would add substantially to the unit’s injury woes.

The latter has been in Buffalo since 2017, serving as a full-time starter for most of that time. Milano has eclipsed 100 tackles only once in his career, but his versatility has made him one of the league’s most valued linebackers in the passing game in particular. The former fifth-rounder has 10 interceptions and 39 pass breakups to his name, and he has chipped in as a complimentary pass rusher as well.

The Bills lost fellow linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, creating a notable vacancy in the middle of their defense. An open training camp competition produced Terrel Bernard as the Edmunds replacement, but his ascension to a starting role came with the presumption of being insulated by the veteran presence and consistent production of Milano. Losing the latter for an extended stretch would tax Buffalo’s second level considerably given their lack of proven players at the outside linebacker spot.

Milano signed a two-year extension this offseason in a move which freed up cap space in the immediate future while keeping him on the books through 2026. He will remain an integral (and, at an AAV of $14.17MM, expensive) member of the Bills’ defense moving forward, but his ability to return to form when healthy – something which seems destined to take place no earlier than the beginning of the 2024 campaign – will be worth watching.

Head coach Sean McDermott said after the game that defensive lineman DaQuan Jones suffered a pectoral injury, adding that his prognosis “doesn’t look good.” Jones has been a full-time starter in his two Bills campaigns, providing an interior pass rush. The 31-year-old recorded a pair of sacks last season, upping that total to 2.5 through the first four games of the 2023 slate. As is the case with Milano, however, it remains to be seen if he will be able to suit up again before next year.

Bills, LB Matt Milano Agree To Extension

March 12th, 2023 at 11:56am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills have inked linebacker Matt Milano to a two-year extension that will keep Milano under club control through 2026, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The transaction will create $6MM of salary cap relief for cap-strapped Buffalo, with Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reporting that Milano is due to earn $14MM per year over the 2025-26 seasons (Twitter link).

Milano, whom the Bills signed to a four-year, $44MM contract in March 2021, has given the club a good return on its investment. He and Tremaine Edmunds have combined to form one of the league’s top ILB duos, with Milano racking up 86 tackles and three sacks in 2021 en route to a solid 70.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

The 2017 fifth-rounder hit another gear in 2022, notching 99 total tackles and three interceptions — including one pick-six — and earning First-Team All-Pro acclaim for his efforts. He bumped up his PFF grade to 73.2, thanks in large part to his improved work in pass coverage.

Edmunds, whom PFR recently ranked as the ninth-best free agent in this year’s class, is reportedly set to hit the open market despite some discussions about a new contract with the Bills. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears that, even in a crowded linebacker market, Edmunds could be in line for a $20MM/year contract, and he confirms that Edmunds is unlikely to remain in upstate New York even if he does not quite hit his asking price (subscription required).

Buffalo, which already restructured Milano’s contract last offseason for cap purposes, views the 28-year-old as a star at his position, and his presence is one reason why the club is comfortable with letting Edmunds walk. In addition to Edmunds, though, the Bills’ could lose another key member of its top-six defense in safety Jordan Poyer, who should find a robust market for his services.

Milano, at least, will be around for the foreseeable future as GM Brandon Beane tries to retool around him.

Latest On Josh Allen’s Status; Jordan Poyer, Greg Rousseau Out For Week 10

November 11th, 2022 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The prime catalyst for the Bills’ recent rise, Josh Allen has not missed a game since Week 10 of the 2018 season. That particular Bills campaign — a rebuilding year centered around the quarterback they traded up twice in Round 1 to draft — did not present high stakes, allowing for considerable caution with Allen.

The landscape is different this year, leading to Allen’s latest elbow injury receiving more attention. Allen’s practice week ended up going DNP-DNP-limited, with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson noting the Bills signed off on a limitation-gauging Friday session (Twitter link). He received the vague questionable injury designation. The superstar quarterback is battling a UCL sprain.

While Allen played through the injury to finish the Jets matchup, this issue also affects nerves — thus, the fifth-year passer’s ability to grip the football — and we have a past indicator of how the Bills handled this injury. Allen, 26, expressed confidence he can play through his latest bout of elbow trouble; it remains to be seen if the Bills will allow that to happen. Concern exists Allen could tear the oft-discussed (in baseball circles) ligament, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes. A Tommy John surgery could sideline Allen into next season.

The Bills shut down Allen for four games because of a UCL injury in 2018; the Wyoming talent ended up sitting five weeks due to Buffalo’s bye falling in that recovery window. Allen missing that much time this year may not be in play just yet, with Sean McDermott indicating (via The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, on Twitter) the team is taking it “one hour at a time” with its centerpiece player.

With a top-tier roster that has pushed the Bills to the Super Bowl contender tier, the team has a better insurance option compared to 2018 as well. Buffalo sent a seventh-round pick (No. 246 overall) to Cleveland for Case Keenum. The 11th-year QB has made 64 career starts, with six teams, since 2013.

Keenum’s most notable year came with the Vikings in 2017, when he led the NFL in quarterback DVOA and — on a one-year, $2MM deal — piloted Minnesota to the NFC championship game. Keenum, 34, is attached to a $3.5MM salary this season. His contract expires after 2022. Although Keenum gives the Bills a decent backup option against the Vikings, the talent gulf between Buffalo’s first- and second-stringers is obviously wide.

The Bills will also be without Jordan Poyer for a second straight week, and second-year defensive end Greg Rousseau will miss Week 10 as well. An ankle injury sustained last week will shelve Rousseau, with cornerback Kaiir Elam also given a doubtful designation. Some good news for Buffalo’s No. 1-ranked scoring defense also emerged this week. Matt Milano is expected to return, Buscaglia tweets. The high-end linebacker missed Week 9 with an oblique issue. The Bills activated Tre’Davious White off the PUP list last week, and while the team’s top corner does not have a Week 10 injury designation, McDermott did not guarantee he would debut Sunday. White has not played since suffering an ACL tear on Thanksgiving 2021.

Restructured Deals: Packers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Giants

March 21st, 2022 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

As free agency continues, teams will keep finding ways to open up additional cap. We’ve had a handful of reworked contracts in recent days, which we’ve compiled below:

  • The Packers opened $10.15MM in cap space by restructuring the contracts of wideout Randall Cobb (which was previously reported) and safety Adrian Amos, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). ESPN’s Rob Demovsky tweets that Green Bay turned $5.88MM of Amos’ $7MM base salary into a signing bonus and added four void years.
  • The Broncos opened up some space via a pair of restructured deals. Wideout Tim Patrick converted $6.9MM of his roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating around $4.6MM in cap space, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter). The Broncos also converted receiver Courtland Sutton‘s $10.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, saving $7.875MM in 2022 cap space, per Klis (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers converted $11.765MM of wideout Robby Anderson’s 2022 pay into a signing bonus, creating $5.88MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). Staying in the NFC, Yates also tweets that the Eagles converted $14.88MM of cornerback Darius Slay’s salary into a signing bonus, creating $11.90MM in 2022 cap space.
  • The Giants converted $2.63MM of kicker Graham Gano’s salary into a bonus, creating $1.753MM in cap space, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). The team also added a void year to the contract, something GM Joe Schoen was trying to avoid (per Raanan).
  • After getting traded to the Bills, quarterback Case Keenum agreed to rework his contract. Per Yates (on Twitter), Keenum reduced his base salary to $3.5MM. Another AFC East team, the Patriots, also got into the game, reducing defensive end Henry Anderson‘s base salary from $2.5MM to $1.25MM (per Yates).
  • Yates passes along three more restructures (on Twitter): the Vikings opened $6MM in cap space by reworking safety Harrison Smith‘s contract, the Bills opened $5.172MM via linebacker Matt Milano‘s contract, and the Titans opened $6.45MM via linebacker Zach Cunningham‘s contract.
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