Bills LB Matt Milano blatantly listed as NFL ‘cut candidate’

“Sensationalism” is defined by the folks at the Oxford Dictionary as “the use of exciting or shocking stories or language (in writing) at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke interest or enthusiasm in the audience. audience ” ; it is essentially writing that deliberately distorts – or outright ignores – reality in order to elicit a crowd reaction, a tactic that is considered effective if people talk about a particular article, regardless of what they say.

That aside, Bleacher Report recently published an article titled “5 Draft Candidates Who Should Be on Every NFL Team’s Radar,” an article in which writer Alex Kay travels around the league and identifies five players who, according to him, could be shown the door by their respective teams this summer. The analyst has circled Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano as a potential release candidate, citing the 29-year-old’s recent injuries as the primary motivation for the potential move.

“(Milan’s 2023 tibia fracture) could hamper Milan’s ability to play at a high level and could mean the end of his tenure in Western New York,” Kay wrote. “Although the Boston College product was cleared to practice a few weeks ago, he is still far from fully healthy and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to return to form over the course of a season at age 29. If he can’t, the bills have contingency options in place. Buffalo has invested a considerable amount in each of the last three selections in the linebacker corps, including using two third-round picks on Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard, and could cede Milan’s starting spot to one of these promising youngsters .

Related: WATCH: Bills’ Dion Dawkins and Keon Coleman hilariously preview the 2024 NHL Draft

“Releasing Milan would save Buffalo nearly $10 million this year, an attractive amount for a team that ranks in the bottom quarter of the league in cap space at just over $8 million. available at this point If Milan is released, many teams in need of an elite linebacker should come calling. He has consistently been ranked among the best in the NFL at his position in recent years, especially in coverage, and. could regain full strength after a serious injury.

It’s a… bold Kay’s prediction, but which we can fairly confidently predict will not come to fruition this summer. Milan’s recent availability (as the author notes) hasn’t been the most consistent, as he missed the vast majority of the 2023 campaign after fracturing his tibia in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars; that said, Milano’s availability has always has been a bit of a question mark, as he has missed at least one game due to injury in all but one of his seven professional seasons. It hasn’t called his team status into question in the past, and it certainly doesn’t now, especially in an offseason in which head coach Sean McDermott has consistently praised his team ethic. work regarding his rehabilitation and her enthusiasm to see him again. field.

Buffalo has invested significantly in its linebacker corps in recent years, selecting Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams in the third straight round before selecting Washington defensive end Edefuan Ulofoshio in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but the presence of those players does not in no way suggests an immediate desire to leave Milano. Bernard is actually expected to start alongside the veteran this season, while Williams and Ulofoshio – while perhaps factoring into the ultimate succession plan at weakside linebacker – project as special teams players immediate. Moving on from a player who was just named first-team All-Pro a year ago and who, when healthy, has proven to be one of the most impactful defenders in the league in favor of what amounts to a chance to get into the darts race doesn’t seem wise.

And this is potentially the biggest problem with the author’s analysis: they recognize how GOOD Milano is and how impactful he is when available, even writing that “many teams” would be interested in him and that he “could bounce back with full strength.” If that is the case, why would the Bills cut him? Why would Buffalo willingly part ways with a defender who has arguably been the most influential over the past few seasons while he is still in his prime? And even if the team really wanted to move him, why wouldn’t they trade him if “a lot of teams” were interested? If the primary reason for cutting a recent All-Pro who embodies everything this regime seeks in a linebacker is to gain “$10 million” in immediate salary cap space, then the thinking is fundamentally flawed.

Related: Bills All-Pro cornerback warns opponents of Matt Milano’s return

And even that may not be accurate, because according to Over The Cap, the Bills would only save $380,000 by releasing Milan after June 1st. The precise number is largely irrelevant, however – whether the main asset Buffalo would receive in exchange for Milan would be “cap space.” space,” then it’s not a move the team should consider making.

Kay — and all writers — are ultimately entitled to their own opinions, but the idea of ​​the Bills outright cutting Milan this offseason seems far-fetched. He’s an incredibly dynamic linebacker who is arguably Buffalo’s most important defender when healthy. It’s true that his health remains a question mark, but every available sign indicates that the Bills will give him at least the 2024 season to prove that there is still tread on the tire.

—Benefit from free bill coverage Buffalo Bills on SI—

More Buffalo Bills news: