For the last few years, the Buffalo Bills have been considered one of the NFL’s truly elite teams. They have one of the three or four best quarterbacks in Josh Allen, a big star at wide receiver in Stefon Diggs and multiple difference-makers on the defensive side of the football.
But eight games into the 2023 campaign, they’re struggling a bit. They hold a 5-3 record after a 24-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and as of now, they’re clinging to the fifth seed in the AFC, which, if the season ended today, would make them a wild-card playoff team.
Although the Bills ranked third in points allowed per game after Sunday, they were also 14th in total yards allowed per game, and they have particularly struggled to stop the run. In four of their eight games, they have given up over 130 yards on the ground, and they rank near the bottom of the league in yards per carry attempt allowed.
With the trade deadline almost upon us, Nate Davis of USA Today feels Buffalo should make a move for Bucs linebacker Devin White.
“The defense has struggled noticeably – and Buffalo has lost two of three – ever since All-Pro LB Matt Milano’s season-ending leg and knee injuries suffered at London in Week 5,” wrote Davis. “White, who expressed a desire for a change of scenery earlier this year, is a playmaker. And if the Bills could channel his estimable athleticism, he might be the guy who can somewhat plug the void left by Milano’s absence.”
Milano had 11 passes defended and three interceptions last season while earning both Pro Bowl and All-Pro First Team honors for the first time, and he has been sorely missed. Meanwhile, while fellow linebacker Von Miller has returned from last season’s ACL injury, he simply isn’t the full answer at age 34.
White made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and was a key member of the 2020 Tampa Bay team that won the Super Bowl championship. Once Milano returns, he and White should be able to fit together in the middle of head coach Doug McDermott’s defense.
The risk here is that Devin White will become a free agent at the end of the season and the Bills would have to figure out a way to pay and keep him. But other than that, he could fit the bill if they’re willing to give up whatever it would take to get him.
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