Latest news with #MattMilano
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
B/R names Bills' 'Mount Rushmore' since 2000 NFL season
The "Mount Rushmore" for the Buffalo Bills franchise, or any team, is a great offseason debate. Names like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Cookie Gilchrist, Joe Ferguson... and even OJ Simpson... are excellent candidates. Advertisement But Bleacher Report narrowed the playing field. How about the Mount Rushmore of the Bills... since the 2000 NFL season? That timeline of Buffalo's football team has both ends of the spectrum. Five-straight AFC East titles and a massive playoff drought. Considering that, three players currently on the team's roster crack the list. The one from the not-so-long past? No surprise. Here's B/R's picks: QB Josh Allen OT Dion Dawkins LB Matt Milano DT Kyle Williams Like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen is a relatively fresh face for a Mt. Rushmore of the last 25 years. However, his selection is warranted because of his accomplishments and what he has meant to the Buffalo Bills franchise. Before the Bills drafted Allen in 2018, they had made only one playoff appearance this century. They haven't missed the postseason since his sophomore campaign, and they've won five straight AFC East titles. With 26,434 passing yards 4,142 rushing yards, 260 combined rushing and passing touchdowns, three Pro Bowl nods and one league MVP already on his resume, Allen is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. While success was fleeting for the Bills before Allen's arrival, he isn't the only legend from the last quarter-century who is still playing. Left tackle Dion Dawkins has made 122 career starts and earned four straight Pro Bowl nods. Linebacker Matt Milano has made only one Pro Bowl—he was also a first-team All-Pro in 2022—but he remains one of the NFL's best all-around defenders when healthy. Milano has tallied 504 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 59 tackles for loss and 39 pass breakups in 94 career games. His versatility and role in Buffalo's recent success earn him the nod over notable names like Aaron Schobel, Jerry Hughes and Stefon Diggs. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams represents the "old guard," as his last season coincided with Allen's rookie campaign. In his 13 seasons in Buffalo, Williams started 178 games, recorded 609 tackles and 48.5 sacks and made six Pro Bowls. This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' 'Mount Rushmore' list since the 2020 NFL season
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills release hype video for team's 2025 defense
The Buffalo Bills defense is hoping for another strong season under the watch of head coach Sean McDermott once again in 2025. While quarterback Josh Allen is the focal point of the team, the defense has had plenty of good seasons. Is another big year in the books in 2025? Advertisement Playing a big part in that will be the linebackers led by Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. The secondary is also a critical piece in a passing league. That group is led by top cornerback Christian Benford and the hopes behind first-round rookie Maxwell Hairston. And speaking of those parts of the defense, the Bills hyped those up in a video released to social media which can be found below: This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Highlight hype video for Bills 2025 defense
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Bills players with the most to prove in 2025
The Buffalo Bills are once again expected to be among the best teams in the NFL for the upcoming 2025 season. They are the betting-odds favorite to win the Super Bowl on many sportsbooks. They have gotten close, having made the playoffs in each of the last six seasons and reaching the AFC's title game twice. They have had poor execution in big moments, bounces not going their way, questionable calls by the officials, and poor injury luck down the stretch. But, perhaps the difference that will get them over the hump is as simple as some of their players playing up to their potential. Here are the five Bills players with the most to prove in 2025: 5. LB Matt Milano Veteran Matt Milano has provided the Bills defense with exceptional coverage and tackling ability at linebacker since he was taken late in the 2017 draft, but that hasn't been the case recently. He has struggled to see the field due to multiple serious injuries and has played just 12 total games over the last two years after being named a first-team All-Pro in 2022. He did play all three playoff games last year and started to look like shades of his old self down the stretch. If he can prove that he can maintain that level of play, it would be a big boost to the defense due to his experience and ability to cover ground. 4. CB Max Hairston Rookie cornerback Max Hairston makes the list due to his high draft stock (pick No. 30) and the expectation that he'll slide into the starting lineup across from Christian Benford. Veteran CB Tre'Davious White spoke on the "pressure" that Hairston will feel to perform early in his career, and like White, Hairston will have every opportunity to prove himself after being a first-round pick. While Hairston has all the athletic tools and hip fluidity necessary to excel at the CB position, he's still a rookie and will need to do all the little things right in order to impress the coaches. 3. S Cole Bishop Cole Bishop didn't have the start to his NFL career that he anticipated. Last year, he injured his shoulder early in his first NFL training camp and was held off the field during a time which he needed to get valuable reps in. Because of the slow start, Damar Hamlin ran away with the starting safety spot and Bishop only had five spot-starts throughout the year. This year, Bishop is expected to start at safety alongside Taylor Rapp, and he'll have to prove he was worthy of a second-round pick in 2024. He has gotten off to a good start this offseason, putting in extra work with Rapp and becoming more comfortable in the defense. 2. WR Keon Coleman Wide receiver Keon Coleman had an up-and-down rookie year after being picked 33rd overall in the 2024 draft. When he was fully integrated into the offense, you could see the massive potential. He had back-to-back impressive showings in the middle of the season: a 125-yard outing in Week 7 and a 70-yard, one-touchdown line in Week 8. Then, a wrist injury set him back significantly. Aside from a 64-yard catch against the Lions in mid-December, Coleman was largely unproductive the entire second half of the season. General Manager Brandon Beane said he was disappointed in how Coleman returned from injury, and so now the second-year, big-bodied receiver out of Florida State will have to prove his worth. 1. TE Dalton Kincaid Dalton Kincaid had a disappointing sophomore campaign after a promising rookie season. In 2023 he had 73 catches for 673 yards, and in 2024 that dropped to 44 catches for 448 yards. Injuries played a big part in the dip in production, but he and quarterback Josh Allen seemed to be out of sync more than the Bills would have liked. He posted just a 58.7% catch percentage in 2024 after catching 80.2% of his targets the year prior. Kincaid was first-round pick in 2023, and the Bills moved up a couple spots to make sure they got him. He still has massive potential as a pass-catching tight end but he hasn't lived up to that yet. He's looking for a breakout third year in the NFL to prove he was worthy of his high draft stock and worthy of continuing to be peppered with targets from Allen.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF: What do the Bills still need to 'think about' during the 2025 NFL offseason?
The Buffalo Bills front office has geared up the team for another run at a Super Bowl in 2025 but Pro Football Focus is not convinced all the work is done just yet. The football analytics outlet broke down one item each NFL team still needs to "think about" this offseason. For Buffalo, it relates to linebacker Matt Milano. Milano has undoubtedly been one of the best players at his position in football during his career but the issue that has popped up for him is his health. Because of that, Milano and the Bills reworked his contract this offseason and he's in the final year of his deal in 2025. What PFF thinks the team needs to keep in mind moving forward is the status of Milano's future... but none of that can be determined until next season begins. PFF's breakdown on Milano can be found below: Milano is entering the final year of his contract, though there are two void years attached that the Bills could convert if he wants to keep playing. But if this is his last year in Buffalo, how does the team feel about the rest of the linebacker group? Terrel Bernard struggled last season on his way to a 48.2 PFF overall grade, ranking 83rd among 90 linebackers, but the Bills signed him to a four-year extension this offseason, so he's not going anywhere. Dorian Williams wasn't much better (58.2) and is now halfway through his rookie deal. Could Buffalo look to make a big splash at linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Buffalo Bills have taken a hindsight approach to their free agency roster construction this offseason.
In 2022, the Buffalo Bills strayed away from their typical offseason methodology with the hopes that a major free agency signing could finally get them over the hump following another brutal playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Buffalo went after former All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller with a massive three-year $120 million contract ... and a lot of hope. Three seasons later - and an almost fully guaranteed deal down the drain - the Bills are kicking themselves over the move. Advertisement This offseason after another loss in the AFC championship game (to the Chiefs again) Buffalo cut the veteran Miller after a tenure of injuries, a suspension, and regressed performance that did not provide the spark they were hoping for. Now Buffalo has learned its lesson. Rather than throwing money at big-name free agents, the Bills returned back to their usual methods of targeting mid-level role players - especially ones that are home-grown - to build around their stars. General manager Brandon Beane orchestrated four extension deals to keep valuable young pieces in upstate New York. Receiver Khalil Shakir, cornerback Christian Benford, linebacker Terrel Bernard and edge rusher Greg Rousseau each got new contracts. Advertisement Not to mention, linebacker Matt Milano took a pay cut in his new contract that helped in re-signing franchise quarterback and MVP Josh Allen to a six-year, $330 million contract with a record $250 million in guarantees. Now that's a guy worth signing. The NFL free agency period also saw this conservative philosophy from the Bills. Buffalo signed mid-roster contributors like receiver Joshua Palmer (3-year, $29 million), edge rusher Michael Hoecht (3-year, $21 million), and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (1-year, $6.7 million) to affordable contracts. The only "splash" name was defensive end Joey Bosa, who at nearly 30 and with a history of injuries, Buffalo was able to get for a relative cheap price (1-year, $12.6 million). Advertisement Does this approach make up for past missteps? Likely not, especially for a fan base that is in need of rejuvenation and excitement. This approach does, however, show a sign of humility, acceptance, and willingness to stay within the comfort zone. ESPN's Bill Barnwell in his AFC superlatives names the Bills as the team "most likely to stay the course". They did that this offseason, but we won't know the return on investment (if there is any) until Buffalo rises to the occasion and finally dethrones the Chiefs in the AFC. Related: Bills Get Major Training Camp Announcement From Roger Goodell Related: Bills' Ability To Dethrone Eagles Down To 1 Key Thing The Buffalo Bills have taken a hindsight approach to their free agency roster construction this offseason. first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
