Bills LB Matt Milano suffered a torn left biceps in Tuesday's practice. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that he'll have surgery "with the hope of trying to return later this season, possibly in December."
HC Sean McDermott on reserve LB Dorian Williams, after the preseason opener: "I saw some growth early in the game. Still, a lot of work to do. Still remain very confident in Dorian and I think this week will be a big step for him."
Williams matters because he looks like the best bet to fill in for Milano on the weak side. He figures to compete with veteran SLB Nicholas Morrow for the second LB spot in sub packages, next to MLB Terrel Bernard.
Morrow -- now 29 -- has started 58 career games across three teams. But each of his past two employers let him walk after the season, and he signed just a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Bills.
Williams, a third-round pick last year, holds more intrigue. He played sparingly as a rookie but brings tremendous speed for the position (94th-percentile 40 time at the Scouting Combine) and delivered nice numbers at Tulane.
The four-year player tallied 28 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and 13 passes defensed across three starting campaigns.
This is the age-30 season for Milano, who lost most of last year to a broken leg.
The remaining two years on his contract (beyond 2024) hold cuttable cap numbers.
He's not a "must" drop in your dynasty IDP league, but he's droppable if you have a decision to make.
Williams, meanwhile, gets a shot to show whether there's meaningful long-term value. Stash him where possible (and sensible).
Bernard won't move much in our LB rankings, where he already sat inside the top 10. Expect Williams to float in "sleeper" range, as a LB4-5. We'll see how he fares through the rest of the preseason.
Whether Morrow moves will depend on team reports and expected roles. I wouldn't target him for now.
Milano might have a shot to return in December, but history says you should expect a biceps tear to end his season. Even if he returns sometime in that final month, we'll need to see Milano for a full game before we can consider starting him in fantasy lineups. That further cuts down on his chances of contributing this season.
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