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The Buffalo Bills had some hidden stars on their team who were brought to the team in different ways in 2017. Next season, these four guys deserve to play a bigger role on both sides of the ball. Although some guys had their production slowed by injury, they have shown they can be effective.
LB Matt Milano
Milano played really well this season. He was only on the field for about 40% of the Bills’ defensive snaps and still tallied 49 tackles. Milano shared snaps with Ramon Humber who is an unrestricted free agent and his return to the Bills is questionable. In coverage, Milano is the Bills best linebacker for that job and he plays smart football. With the middle linebacker position in question, the weak side job should be Milano’s to lose.
WR Kelvin Benjamin
Benjamin joined the Bills in the middle of the season in a last-minute trade with the Carolina Panthers. Benjamin was hindered by injury this year and his production wasn't there as a result of the offensive scheme and Tyrod Taylor. Benjamin has shown that he can emerge as a solid receiver in the league. At 6’5” he is a big, reliable target for whoever is under center for the Bills next year.
OT Dion Dawkins
Dawkins got a lot of playing time on the left side due to the Cordy Glenn injury. The left tackle is Glenn’s spot, but Dawkins deserves to make a run at the right side (assuming he didn’t play well enough for the Bills to trade Glenn). Jordan Mills is underwhelming at best and if Dawkins is able to make the switch over to the right he should have the chance to compete for that spot. Dawkins made the Glenn injury easier on Taylor and the rest of the offensive line. As a rookie second-round pick, he was a pleasant surprise.
RB Travaris Cadet
Cadet is a free agent and is coming off a dislocated ankle. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his short time playing with the team and averaged 7.4 yards per reception out of the backfield. Cadet is more of a downhill runner than LeSean McCoy despite his size. He is a change of pace from McCoy and gives the Bills’ offense a bit of diversity from their backs. Cadet is a free agent and won’t sign a contract until he’s healthy.