The Buffalo Bills bolstered their linebacker unit on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with Tyrell Adams. The team announced the news Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the news surfaced in a report by Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Per the team, the contract is for one year. Adams, a former undrafted free agent, developed into a starting linebacker in his sixth professional season, the culmination of a long cross-country journey through practice squads and the waiver wire.
Adams, 28, took over as the starting inside linebacker for Houston’s 3-4 defense after Bernardrick McKinney’s season-ending injury. He would eventually start 12 games for the Texans, recording 125 total tackles (76 solo), five tackles for loss, two sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles.
The Bills already have starting linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano locked in for the next few seasons, but backup linebacker turned out to be a weak point for the team in 2020. Veteran A.J. Klein initially struggled to fill in the gaps before a blitzing adjustment played to his strengths, and players like Tyrel Dodson and Andre Smith weren’t able to bring consistent success to the field on defense. Adams demonstrated in 2020 that he could fill in as a middle linebacker when his number was called.
Adams also brings value on special teams. He’s typically asked to play 12-19 snaps per game on teams, which represents one of a team’s core players on that unit.