Most of you are going to dislike this based on everything I read on social media. Let’s get that out of the way off the top.
Tremaine Edmunds still is an asset to the Buffalo Bills’ defense.
In the second half against blitzes, Allen was 12 of 18 for 77 yards, with one touchdown and no sacks.
Yes, I wish he would make more big plays. More tackles for loss, more pass breakups, a couple more interceptions. He doesn’t make enough splash plays. No argument.
But his size, length and range are important to the Bills’ defense. His tackle production has been remarkably consistent over four years.
The Bills play a lot of two-deep coverages, and a lot of zone coverage overall, which has helped them allow the fewest big-play passes in the NFL since 2017. They ask their middle linebacker to cover a ton of ground in the middle of the field. Edmunds does it well. It’s not easy to find someone who does it as well.
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“He's working through it, he's a tough guy,” coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday.
Am I saying general manager Brandon Beane should give him a new contract this offseason, given the fact Edmunds is entering the final year of his rookie deal at a steep, $12-million cost for 2022? No. Let’s see how it plays out.
I’m saying kick the decision down the road, even though his cap figure is tough to bite off next season. Give him another year, for sure. Only then should you let him leave in 2023 or franchise tag him and then work on a giant new contract for '23, when the salary cap takes another jump.
The bar is high for Edmunds, as it should be, given the fact he was picked 16th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Beane gave up a third-round pick to move up six spots to get him.
Edmunds suffers in comparison to retired Carolina great Luke Kuechly, who played in essentially the same defense. Kuechly’s big-play numbers in his age 22-23 seasons blow away those of Edmunds, starting with tackles. Kuechly had 309 in those two years. Edmunds, still only 23 this season, is on pace for 230.
“The Luke Kuechly comparison I think would be unfair to most, if not all, linebackers that are out there,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime player, I can assure you that. But overall a middle linebacker, he’s in the mix. That’s where he’s positioned in the middle of the defense, and I think Tremaine does a really good job with handling our operation, play in and play out. I think he’s taken a step in that area this year. Those plays over the middle, those plays in the run game, pass game, what have you, he’s going to continue to work his tail off to be productive in those areas. There’s obviously some work to do there and we’re confident he’ll continue to work on it.”
The question of how much Allen will be able to do on the ground despite a sprained foot looms over this game.
What do the analytics say? Pro Football Focus rates Edmunds 26th this year among the top 50 off-the-ball linebackers with the most snaps. Matt Milano is eighth. Pro Football Focus does a great job documenting hundreds of metrics. I’m suspect of its linebacker grades.
Tampa weak-side linebacker Devin White is 44th out of 50. White is a stud. Chicago’s Roquan Smith, picked eighth overall in 2018, is 31st. Smith is great, in my view, the best player right now on the Bears’ defense, which is a top-10 unit. Baltimore’s second-year man, Patrick Queen, has a bad rating. He’s good, too.
Some things are hard to quantify, like the way Edmunds influences the quarterback. Throws on slants and hook routes don’t get made because his big frame is shading that direction. It’s harder to beat the Bills deep down the middle in Tampa 2 because of Edmunds’ range in coverage. He chases guys down quicker than average linebackers.
McDermott was asked Wednesday about Edmunds’ ability to cover space. Either the coach let it be known he wants more from Edmunds or he simply defaulted to his stock, bland answer on player evaluations. (My guess is it was the latter.)
“I think, like anything, there’s some plays where he’s done really well,” the coach said. “There’s some plays I’m sure he wants back. It’s a continuing effort to practice those areas and work with him on those areas to continue to grow.”
Some Bills fans who were upset about referees not calling pass interference Sunday in the loss to Tampa Bay have spun their frustration forward. VIA: Visually Impaired Advancement is the beneficiary.
Even in Tampa, Edmunds made a lot of good tackles. No doubt, on the 47-yard touchdown run, you’d like to see him take out Leonard Fournette rather than speeding straight for the pulling guard, even if that’s the way it’s coached.
“Guys wasn't in their gaps, and they hit us,” Edmunds said after the game of the TD run. “We've got to, in particular earlier in the game, find a way to eliminate explosive plays. We kind of dug ourselves a hole early.”
Likewise, Edmunds was in perfect position to stop Fournette on the third-and-1 run from the Tampa 15 in overtime. Greg Rousseau had done his job, stalemating the tackle. It was a head on play for Edmunds, and he didn’t stuff Fournette. The Bucs’ back gained the yard. Frustrating.
I admit I’m biased in favor of elite traits. Give me 6-foot-5, an 83-inch wingspan and 4.54 in the 40 all day, every day. A lot of fans might argue Edmunds has elite traits, but not elite instincts. Fair. But I think Edmunds’ processing has gotten better this year.
Fans are passionate. In their disappointment, they’re already eager for some heads to roll. That comes with having a fanbase so rabid that it got bigger, not smaller, during a 17-year playoff drought.
Take a deep breath on Edmunds. Did we mention he’s only 23? The Bills need more out of him. But he still has growth potential.
