Could Tyrel Dodson make his way back to the Buffalo Bills?
The Seattle Seahawks are releasing linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who had just signed with the team in free agency this past March. Dodson began his NFL career by signing with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and he spent four seasons with Buffalo before hitting free agency.
With Dodson no longer wearing the green dot and calling in the plays and protections as part of Seattle’s plans, could he find his way back to One Bills Drive? It’s anything but a guarantee, but there may be no better match than for Dodson to re-join head coach Sean McDermott and company.
Buffalo and its fans are well-versed in who Dodson is as an NFL linebacker. Once considered a liability in most aspects, Dodson made hay as a run stopper filling in for an injured Matt Milano during the 2023 NFL season.
Why did the Seattle Seahawks release Tyrel Dodson?
There isn’t much known about why Dodson was shown the door. The move was made just as the Seahawks exited their bye week, and following a trade by Seattle to sign linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who’s widely viewed as Dodson’s replacement.
As Mookie Alexander over at Field Gulls explained:
“Dodson has had some issues with coverage busts against the pass and he’s been one of the reasons for Seattle’s shaky run defense, but keep in mind he only just moved from ‘Mike’ linebacker to ‘Will’ linebacker after the Ernest Jones IV trade. Evidently that wasn’t enough to keep his job.”
It’s a curious move by the Seahawks to move on so soon after signing Dodson to a one-year, $5.51 million contract. At this point in the season, Dodson has roughly $1.3 million remaining on his current deal, should a team put in a waiver claim for him.
Where do the Buffalo Bills select in current 2024 waiver-wire system?
With Dodson now entering the waiver-wire protocol, any team can claim him, based on an assigned order. That includes his former employer in the Bills. For the first three weeks of this this season, the order was based on the 2024 NFL Draft and each team’s 2023 records. At this point in the season, the waiver-wire priority reflects only the 2024 records, which puts the Bills at 30th in the claim process. It’s unlikely that Buffalo is the only team interested in Dodson, with other notable parties such as the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers also decent candidates.
What were Tyrel Dodson’s 2024 stats with the Seattle Seahawks?
As the “defensive quarterback” Dodson had a key role at linebacker for the Seahawks. In nine games as a starter, Dodson racked up 71 total tackles (65 solo), two sacks, three quarterback hits, two pass defenses, and one forced fumble.
Will the Buffalo Bills claim Tyrel Dodson if given the opportunity?
Only One Bills Drive knows the answer to that question at this point in time. It makes too much sense for them not to claim him, if he makes it past the 29 teams ahead of Buffalo in this process.
However, the Bills did just open Matt Milano’s 21-day practice window, and they have found decent play from second-year linebacker Dorian Williams alongside Terrel Bernard. Despite that, the next four games will provide a massive challenge to Buffalo, and it’s always a good idea to have all hands on deck.
Should Dodson find his way back to Buffalo, it would be in a reserve role. The bonus is the experience he gained as a starter for the Bills in 2023 and through nine games in Seattle.