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Of the four 2022 Buffalo Bills draft picks who received contract extensions from Brandon Beane last spring, three look like home runs, and one might end up being a fly ball to the warning track.
You can’t argue the investments in running back James Cook, wide receiver Khalil Shakir and cornerback Christian Benford - Cook won the NFL’s rushing title, Shakir was far and away the Bills’ most productive pass catcher, and Benford is one of the best corners in the league.
But the deal for linebacker Terrel Bernard - a four-year, $42.1 million commitment which included $23.8 million guaranteed - might be one that Beane rues, especially now that the Bills have a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator who will be changing the defensive scheme which brings into question how Bernard fits.
The 2025 season was a nightmare for Bernard, a season derailed by injuries from almost the moment he stepped on the practice field for training camp at St. John Fisher University. He suffered a hamstring injury in camp which bothered him during the early portion of the season, then came an ankle injury in Week 6 that was more serious than anyone realized which cost him half that game in Atlanta and the Week 7 game at Carolina.
Bernard, a gritty and respected team captain each of the past two seasons, returned to play the next four games but it was clear that he was hampered and he even admitted that to reporters one day in the locker room before the Bills played the Buccaneers.
“Yeah it’s tough but it’s part of the job,” he said. “Every year is hard, but when you’re dealing with stuff, injuries, whether it be things not going the right way, the defense not playing up to a standard, I think it makes it tough. That’s the journey of an NFL season.”
His journey became more difficult in the Week 12 loss at Houston when he suffered a dislocated elbow which cost him 3½ more games, and after getting back to play against the Browns, he hurt his calf in the Week 17 loss to the Eagles and that mercifully ended his season.
Beane could not have forecast all of those injuries when he negotiated Bernard’s new contract, but what made the decision to extend him a little puzzling is that his level of play dipped precipitously from 2023 to 2024.
In 2023 the former third-round pick became a full-time starter when Tremaine Edmunds left in free agency and he made quite a splash with three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, 6.5 sacks, 20 QB pressures, and team-highs with 143 tackles and 52 stops (tackles that caused a failure for the offense).
But in 2024 his injury problems began and there was a noticeable decline in his play, especially in pass coverage which is supposed to be his strength. Actually, the injury issue came up in the 2023 postseason when he got hurt in the wild card victory over the Steelers and missed the divisional round loss to the Chiefs, and it continued in 2024 when he sat out four games and was ineffective in others due to pectoral, ankle and quad injuries.
Because of his contract and the dead cap hit the Bills would incur, there’s no way Bernard won’t be on the team in 2026, but the role he will have remains to be seen. The Bills need to figure that out soon because it could impact how they approach linebacker prospects at next week’s scouting combine, and of course the start of free agency a couple weeks after that.
In Sean McDermott’s nickel-based 4-2-5 defense, Bernard was the middle linebacker and it always felt like a tough position for him given his lack of size (6-foot-1, 224 pounds). Remember, Edmunds was in that spot from 2018-21 playing at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.
In Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 defense, Bernard may work out fine on the inside as he’ll be pushed out closer to the edge, but the Bills will need to find a true thumper to pair with him.
“I think we’ve got to keep him healthier, keep him clean,” Beane said. “He’s played well inside, but I think he could potentially go out there. I wouldn’t want to lock him in; I would want to see what are the other pieces that we had? And if we feel it’s better to move him out there, we could do that. Some guys, you can’t move them around. Terrel can do that.”
Beane was speaking as if the Bills have a choice, but they don’t. The scheme is changing and Bernard will be lining up in a slightly different spot.
While not speaking about specific players and their roles moving forward, Leonhard talked about the importance of having players who possess varying skill sets in his defense.
“It is much more fluid than it used to be,” Leonhard said of the 21st-century version of the 3-4 defense. “I think the evolution of spread offenses throughout high school and college football, it’s very similar to the NBA where it’s created a little bit more positional-less type of player. There are unique skill sets all around the NFL where guys don’t quite fit in your traditional box of edge defender, defensive tackle, linebacker, nickel, safety. And that’s where I’ve had the most success in my career as a coach, finding those guys that fit in a little bit different role.”
Given Bernard’s somewhat questionable status, and assuming free agents Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson aren’t returning, the Bills have a crying need at linebacker. Dorian Williams could challenge for a starting berth heading into the final year of his rookie contract, but he has been almost exclusively a backup and struggles terribly in pass coverage.
Obviously, Leonhard’s ties to Denver free agent linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad make both of them intriguing options in the market, and given the importance of the position, signing a veteran might be the way to go for Buffalo.
However, Beane has already gone on record saying it looks like a good draft for linebackers, so it’s entirely possible he uses a high pick - maybe the first-rounder at No. 26 but more likely one of his Day 2 picks - to fill the need.
The strength of the linebacker class is edge rushers, but among the inside linebackers who are garnering attention, there’s Georgia’s CJ Allen who is projected as a late first-rounder but will probably fall into the second round, joining other Day 2 possibilities such as Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, Missouri’s Josiah Trotter, and Anthony Hill of Texas, all three coming in at between 237 and 240 pounds and possessing every-down skill sets.
Regardless of which direction Beane goes, Bernard is heading into a critical season for his future.
“He had a really bad ankle, and that was fixed (via surgery), so that’s gonna help him,” Beane said. “That’s a tough position in there, you’re car crashing every play. He’s a tough kid. He got beat up this year.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 36 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Terrel Bernard faces critical season as Buffalo Bills defense changes
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You can’t argue the investments in running back James Cook, wide receiver Khalil Shakir and cornerback Christian Benford - Cook won the NFL’s rushing title, Shakir was far and away the Bills’ most productive pass catcher, and Benford is one of the best corners in the league.
But the deal for linebacker Terrel Bernard - a four-year, $42.1 million commitment which included $23.8 million guaranteed - might be one that Beane rues, especially now that the Bills have a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator who will be changing the defensive scheme which brings into question how Bernard fits.
Injuries derailed Terrel Bernard’s season
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The 2025 season was a nightmare for Bernard, a season derailed by injuries from almost the moment he stepped on the practice field for training camp at St. John Fisher University. He suffered a hamstring injury in camp which bothered him during the early portion of the season, then came an ankle injury in Week 6 that was more serious than anyone realized which cost him half that game in Atlanta and the Week 7 game at Carolina.
Bernard, a gritty and respected team captain each of the past two seasons, returned to play the next four games but it was clear that he was hampered and he even admitted that to reporters one day in the locker room before the Bills played the Buccaneers.
“Yeah it’s tough but it’s part of the job,” he said. “Every year is hard, but when you’re dealing with stuff, injuries, whether it be things not going the right way, the defense not playing up to a standard, I think it makes it tough. That’s the journey of an NFL season.”
His journey became more difficult in the Week 12 loss at Houston when he suffered a dislocated elbow which cost him 3½ more games, and after getting back to play against the Browns, he hurt his calf in the Week 17 loss to the Eagles and that mercifully ended his season.
Beane could not have forecast all of those injuries when he negotiated Bernard’s new contract, but what made the decision to extend him a little puzzling is that his level of play dipped precipitously from 2023 to 2024.
In 2023 the former third-round pick became a full-time starter when Tremaine Edmunds left in free agency and he made quite a splash with three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, 6.5 sacks, 20 QB pressures, and team-highs with 143 tackles and 52 stops (tackles that caused a failure for the offense).
But in 2024 his injury problems began and there was a noticeable decline in his play, especially in pass coverage which is supposed to be his strength. Actually, the injury issue came up in the 2023 postseason when he got hurt in the wild card victory over the Steelers and missed the divisional round loss to the Chiefs, and it continued in 2024 when he sat out four games and was ineffective in others due to pectoral, ankle and quad injuries.
Because of his contract and the dead cap hit the Bills would incur, there’s no way Bernard won’t be on the team in 2026, but the role he will have remains to be seen. The Bills need to figure that out soon because it could impact how they approach linebacker prospects at next week’s scouting combine, and of course the start of free agency a couple weeks after that.
A scheme change could redefine Terrel Bernard’s role
In Sean McDermott’s nickel-based 4-2-5 defense, Bernard was the middle linebacker and it always felt like a tough position for him given his lack of size (6-foot-1, 224 pounds). Remember, Edmunds was in that spot from 2018-21 playing at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.
In Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 defense, Bernard may work out fine on the inside as he’ll be pushed out closer to the edge, but the Bills will need to find a true thumper to pair with him.
“I think we’ve got to keep him healthier, keep him clean,” Beane said. “He’s played well inside, but I think he could potentially go out there. I wouldn’t want to lock him in; I would want to see what are the other pieces that we had? And if we feel it’s better to move him out there, we could do that. Some guys, you can’t move them around. Terrel can do that.”
Beane was speaking as if the Bills have a choice, but they don’t. The scheme is changing and Bernard will be lining up in a slightly different spot.
While not speaking about specific players and their roles moving forward, Leonhard talked about the importance of having players who possess varying skill sets in his defense.
“It is much more fluid than it used to be,” Leonhard said of the 21st-century version of the 3-4 defense. “I think the evolution of spread offenses throughout high school and college football, it’s very similar to the NBA where it’s created a little bit more positional-less type of player. There are unique skill sets all around the NFL where guys don’t quite fit in your traditional box of edge defender, defensive tackle, linebacker, nickel, safety. And that’s where I’ve had the most success in my career as a coach, finding those guys that fit in a little bit different role.”
Linebacker now a glaring need for Buffalo Bills
Given Bernard’s somewhat questionable status, and assuming free agents Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson aren’t returning, the Bills have a crying need at linebacker. Dorian Williams could challenge for a starting berth heading into the final year of his rookie contract, but he has been almost exclusively a backup and struggles terribly in pass coverage.
Obviously, Leonhard’s ties to Denver free agent linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad make both of them intriguing options in the market, and given the importance of the position, signing a veteran might be the way to go for Buffalo.
However, Beane has already gone on record saying it looks like a good draft for linebackers, so it’s entirely possible he uses a high pick - maybe the first-rounder at No. 26 but more likely one of his Day 2 picks - to fill the need.
The strength of the linebacker class is edge rushers, but among the inside linebackers who are garnering attention, there’s Georgia’s CJ Allen who is projected as a late first-rounder but will probably fall into the second round, joining other Day 2 possibilities such as Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, Missouri’s Josiah Trotter, and Anthony Hill of Texas, all three coming in at between 237 and 240 pounds and possessing every-down skill sets.
Regardless of which direction Beane goes, Bernard is heading into a critical season for his future.
“He had a really bad ankle, and that was fixed (via surgery), so that’s gonna help him,” Beane said. “That’s a tough position in there, you’re car crashing every play. He’s a tough kid. He got beat up this year.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 36 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Terrel Bernard faces critical season as Buffalo Bills defense changes
Continue reading...
