The Buffalo Bills‘ transition to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Jim Leonhard has exposed a critical lack of depth at linebacker, a problem compounded by the injury history and coverage struggles of starters Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams. While GM Brandon Beane has hinted at a draft solution, the team’s immediate needs are pressing.

Amid the linebacker drama in Buffalo, an ex-Bills LB has revealed that he is trying to return to the Bills ahead of the new season, potentially bringing some relief to the position.

“Trying to,” answered Shaq Thompson, when asked about returning to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, via X.

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Although the Bills have been pretty active in free agency, the linebacker position is one that they have yet to address. The Bills have been linked to multiple names, such as the Denver Broncos‘ Leo Chenal for his familiarity with Leonhard, and the New York Giants‘ Bobby Okereke, who has previously worked with linebackers coach John Egorugwu.

According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid’s mock draft, Georgia’s C.J. Allen also emerged as a target with their 26th pick. But the draft is still a month away. And with the Bills having a late first-round pick and trading their second-round pick to the Chicago Bears during the D.J. Moore trade, it is uncertain whether they can actually get Allen, especially since the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants, and the Jets also have him on their radar.

Should the Bills lose out on Allen, LB Shaq Thompson can be a perfect backup option for the Bills.

He is a defensive leader and could provide the support Josh Allen‘s team requires. Though he only started six of his 12 appearances last season, Thompson was still productive, logging 56 tackles and forcing a fumble. More importantly for Buffalo, his experience in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes would give the new coaching staff immediate versatility.

But the real issue is whether the Bills are willing to re-sign him. Based on market value projections, his average salary could go up to $2.3 million.

The Bills have only $13 million in active cap space and have restructured several contracts to open up cap space. Allen and Moore’s contract restructures have opened up over $38 million in cap space. Now with the draft approaching, they will have to spend more, further depleting their cap space.

Besides the cap space, the newly appointed coaches could also be a problem for Shaq. He joined the Bills under former head coach Sean McDermott, who was the Panthers‘ defensive coordinator in the first two seasons of Thompson’s career. But now he is gone.

DC Leonhard could limit Thompson as a depth player, especially since he is already 31 years old. While Thompson is trying to return to Buffalo, the franchise has re-signed a key secondary player to a one-year contract.

The Buffalo Bills have re-signed safety Damar Hamlin

Since 2019, the Buffalo Bills have consecutively made the playoffs. Newly appointed head coach Joe Brady hopes to continue the momentum while adding more names to help them win the Lombardi Trophy. Re-signing safety Damar Hamlin to a one-year deal helps Brady take the franchise one step closer to addressing its depth issue. He will be the backup safety behind Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

It is a low-risk, high-value move, since he is familiar with the team’s defense. If he fails to perform, the Bills can part ways with him after the season with minimal long-term salary cap impact, making it a low-risk signing. If the franchise needs to move on from him, they can do it without a big blow to their active salary cap.

While the Bills have added other safeties (Geno Stone and Jordan Hancock), the re-signing of Hamlin, a 2021 sixth-round pick, provides a veteran touch. His 185 tackles across 51 career games show he can be more than just a leader; he can be a reliable contributor on defense and special teams when called upon.

Despite bringing stability to the secondary depth, injuries have plagued Hamlin’s career. In December 2022, he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing against the Cincinnati Bengals. Last season, he suffered a pectoral injury, limiting him to just three games.

However, Hamlin will also prove valuable as a special teams member. Last season, he was part of almost 35% of the team’s special teams snaps.

For Damar, this one-year deal is a chance to prove his on-field value can finally overshadow the memory of a costly mistake and a career-threatening injury, but the pressure will be on from day one.