The Buffalo Bills have long valued special teams, dating back to head coach Marv Levy’s famous assessment— that it is, after all, one-third of the game. So it was different last season when the team’s coverage and return units struggled so mightily. As a result, the Bills have prioritized the oft-forgotten third of the game this offseason.
The special-teams units are mostly populated with backups, and linebackers are among the most popular backups to appear on coverage units. Given their athletic profile, this makes perfect sense. It also means that more players have a chance to make the team for their special-teams ability.