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[Buffalo Bills]

Bills sign former Panther first-round pick who played for Sean McDermott

Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

The former first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers is coming of an Achilles injury.

The Buffalo Bills have signed another former Carolina Panthers defender who played for head coach Sean McDermott when he was the defensive coordinator in Charlotte. This one is a former first-round pick, to boot, as the Bills have signed linebacker Shaq Thompson.

Thompson recently turned 31 and as with a lot of players as they age, he’s recently dealt with a ton of injuries. In 2024, he played in four games before suffering a torn Achilles. In 2023, he broke his fibula in the second week of the season and missed the rest of the year. He did play 14 or more games in every previous NFL season.

The move comes as the Bills open mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and puts the team at the maximum of 91 players on the active roster.

Thompson was a first-round pick in 2015 and spent his entire career with the Panthers, first under Ron Rivera (with McDermott as DC), then Matt Rhule, Frank Reich, and Dave Canales. He was a rookie the year the team lost the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos.

His list of accomplishments is very long. He is one of eight NFL players with four straight 100+ tackle seasons in his career.

Which Buffalo Bills players could the Shaq Thompson signing impact?​

The move could be a direct replacement option for LB Baylon Spector, who has struggled in the lineup in his limited action. The Bills didn’t add a linebacker this offseason, which I thought was odd, but this seems to address that depth piece.

With Matt Milano aging and fighting off injuries, the Bills only had Dorian Williams as solid depth last year. So when Terrel Bernard was also sidelined, it caught up to the Bills quickly.

Especially as the Bills may be looking to add beef more often with three linebackers instead of playing a base nickel, adding a linebacker who can give impactful snaps is desireably.

More to come...

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...ign-lb-shaq-thompson-former-carolina-panthers

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Bills Mafia remain clear about Buffalo’s receiving and D-line concerns

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

WR or TE? DT or DE/EDGE? Which positions remain the biggest question marks on offense and defense weeks before training camp begins?

We asked, and you answered, Rumblers! Last week in a continued partnership with FanDuel Sportsbook, we wanted to know what you believe to be the Buffalo Bills’ biggest question marks regarding the passing game and along the defensive line. Though there may be other positions of concern, these buckets represent a huge chunk of the pie still missing from the oven.

Did the Bills boast an incredible league-leading scoring offense in 2024? Absolutely (hello, Josh Allen, James Cook, and Tyler Bass). But did the passing game look like a work in progress too often at times? That may trend believable given the way general manager Brandon Beane chose to once again overhaul the receiving game during the 2025 offseason.

To say there have been growing pains since losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis might be an understatement. Yet why, when it seemed clear to everyone that 12 personnel (2TE sets) was going to be all the rage with offensive coordinator Joe Brady? Obviously, Bills Mafia knows how things went with the tight end room last season, and it should have most fans confused about the coming campaign. The same is likely true of the wide receivers outside of Khalil Shakir.

But which position among the two is Buffalo’s biggest question mark heading into training camp in late July? Based on Reacts votes, wide receiver is the biggest unknown, with 71% of voters voting that way, while just 29% see it tight end as the biggest question mark on offense. It’s true that the depth chart remains largely unchanged at tight end, but does the position truly feel settled? Are you ready to put all your chips in on the outcome of this survey?

What about the defensive line? What did voters see as the Bills’ biggest question mark between defensive end / edge rusher and defensive tackle? Is it a surprise the majority of voters (62%) said defensive tackle is the biggest unknown heading into the season? Just 38% of votes went to the edge of the defensive line.

What is true is that all parties along Buffalo’s d-line need to prove capable of showing up during the biggest moments of a game, the highest-stakes points of a season. Until that happens, it’s likely the Bills continue exiting the playoffs earlier than most believe is befitting of a team led by Josh Allen.

Get in the game this season with FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of Buffalo Rumblings and SB Nation!

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...ng-and-d-line-concerns-clear-with-bills-mafia

 

[Buffalo Bills]

Bills rookie CB Maxwell Hairston injured during mandatory minicamp on Wednesday

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

No, the sky isn’t falling — but injuries are popping up at One Bills Drive.

Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston was reportedly injured late during Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp session, per Alex Brasky. Hairston had to leave the field after suffering a lower body injury during team drills.

Brasky reported that Hairston was seen being worked on by athletic trainers, and “appeared to be testing the function and strength of his left knee area.” In the video below shared by Brasky, you can see Hairston talking with trainers and pointing to his lower leg.

Based on the area they’re motioning to, could be popliteal muscle issue or medial calf strain.

Potential for distal hamstring as well.

Don’t see concern for Achilles & walking pattern supports that coming off. https://t.co/wrlYsRRc08

— Banged Up Bills (@BangedUpBills) June 11, 2025​

As noted by Dr. Kyle Trimble of Banged Up Bills fame (and Buffalo Rumblings alumnus) in response to Brasky’s tweet:

“Based on the area they’re motioning to, could be popliteal muscle issue or medial calf strain. Potential for distal hamstring as well. Don’t see concern for Achilles & walking pattern supports that coming off.”

While this news is less than ideal, it is early in the process — summer hasn’t even officially started yet and the depth chart isn’t set for many positions. We’re still so early in the process that our photo databases don’t even have photos of Hairston in Bills gear or on the field.

However, we saw what missing time early and often meant for safety Cole Bishop as his rookie season was just underway. Hopefully this is a minor setback for Hairston and he doesn’t have to miss much time moving forward.

Source: https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...njured-during-mandatory-minicamp-on-wednesday