Per Nyup, Dorian Williams is starting at MLB

[jamze132]

It’s OTAs. If he starting at MLB in training camp, I’ll take notice.

[Woodman]

Oh will you now.

[Albany,n.y.]

Interesting, usually McDermott likes to ease rookies in. Maybe he's changed his ways

I think that's a myth, which is perpetuated due to lower round picks being kept & developed (after the 3rd round, most picks are developmental players and the Bills have kept a lot of later rounders, especially when the team was being built) veteran depth at key positions which keeps rookies on the bench, and some mediocre draft picks like Epenesa & Basham. When there is a need for a new starter & a rookie shows something, McDermott puts him in.

[DraftBoy]

Not a huge surprise considering we did nothing else at LB and none of the other options are worth considering as starters.

Lots of pressure for a rookie, but we’ll see.

[Night Train]

It’s OTAs. If he starting at MLB in training camp, I’ll take notice.

Plus the media is getting just a few minutes to view the workouts. They are rotating others in to test, according to Chris Brown on the local Bills show. These are padless walk thru's for the purpose of playbook instruction. I'm rooting for all of them. The next test will be mini-camp in a couple weeks.

[YardRat]

He's the same size and guys like Leonard, Warner, Roquan Smith, Kendricks, Wagner (height-wise) and White. And he's faster than all of them.

Every single one of those guys on the list is taller, heavier, or in half of the cases both. An inch or two and five-ten pounds is not insignificant.

[swiper]

Every single one of those guys on the list is taller, heavier, or in half of the cases both. An inch or two and five-ten pounds is not insignificant.

C'mon. You know better. Many of these LBers come in on the light side. It's what the trainers are for. He may grow another inch and put on 10 to 15 lbs without too much trouble. Not worried about his measurables.

[GreedoII]

is 17 starting week 1? All I care about

[Goobylal]

This is a laughable take. As if McD didn't have direct input on defense before.

Also, how would any professional stand out / suck in week one of volunteer OTAs?

In this case it's less about Williams standing-out/sucking than hearing that he will be playing MLB and not OLB like where Beane was all but assuring us he'd start off. And that's a good thing because MLB is a huge void and he's the most talented of the prospects.

[Goobylal]

C'mon. You know better. Many of these LBers come in on the light side. It's what the trainers are for. He may grow another inch and put on 10 to 15 lbs without too much trouble. Not worried about his measurables.

This. Williams will easily be able to add 5-8 lbs like the other guys did.

[JoeMama]

Interesting. Williams lacks Edmunds' size, but he's obviously fast and reportedly very football smart. There have been other small MLBs who have been successful so hopefully Williams can continue in that mold.

True.

London Fletcher immediately comes to mind.

High football IQ and good tackling form can allow even traditionally undersized MLBs to flourish.

[Bill Cody]

Williams is 6' 1". Please recall that London Fletcher was an incredible MLB who was only 5' 10".

William's size is fine. Edmunds had size, but was not good as a player.

We'll see. Williams is yet to take a snap. Not ready to make the mold for Canton yet.

[cookie G]

idk...I think I remember Beane saying they'd try him on the outside first, because they didn't want to throw too much at him. McD has other ideas. As he said, "we'll see how it goes".

As others have said, its OTA's. You aren't going to know until opening day.

As far as a player and a daft choice, I like him. And probably like him more since the draft. 2 people whose opinions I trust really like him. Merk, the Range draft guru, is in love with him. Greg Cosell, one of the few commentators who actually watches game tape, really likes him. In particular, he commented that Williams plays bigger than his size. He quickly noted that he thinks Bernard looks like he plays smaller than his size.

When watching non-highlight games of him, I'm not seeing him get blown out very often. More often, much more often...he gets his long arms extended and disengages from a block pretty quick. Again, we'll see.

But when he plays, he's going to make rookie mistakes. But he's also going to make some plays, both in run support and against he pass. He'll turn some heads. I don't think he's going to be the massive hole in the D some think he's going to be.

And most important of all, he's going to be surrounded by talent on D.

Again, you have a D stacked with 1st and second rounders to build this perfect D. I'll take a quality player like Williams late in the third, over using a 1st AND a 3rd on an under performing Edmunds any day.

I like what they did in the 1st 3 rounds, although Torrence falling in the 2nd was more luck than anything.

But I'd much prefer taking a weapon on offense and much needed protection for Allen than wasting more 1st and 2nd round picks in this futile attempt to create a dominant defense.

[Goobylal]

idk...I think I remember Beane saying they'd try him on the outside first, because they didn't want to throw too much at him. McD has other ideas. As he said, "we'll see how it goes".

As others have said, its OTA's. You aren't going to know until opening day.

As far as a player and a daft choice, I like him. And probably like him more since the draft. 2 people whose opinions I trust really like him. Merk, the Range draft guru, is in love with him. Greg Cosell, one of the few commentators who actually watches game tape, really likes him. In particular, he commented that Williams plays bigger than his size. He quickly noted that he thinks Bernard looks like he plays smaller than his size.

When watching non-highlight games of him, I'm not seeing him get blown out very often. More often, much more often...he gets his long arms extended and disengages from a block pretty quick. Again, we'll see.

But when he plays, he's going to make rookie mistakes. But he's also going to make some plays, both in run support and against he pass. He'll turn some heads. I don't think he's going to be the massive hole in the D some think he's going to be.

And most important of all, he's going to be surrounded by talent on D.

Again, you have a D stacked with 1st and second rounders to build this perfect D. I'll take a quality player like Williams late in the third, over using a 1st AND a 3rd on an under performing Edmunds any day.

I like what they did in the 1st 3 rounds, although Torrence falling in the 2nd was more luck than anything.

But I'd much prefer taking a weapon on offense and much needed protection for Allen than wasting more 1st and 2nd round picks in this futile attempt to create a dominant defense.

The MLB calls the defensive plays. That's probably what Beane was referring to when talking about "throw too much at him." I opined above that he must have shown a good grasp of the playbook, allowing them to move him to MLB.

[sukie]

Hard to have a “middle” with 2 linebackers on the field.

plays bigger than his size… how did Edmunds play?

[jamze132]

I’d love to see them give Spector a legit shot.

[swiper]

We'll see. Williams is yet to take a snap. Not ready to make the mold for Canton yet.

All we need him to do is be better than Edmunds. That's a low bar.

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I’d love to see them give Spector a legit shot.

I thought Spector was being groomed to be Milano's back-up, no?

[notacon]

As usual, Joe B. provides a very unbiased, insightful and intelligent early analysis of the Bills’ OTA and how Dorian Williams might fit in...

Dorian Williams gets early work at MLB

When the Bills initially drafted linebacker Williams in the third round this year, general manager Brandon Beane said that they would likely begin with Williams taking reps at outside linebacker. But only a few weeks later, that initial diagnosis has flipped, as McDermott revealed they began OTAs with Williams working at middle linebacker. It’s a significant development due to the departure of Tremaine Edmunds and with a starting job open next to outside linebacker Milano. With Williams placed in that distinction, at least early during OTAs, that puts him right in the middle of a five-man battle for that starting gig.

Williams is the closest skill set and body type to Edmunds of all the combatants, potentially giving the team the arm length and fluid movement skills that Edmunds provided last year. But practicing at the position and thinking he’ll walk into the starting role as a rookie are two very different things. It would be unfair to expect a late third-round pick to immediately work in ahead of other players who have been in the defensive scheme for longer. But it’s a smart move to see what he can do at middle linebacker in the early stages because it provides another possibility, rather than being pigeon-holed to one of the other options because they elected against finding out how Williams could do with those responsibilities. It’s wise to keep expectations in check for the rookie, but this is an encouraging early sign of their plan for him.

First OTA’s does not a season make. Still a LONG way to go. McDermott will most likely rotate LB’s into that spot, like he did last year at CB. Dodson, AJ Klein and Bernard will get their chances to compete.

Dodson and Klein will get plenty of playing time because of their years long experience with the defense.

[Cali512]

All we need him to do is be better than Edmunds. That's a low bar.

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I thought Spector was being groomed to be Milano's back-up, no?

I think you mean Bernard. Spector is a traditional MLB

[Woodman]

I have high hopes for Spector.

I see BALLHAWK written all over him.