Orchard Park, NY – Buffalo Bills rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen has made the team’s initial 53-man roster after a standout performance during the preseason, a source told Syracuse.com.
Andreessen finished third in the NFL in total tackles (24) during the preseason and made a splash against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. Andreessen finished with 12 tackles (a game-high) and two tackles for loss in Buffalo’s 9-3 victory.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said Andreessen did a phenomenal job against the Steelers.
“What a story for Buffalo and for all the young football players in Buffalo,” he said. “They have a chance to see this young man playing for the Buffalo Bills, his hometown team. … I know how hard he works in the summer and what football means to him. When we named him the starter, it was, hey, we’ll see what he can do. It wasn’t too much for him. He went out there and made plays and was very impressed with what he did.”
The Bills received terrible news before their game against the Steelers when All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano suffered a torn bicep during training camp. McDermott kept several starters on the field against Pittsburgh, opening the door for Andreessen behind a defensive line led by Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau. Andreessen flew around the line of scrimmage and botched several running plays.
Andreessen went undrafted out of the University at Buffalo in April and received an invitation to try out for the Bills’ rookie minicamp. He performed well during the week and signed an official contract before Organized Team Activities (OTAs) began.
On Sunday, the Bills showed their strengths when they released veteran Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones, who had little impact in Buffalo this summer. Andreesen overtook him in the rankings, taking the veteran’s final linebacker job.
The Bills have built a small pipeline between their team and the local University of Buffalo. Cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram and safety Cam Lewis are expected to join the team after spending parts of the last three seasons in Buffalo.
Andreessen has played both the middle and weakside linebacker positions for the Bills since joining the team. Against the Steelers, he played middle linebacker in place of Terrel Bernard, who had the night off. Second-year linebacker Dorian Williams is expected to fill in for Milano at the weakside linebacker position when the season begins in less than two weeks against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bills could make more roster moves once the initial 53-man roster is finalized. Other teams are releasing players and some of those players could be of interest to general manager Brandon Beane. The final 53-man roster likely won’t be finalized until later this week.
