Breaking; Bills Part Ways With Once-Promising OL After Injury Setbacks
Tommy Doyle, an offensive lineman with a lot of potential in the beginning but whose career was hindered by injuries, is being bid farewell by the Buffalo Bills.
On June 4, the team declared that they had enlisted Shayne Simon – an undrafted rookie linebacker while categorizing Doyle as waived/injured. The lineman who is currently of age 26 incurred two season-ending injuries; one being a knee injury last August which brought his seasons to an abrupt end before it even began.
Injuries derailed Tommy Doyle’s promising beginning.
In 2021, Doyle was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round and made an appearance in his rookie season for eleven games. He landed a touchdown pass during their playoff victory against New England Patriots with a score of 47-17. Unfortunately, after tearing his ACL during September’s defeat to Miami Dolphins in 2022, Doyle had to end his second professional year prematurely.
Sean McDermott, the head coach of Bills, informed journalists that Doyle returned to play further before comprehending how serious his injury was.
“After the game, I spoke with Tommy knowing he had a potential knee or leg injury,” recalled head coach Sean McDermott. “I checked in on him during our flight home and he assured me that it was nothing serious. However, the next morning, our training staff informed me that his ACL was torn and he would be out for the remainder of the season.”
Doyle underwent rehabilitation for the rest of that season and made a comeback during last year’s training camp. Unfortunately, he sustained another injury in a preseason loss against Pittsburgh Steelers which ended his season once again according to McDermott’s statement reported by journalists.
Although the Bills bid farewell to veteran center Mitch Morse, they have bolstered their offensive line in this offseason by picking up some additional talent. They opted for UCF offensive tackle Tylan Grable with a sixth-round draft pick and secured signings of experienced players Will Clapp and La’el Collins.
Travis Clayton, a prominent British boxer and rugby player who joined the team via the league’s International Player Pathway Program, was also an investment for the long term. The Bills utilized a seventh-round selection to draft him as he expressed his eagerness towards acquiring knowledge about functioning as an offensive lineman.
“Football allows me to express myself physically,” Clayton shared via the official website of his team after being drafted. “As an offensive lineman, I can legally release my frustration towards others and it feels amazing. Utilizing my strength is a great advantage for me.”
The Linebacker Position Gets Strengthened with the Addition of Bills’ Depth.
By letting Doyle go, the Bills made room for Simon to become a part of the team after impressing during his minicamp audition. Although he was extensively sought-after as a recruit in college, as highlighted by Kyle Silagyi from SI.com, injuries posed some challenges for Simon along the way.
Silagyi reported that Simon, who was a highly sought-after recruit with four stars coming out of high school and originally pledged to attend Notre Dame, recorded 26 tackles and five pass deflections while playing for the Fighting Irish. Unfortunately, his 2021 season ended abruptly due to a shoulder injury during their first game which prompted him to transfer schools before joining Pittsburgh in preparation for the upcoming campaign in 2022. Despite this setback from his previous team, he emerged as an influential linebacker for the Panthers by accumulating impressive numbers– registering a total of 94 tackles along with eight successful passes defended and seven sacks over two seasons.”
