The Buffalo Bills relied on their Carolina connection to make their latest player acquisition Tuesday.
Shortly before the start of the Bills鈥 three-day, mandatory minicamp, the team announced that it had signed linebacker Shaq Thompson.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane both were in Carolina when the Panthers selected Thompson in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.
鈥淩eally, really good player,鈥 McDermott said of Thompson. 鈥淭ough, smart. He鈥檚 been through some injuries over the course of the last few years, so that鈥檚 been hard to watch from a distance. 鈥 But when you talk about a player that can play more than one position, you talk about a player that can help create a certain toughness or bring a certain toughness with him, nastiness to a defense, to a team, he鈥檚 all about the right stuff as a player and a person.鈥
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To McDermott鈥檚 point, Thompson鈥檚 career has been derailed by injuries over the past two seasons. A broken fibula ended his 2023 season in Week 2, and a torn Achilles ended his 2024 season in Week 4.
New Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson participates in Tuesday鈥檚 minicamp. Thompson joins Buffalo after 10 seasons with the Panthers.
The Panthers announced in February that they would not bring back Thompson. He was one of only two players remaining from the 2015 Carolina team that went 15-1 and lost in the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos. McDermott served as the Panthers鈥 defensive coordinator then, while Beane was the team鈥檚 assistant general manager and Al Holcomb, the Bills鈥 current linebackers coach, held the same position for Carolina.
Thompson has stayed in touch with all three of them throughout his career, which made Buffalo a natural next stop in his NFL journey.
鈥淚鈥檝e been there with them in 2015 in Carolina, so kind of just always had that bond there,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou know, I was a young pup back in the day. Now 11 years, seasoned vet, so time is coming around. 鈥 It鈥檚 crazy to see all the stuff that they were teaching back then is still implemented now.鈥
Thompson鈥檚 470 solo tackles rank fourth in Panthers history. In the era of unrestricted free agency, very few players stay in one spot for a full decade, which speaks to Thompson鈥檚 value. Asked to describe what the Bills are getting in him on the field, he listed the attributes:
鈥淧hysical. Downhill. Violent. Leadership. Encouraging others. Tone setter. Trash talker,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a team guy first, right? I want my teammates to eat, whether that鈥檚 me blitzing and sacrificing myself for somebody else to make a play.鈥
He participated on a very limited basis in Tuesday鈥檚 minicamp practice, saying afterward that he expects to be able to practice without limitations once training camp starts next month at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford.
It鈥檚 safe to say he won鈥檛 need a long time to learn the defense, referring to it Tuesday as the one he grew up in.
鈥淭he biggest thing is just terminology for me, but everything is what I learned in the first five years of my career,鈥 he said.
Thompson has played just six games over the past two seasons, but is determined not to let his career come to an end because of an injury.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just a mindset thing for me,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 want to end on my terms. 鈥 God had a plan for me, you know, whether it was there or not there. He had a plan for me and I guess I鈥檓 here where his plan was. So I鈥檓 happy to be here.鈥
Nonparticipants
The Bills had a number of players who did not participate in Tuesday鈥檚 practice because of various, unspecified injuries. The list included running back Ty Johnson, center Connor McGovern, wide receiver K.J. Hamler, defensive end Joey Bosa, linebacker Baylon Spector and defensive backs Damar Hamlin, Cole Bishop and Cam Lewis. Cornerback Taron Johnson wore a red, noncontact jersey, but was able to participate on a limited basis.
McDermott said he did not anticipate any of those players missing the start of training camp because of what they are dealing with currently.
Andreessen makes pick
Quarterback Josh Allen was intercepted three times during Tuesday鈥檚 practice, with linebacker Joe Andreessen getting the first one.
鈥淚 think everyone knows this is a passing league,鈥 Andreessen said. We 鈥渢alk about it day in, day out, in defensive unit meetings. The ball is where you make money in this league. So, taking the ball away is a big key in our room 鈥 whether it鈥檚 fumbles or punching the ball out or making plays on the ball in the air.鈥
Cornerback Christian Benford intercepted Allen on a throw intended for Joshua Palmer on the first play of 11-on-11 drills, safety Darrick Forrest stepped in front of tight end Dalton Kincaid for the third pick.
Andreessen, the Depew native, also had an impressive pass defensed on a throw intended for tight end Dawson Knox.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a flood concept. We鈥檙e getting seven, and it鈥檚 a hard play, I guess, for the (middle linebacker), but it鈥檚 a play that we want the MIKE to make here,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to push and make a play on it, and, you know, trying to pick it off next time.鈥
Wide receiver Tyrell Shavers had an up-and-down practice. He wasn鈥檛 able to make a contested catch in front of Benford, but later in practice made a nice catch on a throw from backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky during a hurry-up drill toward the end of practice.
The Bills will be back on the practice field at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
