When fully healthy, linebacker Shaq Thompson was considered one of the better off-ball linebackers in the NFC for the Carolina Panthers.
Originally a first-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, Thompson found great success early in his career playing with future Hall-of-Famer Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.
And ...
As Thompson's career took off, so did the popularity of his first defensive coordinator.
After signing a free agent deal with the Bills this week, Thompson is again playing for that same coordinator turned head coach.
Sean McDermott was the Panthers' defensive play-caller during Thompson's first two seasons in Carolina. He signed Thompson to a free-agent deal this week to help bolster the linebacker room.
Now, almost nine years after the two began working together, the teacher and pupil are reunited in Buffalo.
“This is the defense I grew up in," said Thompson during minicamp. "This is the defense in 2015, when I got drafted, this is the defense that I had to learn, so the biggest thing is just terminology for me."
Thompson has typically been a 100-tackle player over the years but has struggled with injuries in the last two seasons. With a veteran like Matt Milano dealing with his injury issues on the Bills, Buffalo hopes the former Panther can provide important depth to their defense.
If he was anything like his first go-around with McDermott, the Bills will have a quality linebacker coming off the bench for one of the better units in the league.
It's a good problem to have.