'Just Work!' Bills DE A.J. Epenesa Ready For Breakout Season

Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa is entering a contract year, but his priorities haven't changed.

Fourth-year defensive end A.J. Epenesa is entering the final year of his contract with the Buffalo Bills. This comes at a good time, as Epenesa could be due for a breakout season.

"[The contract] is always lingering because I want to stay here and play football and be in Buffalo," Epenesa said after a practice. "The reality of it is that it's a business. I'm just trying to keep my mind straight and keep my mind forward, just put my nose the grindstone and just work."

Epenesa has a level of awareness about his situation and this season, and this will benefit when putting together a potential campaign that could earn him another contract with Buffalo or elsewhere. Toward the start of training camp, head coach and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott explained that Epenesa is "dialed in."

"Towards last year I was starting to take a step in my game, I was starting to progress a little bit," Epenesa said. "This year, this camp has all been taking more steps, playing with more confidence, playing with more swagger and just get my level of productivity up."

If the defense is going to maximize its talents, Epenesa and the pass-rush will be in the middle of it. Last year, the Buffalo pass-rush was average, and that can't happen again if the Bills are serious about contending for a Super Bowl.

Epenesa, 24, has nine sacks in his three years played, with 6.5 of those sacks coming just last season. He's tacked on 16 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 23 QB hits over the course of his career. 

Epenesa's growth alongside the addition of Leonard Floyd are both going to be incredibly important for the Bills defense and pass-rush elevating to an elite level, and it will look good for Epenesa's case to get the contract extension he wants.

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