Have Bills Completed Key Rotational Makeover Before Draft?

Von Miller and Greg Rousseau are back, but the Buffalo Bills have rearranged their defensive ends rotation thus fare this offseason.
Buffalo Bills v Philadelphia Eagles
Buffalo Bills v Philadelphia Eagles / Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

It's only March, but the Buffalo Bills' edge rusher rotation appears set and ready.

Heading into the offseason with only two experienced defensive ends - Von Miller and Greg Rousseau - under contract, Buffalo made a pair of moves to form a quartet that will likely share snaps in 2024.

First, the Bills re-signed 2020 second-round draft pick AJ Epenesa. Next, general manager Brandon Beane and Co. inked Washington Commanders' free agent Casey Toohill.

Epenesa and Toohill are two tall, high-motor pass rushers on the upward trend. After a combined 2.5 sacks over his first two seasons, the 25-year-old Epenesa registered 6.5 sacks each of the past two years. Toohill, a seventh-rounder from the 2020 draft class, saw his snap count increase by approximately 30 percent while recording a career-high 5.0 sacks this past fall.

Von Miller
AFC Divisional Playoffs - Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills / Timothy T Ludwig/GettyImages

Both men fit well as rotational players who will spell Miller and Rousseau. Buffalo could opt to insert a fifth member into the in-game rotation, especially considering the 35-year-old Miller isn't expected to routinely exceed 30-35 snaps per game at most.

Although Leonard Floyd and his 10.5 sacks left for San Francisco in free agency, veteran Shaw Lawson is still unsigned and may be willing to return on a team-friendly deal.

There's also the possibility of adding a Day 3 draft pick to the mix, or perhaps there's an opportunity for a late-spring bargain similar to the one-year contracts that Floyd and defensive tackle Poona Ford signed last spring.

Versatile defensive lineman Austin Johnson reportedly made a free agent visit to Buffalo on Thursday, but the former Los Angeles Chargers' starter has spent most of his NFL career playing on the interior.

In terms of defensive ends, the Bills also have undrafted reserve Kingsley Jonathan on the 90-man roster along with Kameron Cline, who spent the 2023 campaign on the team's Practice Squad.

Barring a possible tweak, or two, moving forward, the Bills seem content with the altered stable of edge rushers.


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