Bills Sign Seahawks Ex DT Poona Ford on Bargain Deal

The Buffalo Bills have bolstered the middle of their defensive line by signing former Seattle Seahawks nose tackle Poona Ford.

The Buffalo Bills have made another key addition to the squad, one that shares similarly strong championship aspirations.

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford is headed to the opposite end of the country for the 2023 season, as he'll be signing with the Bills, per reports Tuesday from NFL Network. Joining the team on a one-year deal, he'll reportedly take less money with the Bills in order to give himself the best shot at winning a Super Bowl, NFL's Tom Pelissero said.

"One of the top free agents still available, Ford turned down more money elsewhere to try to win a ring in Buffalo," he wrote. "A big (literally) post-draft addition for Sean McDermott’s defense."

Bills general manager Brandon Beane wasn't kidding when he hinted at potentially adding a veteran on defense after the draft.

“Maybe we’ll see if there’s a veteran out there,” Beane said. “I think we’ll have a chance to add at least one veteran.”

The Bills win big by adding a player of Ford's talent on a bargain. While being consistently available over the past few seasons, he's also totaled 182 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four passes defended in 76 career games.

It had been reported in March that the Bills were a team to watch for Ford, as they had reportedly "expressed interest" in the former Texas Longhorn, per reports from Syracuse.com.

"Per source, the Bills have expressed interest in DT Poona Ford," the report said. "... Making the financials work on a player of Ford's caliber could be the tricky part."

The financial part has now been made easier on the Bills since Ford is taking less than what he possibly could've made on a team with a longer shot at contending.

Per Spotrac, Ford's market value could have currently be worth around $9.2 million per year, which might've been too steep for the Bills. However, it's currently unknown just how much he's signing on for.

Regardless, the Bills are adding a true weapon to a defensive front that already features Von Miller and Greg Rousseau, providing opposing offenses with some scary sights to deal with.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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