The Buffalo Bills will be forced to wait until October to see a pair of key free agent acquisitions take the field, and the NFL is coming under fire for its decision that led to the delay.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters on Friday that two recent additions to the defensive line — former Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Michael Hoecht and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi — had been handed six-game suspensions by the NFL for violating the rules against performance-enhancing drugs.
While Beane said Hoecht informed the team of the impending suspension, the punishment to Ogunjobi came as a surprise. That has led to some criticism of the NFL for not informing teams ahead of time that a failed drug test was looming, putting the Bills in a tough spot in free agency.
Bills Face Difficult Position
Both Hoecht and Ogunjobi will be able to spend training camp with the Bills, but will be forced to remain away from the team through the first six weeks of the season, only returning at the start of Week 7. Though the Bills will be able to wait until October to make a decision on roster spots for both players — either releasing them or adding them to the 53-man roster at that point — it could leave them in a difficult position.
Both Hoecht and Ogunjobi were expected to play a role in the team’s defensive line rotation, which could force the Bills now to make more moves either in free agency or the upcoming NFL draft to fill the holes.
As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reported, the positive test for Ogunjobi already put the Bills in a difficult position as they had agreed to terms but did not yet finalize the contract.
“Ogunjobi ‘s test he only found out about this week and the Bills did not know about before agreeing to terms,” Getzenberg shared in a post on X. “Caused a delay in his contract, which still hasn’t been signed but will be. Hoecht’s PED test the Bills already knew about before agreeing to terms.”
The league is facing some criticism for the delay in informing the Bills. Reporter Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 noted that the league does not have a protocol for informing teams.
“OK, so the way I understand it is there is no required disclosure to the rest of the league, teams, GMs, etc. for any player who is facing discipline for a positive PED test,” Capaccio shared in a post on X. “No database or anything like that. The only entities that know are the player himself and the team he is currently under contract to. Even if that player is or becomes a free agent, it is up to them if they want to disclose the situation.”
That left many fans frustrated with the NFL.
“How does the @NFL not tell every GM before the start of free agency the list of players who will be handed down suspensions? That seems so backwards,” noted a Bills fan in a post on X.
Bills Could Have Another Option Looming
While the suspensions could leave the Bills shorthanded on their defensive line, Beane noted there was still another option. The team released veteran edge rusher Von Miller prior to the start of free agency, but Beane said the Bills would be open to a reunion if the contract terms were right.
“”We just decided where the salary was to take a step back,” Beane told reporters on March 14, adding, “We never closed the door whether it’s now or later in the spring or in-season.”
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