The Bills are enjoying a solid start to their offseason, but they will be losing a player who has spent the last six seasons in Buffalo.
Bills Lose A.J. Epenesa to the Cleveland Browns
According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Browns have signed former Bills pass rusher A.J. Epenesa to a one-year deal worth $5 million.
“Former Bills DE A.J. Epenesa is signing a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Cleveland Browns, per source,” Schefter wrote on Tuesday on X.
The Bills selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa, and he has played a valuable role in Buffalo over the past six seasons.
In his 91 career games, Epenesa recorded 135 combined tackles, 24 sacks and 29 tackles for loss.
Epenesa signed a two-year deal with the Bills after his rookie contract expired in the 2024 offseason, but it appeared that Buffalo was not keen on bringing him back for another season.
Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Epenesa as the 87th-best edge rusher out of 115 players. While he had a decent pass rush ranking at 63rd, his run defense performance fell short, coming in at 105th overall.
There was a chance that the Bills might have considered bringing Epenesa back after he didn’t sign with any team during the first week of free agency. However, it seems that the new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, might not have thought he would be a good fit for the defense.
Buffalo Agreed to a Deal With Bradley Chubb
The Bills have already made strides on the defensive line this offseason by bringing in former Miami Dolphins pass rusher Bradley Chubb.
Miami released Chubb at the beginning of the new league season after he spent three and a half seasons with the Dolphins.
The Denver Broncos selected Chubb in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has performed well throughout his seven seasons in the league. Yet he missed all of 2024 due to an ACL injury.
In 90 career games, Chubb recorded 48 sacks and 53 tackles for loss, making him a potentially great addition to the Bills. Buffalo is taking a significant gamble by signing him to a three-year, $43.5 million deal with $29 million guaranteed, since he will turn 30 this year, and a lot of pass rushers start to fall off at that age.
The Bills may have slightly overpaid for Chubb, but he believes he’s a perfect fit for Buffalo. He also told reporters that he sees himself as the key piece who can help the Bills finally reach the next level.
“I feel like I’m one of those pieces to help us get over the hump,” Chubb said on Thursday, via SB Nations John Boccacino. “That’s the reason I came here, man. Just to be a part of something that can be special. I’m not promising we’re gonna win the Super Bowl. I’m not promising we’re gonna do all this, but I feel like, what I’ve seen in the past, what I know I bring to the table, I feel like it’s a great mix.”
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