The Buffalo Bills have rounded out their 90-man roster through the NFL draft and free agency, but could have room to make some new additions when the post-June 1 cuts hit the open market.
The team has paid special attention to the defensive line, with the unit undergoing some major changes during the transition from head coach Sean McDermott to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. The Bills could face the opportunity to add a veteran run stopper in the coming week, an NFL analyst suggested.
Bills Could Monitor Bobby Brown III as Defensive Line Addition
In an article outlining some potential additions the Bills could make with the new crop of players hitting the open market, SI.com’s Randy Gurzi suggested the team make a run at defensive tackle Bobby Brown III.
Gurzi noted that Brown has excelled in the past at run defense, an area of weakness for the Bills over the past several seasons. Brown is coming off a difficult year with the Carolina Panthers, which could allow the Bills to pick him up at a discount.
“After signing a three-year, $21 million deal last offseason, Bobby Brown III was unable to live up to expectations,” Gurzi wrote. “He started just five games and had 31 tackles and had a run-defense grade of just 57.8. There’s still hope, especially since Brown was a top-20 run defender during the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Rams.”
Gurzi added that Brown could be a perfect fit for the Bills.
“He may need a change of scenery, and the Bills need run defenders. That’s why they should monitor Brown’s status,” Gurzi wrote.
The Bills struggled to contain the run last season, especially against top running backs. The team generally emphasized smaller, more mobile defensive linemen under McDermott, but have added more size under Leonhard and his 3-4 base defense.
Bills Defensive Lineman Makes Big Change
The Bills will get another boost to their defensive line with the return of DeWayne Carter, the 2024 draft pick who missed last season due to injury. Carter told reporters at OTAs that he added 30 pounds and is slated to move over to nose guard for the coming season.
“So, I’m anywhere between 325 to 330 [pounds],” Carter said. “I’m expecting myself to play around 320, 325. And then, expectations overall, I mean, I don’t really have any. I just take it day by day and obviously know different goals and stuff I have in my head and with my coaches. But at the end of the day, I’m taking it day by day.”
Deone Walker, who had a strong rookie season as a defensive tackle, is also slated to move to the interior under Leonhard’s defense.
The team’s edge rushing group will also see the return of Michael Hoecht, who suffered a torn Achilles in just his second game back from a suspension last season. Hoecht had a significant impact in the games he was able to play, giving the team hope on the edge after losing some key pieces. The Bills allowed edge rushers A.J. Epenesa and Joey Bosa to hit free agency.
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