Buffalo Bills: 4 questions at defensive end entering training camp

Can Mario Addison replace Shaq Lawson’s production?

One of the big changes at defensive end this offseason was the Buffalo Bills letting Shaq Lawson leave in free agency but replaced him with Mario Addison. The former Carolina Panther defensive end has been a player that seems to fly under the radar but is as steady as they come.

Over the past six seasons, Addison has had at least six sacks every year and that total increases over the past four years when he had at least nine or more sacks.

The concern for Addison is that he is towards the end of his career and will turn 33 years old days before the 2020 season. While he has been consistent, the question is does he start to see a decline in production.

It will also be interesting to see if Addison gets enough snaps to reach those sack totals. In the last three seasons with the Panthers, Addison played at least 65% of the snaps. However, the Bills have good depth and they could rotate players more, combined with his age, the coaching staff may try to manage his snaps to keep him fresh over the course of the year.

If Jerry Hughes is the most important defensive end, Addison is a close second, in players who will impact production at the position.