Starter: Jerry Hughes
Starting at the right defensive end will be Jerry Hughes, the 10-year veteran has spent his last 7 seasons with the Bills and has been a mainstay starter at defensive end.
Coming off one of his least productive seasons in Buffalo with just 4.5 sacks in 16 games, age could have been a contributing factor as he will be 32 years old this season but I believe that’s not the case. The Bills brand new training facility has allowed players to play through injuries and that seemed to be the case for Hughes, as he went through two offseason surgeries in the offseason.
Per Jerry Hughes’ wife, Jerry is in Philadelphia to receive groin surgery. His second surgery of the offseason (wrist.) #Bills pic.twitter.com/tUMg83U9TC
— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) February 20, 2020
Hughes, despite battling multiple injuries would end up having his best game of the season against the Houston Texans in the playoffs, where he sacked Deshaun Watson 3 times.
A fully healthy Hughes to begin 2020 will be a welcomed sight for the Buffalo Bills, and he should return to his old form.
Starter: Mario Addison
The new addition coming over from Carolina, Addison will look to continue his consistent production with some familiar faces in Buffalo.
McDermott coached Addison from 2013-2016 when he was the defensive coordinator, as well as playing under current defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills, Eric Washington during his Carolina days too, so the familiarity is there for the veteran.
Addison has been producing at an elite level over the last four seasons, recording over 9 sacks in each of those seasons, including a career high 11 sacks in 2017. Avoiding the injury bug in those seasons too, as he only missed 3 games during the four-year stretch.
The 9-year veteran has the tools that the Bills like in their defensive ends with heavy hands to push the pocket and wins with power rather than speed. He will be a welcomed presence to the defense.