Buffalo Bills: Top takeaways from first unofficial depth chart

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ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 08: Trent Murphy #93 of the Buffalo Bills makes his way to the field before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at New Era Field on December 8, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Baltimore beats Buffalo 24 to 17. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /

Interesting decisions at defensive end

The depth chart at the defensive end was interesting, from who is starting to where A.J. Epenesa sits. The team’s starters will be Jerry Hughes on the right side and Trent Murphy on the left side. This is rather surprising considering it was assumed that Mario Addison would be the starter, however he is listed as the backup behind Hughes.

This past season he was a starter, starting all 16 games and played 65% of the defensive snaps. However, finished with only five sacks and 19 pressures in 2019. This underwhelming performance, combined with a potential $8 million in cap savings, made him seem like a prime candidate to be cut this offseason.

However, general manager Brandon Beane earlier this week shot that idea down and said it was more “fan talk.” That certainly appears to be the case as he is now listed as the starter.

The other surprise at the defensive end was that A.J. Epenesa was listed as the third-string behind Darryl Johnson. This year’s second round pick was expected to be a big part of the rotation and this could just be a way of making a rookie earn his place. However, it is certainly worth watching over the first few weeks of the season.

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