Buffalo Bills: Making the case to sign free agent edge rusher Carlos Dunlap

As free agency gets closer and closer, more teams are shedding the fat on their roster to create cap space for the league new year set to start on March 17th. We have seen various established veterans released this past week, not because they lack talent but primarily because of the financial burden. Ideally, the Buffalo Bills can capitalize on this precarious offseason and acquire some solid talent at a discounted price relative to most years.

Another notable veteran was released on Monday morning, this being edge rusher Carlos Dunlap, as reported by Adam Schefter. Ian Rapoport then piggybacked on the report and notified the twitter world that the Seahawks will be saving a whopping $14M by releasing Dunlap.

Career

Since being drafted by the Bengals in the second round f the 2010 NFL Draft, it took Dunlap three years to break into a full-time starting role in Cincinnati. In those first three years as a rotational pass-rusher, Dunlap tallied 20 total sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Even in a limited role in those first three years of his career, Dunlap proved he has a natural pass-rushing ability. Excluding this past season in which Dunlap had 6 sacks, he has not posted a sack total lower than 7 in a season since his third year in the league.

More recently, Dunlap was upset with his role on the Bengals this past season and was eventually traded to the Seahawks mid-season. In his first game as a Seahawk, Dunlap actually played the Bills and instantly made his presence known with 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and a few additional pressures on Josh Allen. The bottom line is that Carlos Dunlap has great levels of production throughout the entirety of his career.

Fit with the Buffalo Bills

After missing out on J.J. Watt, the Bills are clearly in the market to add an edge rusher to the roster this offseason. With a handful of edge rushers on the free-agent market, too many of them will be looking for top dollar in a year that teams will not be able to spend like usual. What this means is that some of the free agents this offseason will have to settle for cheaper one-year deals if they want to play this season. A veteran like Dunlap could fit into that category depending on how free agency shakes out. If he fits the Bills price range, there is no question he would fit in with the Bills defense as they are in desperate need to create additional pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2021.