The Buffalo Bills have a number of players at defensive tackle set to be free agents this offseason including Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler and Justin Zimmer. While Phillips is likely atop the Bills’ list of players to re-sign, Justin Zimmer is one that could be a great bargain for Buffalo.
Let’s take a look at the player and what he did last year with Buffalo.
Career Overview
Justin Zimmer entered the NFL with the Buffalo Bills after he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016. However, he would be released before the start of his first regular season but would be signed by the New Orleans Saints before the end of the year and added to their practice squad.
Zimmer would be released prior to the 2017 season and have stops with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns before returning to Buffalo in 2020. He would start the year on the practice squad but be called up to the active roster right away and play in Week 1.
He would be called back up on Week 6 and his performance in that game, along with his first of the season was enough to earn him a spot on the active roster for the remainder of the year. Zimmer would appear in 12 games and finish with 21 total tackles, seven QB hits, and one sack.
2021 Season Recap
Entering the 2021 season, Justin Zimmer was likely on his way to having a bigger role on this defense. He would appear in the first six games of the season and play over 40% of the defensive snaps in five of those games.
However, Zimmer’s season was cut short after he suffered a knee injury that forced him onto the injured reserve and he did not return for the rest of the season.
Should the Buffalo Bills re-sign Justin Zimmer?
Justin Zimmer is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason which certainly helps the Buffalo Bills as long as they make a qualifying offer. Depending on the type of offer, this could restrict Zimmer to negotiating only with Buffalo or give the Bills the chance to match any contract he receives from another team.
The Bills should make him a qualifying offer and certainly should bring him back. He is a player who has been productive in his playing time and how frequently Buffalo rotates the players along the defensive line, they are going to need players like Justin Zimmer.