Grade for the Buffalo Bills signing of defensive tackle Tim Settle

Before the start of free agency, one player that seemed to be connected regularly to the Buffalo Bills was Tim Settle. Pro Football Focus put together a list of the ‘perfect’ free agent for each team and Settle was the choice for the Bills.

That move became a reality with Buffalo adding the former Washington defensive tackle. Let’s take a closer look at the player, the contract they agreed to, and provide a final grade for the move.

Career Stats

Tim Settle was a fifth round pick by the Washington Commanders in 2018 but wasn’t able to get consistent playing time due to an excellent group of starters. The Commanders have four first round picks on their defensive line that includes Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen at defensive tackle.

While he wouldn’t see regular playing time as he played no more than 350 snaps in a season, he has appeared in 63 regular-season games. In his career, he has 54 total tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, and 12 QB hits. While Settle does have seven career sacks, he is not known for his pass-rushing ability but instead is a good run-stuffing tackle at 6’3″ and 308 pounds.

Contract

According to Spotrac, the Bills and Settle agreed to a two-year deal worth $9 million that includes a void year to help bring down the cap hits in those two years. In his first year with the team, he has a cap hit at only $2.69 million. This ranks 40th among defensive tackles in the NFL.

The contract is also set up that includes a potential out after this season that would result in a dead cap hit of $2.7 million.

Grade for the Buffalo Bills signing Tim Settle

This is a player that is not a household name because of the limited snaps he saw with Washington however there is plenty of upside. Tim Settle is likely a player that given the opportunity, which he now gets with Buffalo, can out-produce his contract and should be a valuable part of the rotation at the position.

Grade: A