After the 2019 season, the Buffalo Bills had the tough decision of whether or not to bring back Jordan Phillips. He was coming off a career year where he had 9.5 sacks and was playing great football.
Phillips ultimately would leave in free agency and sign a three-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. However, he struggled to return to playing at the level and after two injury-riddled seasons he was released.
The Bills were quick to sign him and agreed to a one-year deal. Let’s take a look at the player and the contract to determine a final grade for this move.
What does Jordan Phillips bring to the Buffalo Bills?
The hope is that Phillips can bring what he did after Buffalo claimed him off waivers in 2018 after he was released by the Miami Dolphins. In 2018, he would play in 12 games with 19 total tackles and two tackles for a loss.
The next season was when he really had that break out year and had 31 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, and 13 tackles for a loss. That season, he and Ed Oliver were making it tough on opposing quarterbacks as Oliver had career-high five sacks as a rookie alongside Phillips.
The biggest concern with Phillips is that he is inconsistent against the run and this is not a strength of his game. However, with the addition of DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle, the coaching staff should be able to minimize that and really allow him to focus on just rushing the passer.
Contract
According to Over the Cap, the Bills signed Jordan Phillips to a one-year deal worth $5 million but were able to lower the cap hit to $3,514,706 for this season with a void year in 2023 that carries a cap hit of $1,250,000.
Final Grade: B
The Buffalo Bills put a lot of focus on the defensive tackle position this offseason and it has gone through significant changes. They saw Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler sign with other teams in free agency as well as released Star Lotulelei.
After the additions of DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle, the chance to bring back a player who has shown he can play very well in this defense makes perfect sense. The contract would indicate that Buffalo believes Phillips can return to that and is expecting him to be a big part of the rotation this season.