The Buffalo Bills have made it clear they want to switch to an attacking 3-4 defense, where players move all over the line and play different fronts to confuse the quarterback. They also want to improve on their run defense at both the initial and secondary levels of the front seven.
This requires filling another interior D-line spot with a cost-effective, veteran nose tackle who has played in this type of defense before. It also requires two veteran linebackers who are big and can stay home to prevent long runs.
Let's take a look at three veteran free agents still out there to strengthen a new and improved defensive unit that looks good on paper, but has yet to be proven on the field.
3 veteran free agents that could bring toughness and attitude to the Bills' defense
1.) NT Austin Johnson
If Bills fans were watching this team in 2024, they probably remember when Johnson was added on a one-year deal to help the interior defensive tackle spots in Sean McDermott's 4-3 scheme. At 6-foot-4, 314 pounds, Johnson is a strong, powerful lineman who previously played nose tackle for the Tennessee Titans when he was drafted in 2016.
While he may have been undersized for a 3-4 nose tackle, the Bills' 3-4 includes a nose tackle as well as a 4i defensive tackle. He could very well be playing the nose in a 3-4 set or in a 4i when they go to their 4-3 set.
The bottom line is that Johnson provides another great athlete with a big body and the versatility to shine in Jim Leonhard's attacking defense.
2.) LB Bobby Wagner
This would be a dream signing as Wagner due to his play on the field and character, which will no doubt get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 35-year-old has played a ton of great football in his career, including a long stretch during the Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" era, and later played in an attacking 3-4 scheme with the Rams under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Wagner is another big, lengthy linebacker similar to former Bills and Commanders linebacker London Fletcher. He also plays with a ton of heart and energy and could be the veteran leader to fire up a young Bills defense.
The talented athlete had an impressive 2025 season, tallying 162 tackles (eight for loss), 4.5 sacks, four pass breakups, and two interceptions.
At 6-foot, 240 pounds, Wagner can play the middle linebacker or be an outside linebacker in Leonhard's defense. Wagner would thrive in Leohnard's scheme because all he's been used to his whole career are aggressive attacking defenses that lay the boom on the quarterback.
3.) LB Bobby Okereke
Do I need to remind fans of the Bills-Giants connection in this signing? Okereke, after enjoying four seasons with the Colts, joined the Giants in 2023 and was a wrecking ball in the Giants' aggressive, attacking defense led by defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
Last season didn't see Okereke slowing down. He was all over the field making tackles. He ended the season tied for 10th in the league with 143 tackles, and it was his fourth time out of his last five seasons in which he tallied 130 tackles or more.
Okereke would fit well in Buffalo's new aggressive scheme, where he can use his 6-foot-2, 234-pound frame to stop the run from getting past the secondary level and lay the hit stick on a player. He could be a cheap veteran option to rotate in with rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr until he becomes a starter.
Time will tell whether any of these players sign with the Bills, but at least they all have experience playing in an attacking style of defense similar to the one the Bills will install this year in 2026.
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