Ever since Sean McDermott took over as the head coach for the Buffalo Bills, one that has been a constant factor about the way he runs his defense. No matter who the defensive coordinator is, the Bills love to rotate their edge rushers. While other teams do the same thing, the Bills use a heavy rotation across their defensive line to give their guys rest.
One of those players that has been part of the rotation for quite some time is A.J. Epenesa, the Bills’ 2nd-round pick in 2020 out of Iowa. Coming out of college, Epenesa was an explosive athlete who was supposed to help become an impactful player for the Bills. However, he got off to a rough start in his career.
He missed games for just being a healthy scratch, and when he was on the field, he wasn’t productive at all. Then, something changed in 2022. He recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks but yet there wasn’t any “wow” factor to his game.
The 2023 season is where he really shined, and you could make the argument that he was Buffalo’s best edge rusher that season, with 6.5 sacks, 8 pass deflections, 2 interceptions and 1 defensive touchdown). He earned a two-year extension with the Bills right before the 2024 free agency period opened and once again, Epenesa shined as a solid rotational player in the Bills defense. He had six sacks again, but also recorded 39 total tackles which is the most he has had in a season.
Heading into 2025, Epenesa is once again going into a contract year. However, if the Bills wanted to get some value for Epenesa then it would be smart for them to trade him before the season starts.
It makes sense for Bills to trade A.J. Epenesa before 2025 season
Think about it. The Bills extended Greg Rousseau to a four-year extension, signed Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht in free agency, and drafted Landon Jackson in the third round of the NFL Draft. Not to mention, the Bills also have Javon Solomon on a rookie contract, who showed flashes of greatness last season.
Unless the Bills plan on giving Epenesa another contract to stay in Buffalo, it makes sense to get some value for him. He has proven that he can be a valuable rotational pass rusher and they are great to have on a team. It’s not the fact that Epenesa isn’t good enough to be on the Bills anymore, it’s just that it’s a crowded room and the logistics don’t add up to keep Epenesa on the team.