The Buffalo Bills got to work early last week by taking care of their own players with big extensions. General manager Brandon Beane beat the market rise and got away with very team-friendly deals for Khalil Shakir, Greg Rousseau, Terrel Bernard, and Josh Allen.
That helped clear up a tight cap situation for the Bills and gave them room to maneuver. Through two days of legal tampering, the Bills have agreed to terms with three players, the first two being Joshua Palmer and Micahel Hoecht. Now, under the cover of darkness, Brandon Beane just landed star defensive end Joey Bosa.
The Bills came into the offseason needing a real juice upgrade in the pass rush department, and they just swung for the fences in acquiring the 29-year-old Bosa. The Bills brass has stated multiple times since their season end that the defensive line play was not where they needed it to be.
The lack of pass-rush productivity has plagued the Bills in the playoffs over the last few years, ultimately being a massive factor in their failure to reach the Super Bowl. They are retooling on the defensive side and Bills’ fans should get to know the newest player that will lead their new-look defensive line.
The 6’5” 280lbs defensive end was the third overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Chargers. Bosa was an excellent player in college, playing three seasons for Ohio State. In 38 games he recorded 148 total tackles, 51 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, and five forced fumbles. He won a national championship and was a two-time All-American. Bosa burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie recording 10.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 21 quarterbacks in 12 games. He was named an All-Pro and the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
His sophomore season was the best of his career, he appeared in 16 games recording 70 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles. During his nine-year career, he’s totaled 72 sacks, 343 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 87 tackles for loss, and 156 quarterback hits. That was good enough to earn him five Pro Bowl nods, including one last season. He’s the son of former NFL defensive end John Bosa, the older brother of 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and the cousin of former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Jake Kumerow.
How Bosa fits with the Bills
While consistently being one of the best defensive players in the NFL since he entered the league, he’s had issues staying healthy. Last season he appeared in 14 games for the Chargers, which is the most he’s played since 2021. Despite his dip in stats, Bosa has still been productive. Since 2019 Pro Football Focus (PFF) has graded him with a 91.6 pass rush grade, the sixth best among all edge defenders.
In a down year last season, NFL’s Next Gen Stats credited Bosa with 33 quarterback pressures, which would have ranked as the fourth most on the Bills last year. He also notched a 13.9% pass rush win rate last season, the 22nd-best in the NFL. Bosa immediately upgrades the Bills pass rush. Being older, and with the injury history, we could see the Bills limit him to just pass-rushing snaps.
Gregory Rousseau is one of the best run-defending defensive ends in the league. Across from him, we could see the Bills use their other new addition, Michael Hoecht as a run defender after he graded out as one of PFF’s top run defenders. They could then spell him with Bosa on pass-rushing downs, keeping him fresh and lowering the risk of injury.
At the end of the day, this is a move to help them get over the hump in the playoffs. They need to make sure they get him there, healthy.
The Bills still need to continue improving the defensive line, but a move of this caliber gives them a veteran difference-maker on the edge. Pairing it with a premium draft pick would make it that much better. Now the focus turns to improving the interior of the defensive line and cornerback.