5 takeaways from the Buffalo Bills initial 2023 53-man roster

3.) A.J. Epenesa beats out Boogie Basham

Bills fans knew that some type of move was going to be made at the defensive end position. It was arguably one of the most crowded rooms in the Bills locker room. The main competition as to who could be fighting for a roster spot was between A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham.

It became official today that Epenesa beat out Basham for a roster spot when the Bills reportedly traded Basham to the New York Giants, as well as swapping future late round picks. This was kind of a surprising move seeing as how Epenesa is going into a contract year and may not be re-signed, while Basham has two years left on his rookie deal. 

Along with Epenesa beating out Basham, Shaq Lawson also made the final roster as part of the rotation off of the edge. With the battle between Epenesa and Basham is over, the defense knows what they will have to work with. Epenesa heads into his potential final year with the Bills, meaning that he will be competing for a contract.