Given how much the Bills invested in their defensive front this offseason, it's kind of bleak that they're still, in late May, being talked about as a team that could return to the free agent bargain bin for late offseason additions. That's life when you put all your chips on Joey Bosa staying healthy, I guess.
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It's been a point of contention all offseason, and with OTAs winding down over the next few days, even more summer chatter about the Bills' pass rush will start cropping up. It's why Sports Illustrated took the moment to figure out a signing that could, in theory, look like one of the savviest moves of the offseason if it pays off: bringing in Za'Darius Smith. In their recent list of best-available free agent fits, SI explains why Smith and the Bills make so much sense for each other.
Za'Darius Smith would be an intriguing option for the Bills' defense
"Smith’s best days are behind him, but he proved last season with the Detroit Lions that he’s still capable of being a reliable rotational player for a Super Bowl contender. The Bills have already added Joey Bosa, but he has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons and recently injured his calf. Even if Bosa stays healthy when the season arrives, Buffalo still needs depth behind No. 1 edge rusher Gregory Rousseau. Smith, who’s entering his age-33 season, has 69 career sacks in 10 NFL seasons."
No complaints here. Like the blurb points out, Smith certainly isn't an elite pass-rusher anymore, but it's not like they need that. They don't even really need a #2 pass rusher, assuming Bosa recovers from his latest calf injury by the time the season starts. Being able to bring in Smith situationally would be a luxury the Bills' defensive front hasn't had in recent years, and teams can do much worse than having him as a 3rd- or 4th-best option.
Will it happen? Who knows. But it should.