These Are The Unrestricted Free Agents Still Unsigned By The Buffalo Bills
This has probably been one of the craziest offseasons I can remember in the NFL. The Bills won some and lost some. So who is still left to be signed?
The Bills were able to sneak under the radar to snag Von Miller. They lured OJ Howard from Tampa Bay and got a couple of big players back with Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson. They also lost Harrison Phillips to Minnesota, backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and cornerback Levi Wallace to Pittsburgh, and runningback Matt Breida to New York.
It's been a busy couple weeks for Brandon Beane and the front office at One Bills Drive. So who is still left to be addressed?
Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison
Two of the big questions heading into the offseason were veteran Defensive Ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison. Hughes has been with the team for 9 years now and is the longest tenured player on the Bills. Even though he's getting up there in age (for a football player) he's still producing at a high level.
Addison came from Carolina in 2020. He's another one who is starting to get up there in age but has been a dependable player.
With the addition of Von Miller and Shaq Lawson through free agency, and recent draft picks AJ Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau, and Boogie Basham, you have to wonder how important it is to have those veterans in the locker room.
Justin Zimmer
Defensive tackle Justin Zimmer is one of those guys that you love to watch play. You can tell he's got a chip on his shoulder and has a lot to prove. His most memorable play is probably the forced fumble that he got on New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton to seal a Bills win in the 2020 season. With the addition of Jordan Phillips, Tim Settle, and DaQuan Jones, you have to wonder how much money they anticipate sinking into that position.
Emmanuel Sanders
Sanders was brought in last year on a one-year deal and helped to complete a loaded wide receiver corps as we've never seen in Buffalo. He had previously played on Super Bowl teams in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Denver.
Sanders admitted that he was thinking about walking away from football after this season and hasn't made a decision yet as to whether he would be back at all next season.
Bryan Cox Jr.
Cox is the son of three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and one of Buffalo's biggest sports villains, Bryan Cox. He hasn't seen much field time and was placed on IR after an Achilles injury in June of 2021. Again, with so many Defensive Ends on the team, it will be interesting to see who the Bills choose to bring back.
Bobby Hart
Hart is on his third stint with the Bills and has served as a practice squad member or depth player on the offensive line.
All of these players are considered "Unrestricted Free Agents" which means they can visit with other teams. If another team wants to sign them though, the Bills have the option to match their offer and retain the players. The Bills only have so much space though and are still headed into the draft to grab up some quality college players.