The Buffalo Bills have made a few moves on the defensive line this offseason, as the team locked up edge rusher Greg Rousseau on a long-term contract extension and also signed Joey Bosa to replace Von Miller, who was released ahead of free agency.
Though Buffalo already has two starting-caliber players at the edge rusher position in Rousseau and Bosa, A to Z Sports’ Mike Payton predicts general manager Brandon Beane will continue adding to the pass rush by signing recently-released Detroit Lions edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
“Smith’s release surprised some, but at the end of the day, the Lions did not want to get caught up in his void years and potentially have to pay him while he’s not on the team. Some think a reunion in Detroit could be the way to go, but at the end of the day, it’s hard to see that happening with the Lions appearing to be pointing their sights towards filling that hole in the draft,” Payton wrote.
“The Bills make a lot of sense for Smith since they just parted with Von Miller. They could use some more edge help, and Smith brings that,” Payton added.
Like Miller, Smith was released by the Lions before the start of free agency and is still on the market. The 32-year-old was traded to Detroit from the Cleveland Browns during the 2024 trade deadline and played nine games for the Dan Campbell’s squad.
Though Smith is getting older, the three-time Pro Bowler is still a productive player and would be a nice addition to the Bills’ defensive line. Smith totaled nine sacks and 63 quarterback pressures in 17 games last year and has tallied three campaigns with over double-digit sacks since entering the league in 2015.
Pairing Smith with Rousseau and Bosa would give Buffalo one of the most potent pass-rushing trios in football and exceptional depth at edge rusher. Additionally, Smith won’t cost too much to sign and would be a fantastic leader for a Bills team that is looking to make a Super Bowl leap in 2025.
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