Buffalo Bills add two potential defensive fixes to active roster

The Buffalo Bills will receive a much-needed boost out of their Week 7 bye week in the form of two critical defensive pieces set to return from suspension.

Buffalo lost defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and edge rusher Michael Hoecht after each was hit with a suspension under the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug Policy before the start of the season, forcing them each to miss the team’s first six games of the year.

Both players had their suspensions lifted this past week, but remained exempt from the team’s roster until they were both officially named as members of the team’s ’53’ on Monday afternoon, per the NFL's transaction wire. The Bills now have 52 players on their active roster, with one open spot remaining.

Both Ogunjobi and Hoecht were signed as free agents this past offseason in an effort to strengthen the Bills’ defensive line unit, which has struggled to measure up in recent seasons. In their absence, some of the challenges that have faced this group over the past few years have continued to crop up, including in run support, where Buffalo ranks as the second-worst team in the league in terms of yards allowed per game (156.3) before the start of Monday Night Football.

Injuries have played a role in Buffalo’s struggles up front, as veteran DT DaQuan Jones (calf), rookie DT T.J. Sanders (knee), former third-round DT DeWayne Carter (Achilles) are all currently on the mend, and DT Ed Oliver previously missed four games due to an ankle injury. Underperformance has also been a contributing factor to the team’s struggles, particularly in the case of EDGE Greg Rousseau, who has just 1.5 sacks on the season after receiving a hefty contract extension this offseason.

MORE: Bills DL Michael Hoecht hit 'lowest point' with PED suspension

Neither Hoecht nor Ogunjobi is a world-beater along the defensive line, but both players should provide an instant upgrade from what Buffalo has been trotting out there at times this season.

Rookie DT Deone Walker has shown flashes of brilliance, but forcing him into the 80% snap share that he saw in Week 6 does not place him in a position to succeed long-term. Fellow first-year pro, Landon Jackson, has been active the past two weeks, a streak that is likely to end with Hoecht’s expected activation for this weekend’s game against the Panthers.

Hoecht recorded 56 tackles and three sacks in 17 games played for the Los Angeles Rams a season ago, while Ogunjobi finished the 2024 campaign with 41 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Hoecht’s versatility and Ogunjobi’s run-stuffing prowess, both players are potential fixes to the many issues the Bills have experienced in the trenches during the 2025 campaign.

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