Bills urged to add former Eagles' sack leader to fill edge rusher need

The Buffalo Bills may have to settle for a veteran edge rusher on a prove-it contract this offseason

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick (7) celebrates a sack against Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills have publicly revealed their desire to build a front four that can consistently get to the quarterback.

They sacked Patrick Mahomes only twice during a 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship Game and also surrendered a touchdown on a designed quarterback run. Throughout the 2024 regular season, the Bills registered a 6.75 percent sack rate to rank 23rd on the circuit.

Sports Illustrated national writer Matthew Verderame identified "One Move Every AFC East Team Should Make This Offseason" and implored the Bills to "find a pass-rusher who can win a playoff game." While acknowledging that salary cap constraints could be a deterrent, the SI scribe suggested pursuing a potential high-reward veteran whose is coming off a down year.

"Three years ago, Bills general manager Brandon Beane attempted to put the finishing touches on a championship contender. After losing the now-infamous 13 Seconds Game to the Kansas City Chiefs, Beane stunned the league by signing future Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal," said Verderame. "Unfortunately for Miller and the Bills, the contract hasn’t worked out the way either hoped. Miller tore his ACL in its initial campaign and hasn’t been the same since. All told, Miller has suited up 36 times for Buffalo and notched 14 sacks. More importantly, he has zero sacks in five postseason games, all of which will likely result in his release this winter."

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (7) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick fits the description following his 2024 stint with the New York Jets. Practically invisible after holding out for half of the season, Reddick may have to settle for a prove-it deal.

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"While the Bills are fairly tight on cap space and options to create more, they have to find the right value. Buffalo could look at someone such as Haason Reddick, who is coming off a disastrous year with the Jets but also has four double-digit sack seasons to his name," said Verderame.

In 2022 and 2023, Reddick totaled 27.0 sacks while making all 34 regular season starts for the Philadelphia Eagles. He totaled 49 quarterback hits over that span. His 16.0 sacks led to the 2022 Eagles and tied for second overall on the NFL leader board.

Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass as Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (7) defends during the second half | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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