A key defensive presence departs Buffalo. Edge rusher A.J. Epenesa heads to Cleveland, prompting the Bills to seek new rotational help.
A long-time Buffalo Bills defensive lineman has found himself a new home.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, edge rusher A.J. Epenesa is signing with the Cleveland Browns. The contract, per Schefter, is for one year and worth up to $5 million.
Epenesa leaves Buffalo after spending six seasons with the team.
A 2020 second-round selection out of Iowa, Epenesa became a serviceable rotation player for the Bills. What he never became, however, was the franchise edge rusher that the team was hoping he'd be.
As a rookie, Epenesa played in 14 games, accounting for just 14 tackles and one sack on 291 defensive snaps. After another underwhelming season in year two, he began to find his stride in 2022.
In his third season in the league, Epenesa put up 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He followed that up with another 6.5 sack season in 2023, along with two interceptions and a touchdown.
In 2024, he had six more sacks before another down year in 2025 with just two sacks.
In total, Epenesa appeared in 91 of a possible 101 regular-season games and had 24 sacks and 135 tackles in six seasons. In 14 playoff games, Epenesa had just 17 total tackles with no sacks.
With Epenesa gone, Buffalo is likely to continue to look for edge-rushing help. They already signed Bradley Chubb to start opposite Greg Rousseau, but they aren't going to be able to just rely on those two every snap.
The Bills will look for rotational players either through the draft or via free agency. Should they go the free agent route, there are plenty of players still available.
The team could look at someone new, such as Jadeveon Clowney or Haason Reddick. Or they could look at former Bills to bring back, like Joey Bosa or Leonard Floyd.
The biggest question is whether the players out there fit what the Bills want to do on defense with Jim Leonhard as they move to a more 3-4 scheme this season.
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