Kansas City Chiefs defensive end has signed on with Buffalo after being an offseason cap cut casualty in KC.
Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna has signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills after a recent successful visit, according to a report from Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, although the signing was reported by multiple other outlets. Terms were undisclosed.
Danna was a cap cut in Kansas City, but overall he was successful with the Chiefs, who selected him in the fifth round back in 2020. The defensive end became a useful rotational player, but Danna became expendable when the Chiefs made the decision to revamp their pass rush.
The result was an active offseason as the Chiefs drafted a pair of front-seven players. The plan is for defensive tackle Peter Woods to help plug the interior to free up tackle Chris Jones from constant double teams. But the move that likely doomed Danna in Kansas City was the selection of edge rusher R Mason Thomas in the second round, with Thomas starting out as a spot player whose job will be to get to the quarterback.
Danna wasn’t awful at that, but sacks definitely aren’t his specialty. His overall numbers with the Chiefs include 194 tackles, 21.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception in 87 regular season games. According to a report from Adam LaRose of ProFootballRumors.com that listed Danna as an outside linebacker, his sack numbers dwindled from 6.5 in 2023 to 3.5 the following year and just 1.5 last season.
The defensive end also got a pair of Super Bowl rings in Kansas City, and he ended up with an impressive array of postseason stats. Danna had 27 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble to go with those rings, and at 28 he could be looking to play a more prominent role.
The Bills, meanwhile, finished 28th against the run, and they also ranked 20th in sacks, so they need front-seven help across the board. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will be shifting to a 3-4 scheme this season, and Danna will be a rotational player who will compete for playing time with Greg Rousseau, Michael Hecht, free agent signee Bradley Chubb and rookie T.J. Parker for snaps.
The Bills entered this week with just over $10 million in cap space, so Danna is basically a low-cost addition for Buffalo. Danna is basically betting on himself as he moves on from the Chiefs, and if he can produce and contribute he stands a chance to earn a longer deal that would extend his career.