The NFL draft is officially just one week away from Thursday, and the Buffalo Bills are preparing to decide who they will select with the No. 26 pick.
While incoming rookies will dominate the headlines as the Bills enhance their roster over the next few weeks, they may still look to add veteran players to strengthen their lineup and possibly reunite with a familiar face.
A.J. Epenesa Visited The Miami Dolphins
Bills free agent defensive end A.J. Epenesa is still available on the open market more than six weeks into free agency. However, if the Bills plan to sign him, they might face some competition.
Epenesa visited the Dolphins on Thursday, and maybe he could be heading to Miami.
The Bills selected Epenesa with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, he appeared in 91 games, starting 19, and recorded 29 tackles for loss and 24 sacks.
Even though Epenesa’s numbers weren’t particularly impressive, he played a solid role as a rotational defender for six seasons, helping the Bills make the playoffs every year he was there.
The Bills probably don’t have any plans to bring him back, as they likely would have done so by now. They had all of last season to sign him to an extension, and they could also have re-signed him when free agency started in mid-March.
If Epenesa joins the Dolphins, it might not happen until after the draft, especially if Miami fails to secure the pass-rusher they were targeting. Many teams tend to sign veteran free agents immediately after the draft to fill the gaps they aimed to address during that time, and this could be what the Dolphins are gearing up for.
Epenesa Already Agreed to a Contract This Offseason
Although Epenesa is visiting the Dolphins, this isn’t the first time this offseason that he’s been looking to finalize a deal. Back in March, Epenesa agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cleveland Browns. The only problem is that the deal was never signed.
The Browns brought in Epenesa for a physical after they agreed to a deal, but Cleveland wasn’t impressed with what it saw. As a result, it opted not to sign Epenesa to the contract, leaving him a free agent once again.
Epenesa’s health status raises concerns, which might be why the Dolphins arranged for him to visit. Just because one team may not have liked his medical evaluation doesn’t mean every team will feel the same way. Miami could be taking a closer look at the aspects of Epenesa that the Browns might have found unappealing.
Epenesa isn’t the only player this offseason to agree to a deal but not finalize it due to a failed physical. The Las Vegas Raiders traded star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, but the deal never became official after Baltimore didn’t pass his physical.
Hopefully, Epenesa finds a team this offseason. If it’s the Dolphins, it will be interesting to see him face the Bills twice a season after spending so many years in Buffalo.
Former Bills’ 2020 2nd Round Pick Visits Dolphins One Week Before NFL Draft