The Buffalo Bills invested a second-round pick on defensive end A.J. Epenesa in 2020 with the hope that he would develop into a consistent pass rusher, but his delayed breakout season in 2023 could now leave the Bills in a difficult spot.
Epenesa has reached the end of his rookie contract and is headed to free agency next month along with a number of other key defensive players. Though general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have spoken highly of Epenesa, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia warns that his strong performance last season may make his next contract too expensive for the Bills to afford.
Tough Decision for Bills
As Buscaglia noted, Epenesa had a slow start to his NFL career. He dropped close to 30 pounds off his playing weight in college, coming to the Bills at 250 pounds as a rookie before eventually working himself back up to the 265-pound range over the last two seasons.
As Buscaglia noted, Epenesa found his groove after settling in to his ideal playing weight. He had a total of 13 sacks over the last two seasons and was a disruptive force for opposing quarterbacks in 2023, defending eight passes as he used his long arms to knock down balls at the line of scrimmage. Epenesa added two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown.
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Despite his slow start, Epenesa could be headed to a significant contract this offseason, Buscaglia predicted.
“Epenesa has a good blend of speed and power that makes him unblockable on some reps, though there is still some inconsistency to his game,” Buscaglia wrote. “Regardless, entering his age-26 season with 13 sacks in the last two seasons as only a part-time player, Epenesa has the profile of a player teams flock to in free agency. He might get a bigger contract than some might expect.”
To some insiders, the writing has been on the wall for most of the season. Buffalo News insider Jay Skurski wrote in October that Epenesa was already playing himself into a contract too expensive for the Bills to match.
“I’m fairly certain Epenesa will give the industry line about wanting to stay with the Bills, but the truth is, it’s a business, and if he can cash in on a big season in a contract year, nobody should fault him for that,” Skurski wrote. “The question of whether the Bills can afford him can be asked about several of their pending unrestricted free agents. With [quarterback Josh] Allen’s contract continuing to increase, GM Brandon Beane can only hope for big annual jumps in the salary cap. Even then, he’s going to have to say goodbye to players he would preferably keep.”
Bills Must Set Prioirities
Epenesa is not the only member of the Bills headed to free agency and likely signing a significant deal. Fellow edge rusher Leonard Floyd is also at the end of his one-year contract and expected to get a big new deal after tying a career high with 10.5 sacks last season. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones is also headed to free agency.
Beane has already warned that the team would be taking a bargain approach to free agency, with big contracts locked up in quarterback Josh Allen and edge rusher Von Miller.
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Insider Shares Bad News for Bills on Defensive End After Breakout Season