Getty Former Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd on November 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.
The Buffalo Bills are undergoing a major roster shakeup ahead of the 2024 NFL season. In particular, the Bills defense will look decidedly different.
After cutting Tre’Davious White, Siran Neal, and Jordan Poyer, the Bills are saying goodbye to Leonard Floyd.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news on Monday, March 11 that Floyd is heading to the NFC West to join the San Francisco 49ers. Floyd is signing a two-year, $20 million deal worth up to $24 million. The starting defensive end gets $12 million guaranteed in his first year.
Buffalo landed Floyd as a steal last offseason, signing the linebacker to a 1-year, $7 million deal. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote, “The Floyd signing yielded an every-week starter and the team’s leader in sacks this season with 10.5. Even at 31 years old, Floyd became an indispensable piece of the defense early and paired with Greg Rousseau as the top two pass rushers on the roster.
“Floyd did slow down near the end of the season, though, as he had only one sack over his last seven games. Regardless, Floyd can be an impact player with his length and pass-rushing awareness. He said he would follow the money and wanted to play for a Super Bowl contender.”
The Niners made it to the Super Bowl this past season but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. With Floyd, San Francisco gets a huge boost on the edge.
Leonard Floyd was Predicted to Price Out of the Bills’ Range
Leonard Floyd with the HUGE sack!
Floyd was predicted to earn a 2-year, $16.2 million contract. The Niners ultimately paid the Georgia alum an above-market price that Buffalo couldn’t match.
While Bills general manager Brandon Beane cleared nearly $30 million in cap space in a flurry of moves last week, he still has work to do. As it stands, the Bills need to clear an addition $14 million to get cap compliant.
Floyd was pretty blunt about wanting the bag after the Bills’ postseason journey came to an abrupt end. “For me, I’m always going where the money goes,” Floyd said, per Democrat & Chronicle‘s Sal Maiorana. “I’d rather be here, but it is what it is. It’s a business. I’m gonna go wherever my agent feels like we get the most the most money from.” And that wasn’t going to be from a cash-strapped Buffalo.
The Bills Re-Signed Defensive End A.J. Epenesa
The #Bills are bringing back DE A.J. Epenesa on a two-year deal, source says.
Floyd wasn’t the only defensive end the Bills were predicted to lose this offseason. Buscaglia listed A.J. Epenesa, the Bills’ second-round pick from the 2020 NFL draft, as the team’s third-best pending free agent. Due to financial constraints, and Epenesa failing to live up to expectations, he was expected to walk in free agency.
However, shortly after Floyd’s new deal was announced, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo revealed Epenesa was returning to Buffalo. Epenesa’s contract has a “base value of $7 million in the first year of the deal and can be worth a max of $20 million over two years,” Garafolo reported
Spotrac.com projected Epenesa earning a $11.2 million contract, a large number for a rotational player. Last season, the 25-year-old appeared in 15 games and made 1 start. He registered a career-high 20 total tackles, 8 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. In two playoff games, he recorded 1 total tackle and 1 pass defensed.
Buscaglia wrote, “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. 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.”