Getty A.J. Epenesa hits New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
The Buffalo Bills have invested a lot in edge rushers over the course of the last two years, and an insider believes one of those big investments could be reaching a make-or-break point of his career.
The Bills made one of the biggest moves this offseason, luring Von Miller away from Los Angeles with a six-year, $120 million contract. His signing came a year after the Bills used their first- and second-round picks on defensive ends, part of general manager Brandon Beane’s concerted plan to create more pressure on top quarterbacks like the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
But in the now-crowded edge rusher group, 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa could end up being the odd man out.
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Waiting on a Breakout Season
As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted, Epenesa looked like he could be poised for a breakout in 2021 after a strong Week 2 performance against the Miami Dolphins with two quarterback hits and a number of pressures. But Epenesa wasn’t able to build on that performance, Skurski wrote.
Most pressures among second year defenders through three weeks this season
1). A.J. Epenesa – 11 👀
2). Chase Young – 10
Though Epenesa may have even more competition for playing time this year, Skurski wrote that his roster spot will likely be safe as head coach Sean McDermott likes to rotate the defensive line.
“As for Epenesa, there is no reason for the Bills to move on at this point,” he wrote, adding, “Trading Epenesa would be selling low, and releasing him before his third season would be cutting bait way too soon on a second-round draft pick. I’m not holding out a lot of hope Epenesa will ever become a Pro Bowler.”
While he will remain on the team this season, Epenesa’s long-term prospects in Buffalo are far from certain, Skurski added.
“There is no doubt the Bills would like more out of him, especially given where he was drafted, but it’s too soon to say he can’t at least be a regular contributor,” he wrote.
Putting in Work
Epenesa has been taking advantage of his new teammate’s expertise in pass rushing, joining other members of the Bills defense in attending the Von Miller Pass Academy last week. Defensive ends Boogie Basham and Gregory Rousseau joined Epenesa for the event, which drew players from across the league.
Miller said he hopes the academy brings a greater sense of camaraderie among the league’s top pass rushers, noting that NBA rivals often train together during their offseasons.
In Las Vegas at the Von Miller Pass Rush Academy. Great lessons being taught/learned. Some really talented vets and young stars in attendance.
“You see LeBron (James) and KD (Kevin Durant) get together for workouts. I feel like football, we don’t do it as much, because they pit us against each other,” Miller said, via the Buffalo News. “They say this guy’s No. 1, this guy’s No. 2. … Don’t let them stop us from doing this.”
Miller added that he believes all those involved in the academy can learn and improve from each other, and a big part of the weekend-long event was sharing their motivation and approaches to the game.
“Some of these guys, you can’t really replicate what they do physically,” Miller said. “But you can always take from their mindset, and what they’re thinking, and their discipline and their drive. … This is the only place where we’re able to do things like this.”
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