The Buffalo Bills saw several of their players sign with new teams this offseason, but one player who was set to leave is now back on the open market.
Browns Won’t Be Signing A.J. Epenesa
Buffalo’s defensive end A.J. Epenesa reached an agreement with the Cleveland Browns a few weeks into free agency, but that deal will no longer be happening after his physical.
“The Browns won’t be signing DE A.J. Epenesa as was initially reported, per source, ESPN’s Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi wrote Sunday on X Team wasn’t comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.”
There’s no indication of what the Browns found unappealing about Epenesa’s physical, but could he return to the Bills?
Should The Bills Look to Bring Epenesa Back
The Bills selected Epenesa in the 2020 NFL Draft, and over the past six seasons in Buffalo, he recorded 24 sacks across 91 games.
Buffalo likely hoped to get more out of Epenesa, but he never seemed to fully seize the opportunity as a starter. This is probably one reason why the team didn’t look to bring him back this offseason.
Now that Epenesa is back on the market, would it be wise for the Bills to bring him back on a one-year deal?
The Browns were set to sign Epenesa to a one-year, $5.7 million deal, but the plan for him to make that much money could be out the window after his recent physical.
Different teams have different perspectives on how they evaluate a player’s physicals; some prioritize physicals more, while others may not see it as a significant concern. This could work in Epenesa’s favor if he ends up with a team that isn’t bothered by his physical.
Buffalo And Cleveland Might See Eachother This Summer
While the Browns and Bills are connected by what is going on with Epenesa, they also made some big news on Sunday when it comes to what could be happening on the field this offseason.
Cleveland.com’s Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot reported that the Bills and Browns are looking to finalize an agreement that would have the two teams hold joint practices together.
“Josh Allen will have more chances to try to avoid Myles Garrett this summer when the Browns host the Bills for joint practices during training camp at Cross Country Mortgage Camp,” Cabot wrote. “Dates have yet to to be finalized.”
It will be exciting to see the Bills and Browns practice together again, especially for their first-year head coaches, Joe Brady and Todd Monken. While both coaches have been part of teams that conducted joint practices in the past, this will be the first time they’ll be in charge during these sessions.
Both coaches will need to rely on each other during joint practices to learn new strategies, and they could also gain insights from their veteran players, who have been through this before.
The Bills will likely then turn around and play the Browns in a preseason game, since teams that practice together typically face off in a preseason matchup a few days later.
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