The Buffalo Bills made an intriguing offseason addition who could have a hard time making the 53-man roster.
Buffalo signed two-time Super Bowl champion pass rusher Mike Danna to a one-year, $1.4 million deal. Danna has spent the past six years with the Kansas City Chiefs and has been an impactful rotational pass rusher.
However, despite Buffalo needing all the help on the pass rush, Bills analyst Michael Haney of FanSided named Danna on the roster bubble ahead of camp.
“When the Buffalo Bills signed outside linebacker Mike Danna, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, the move was viewed as a savvy attempt to add depth on the defensive front,” Haney wrote. “The veteran has been a mainstay in Kansas City in recent years, playing over 500 snaps in four of the last five seasons. But in Buffalo’s crowded group of edge rushers, there may not be a spot for Danna. The 28-year-old is set to fight for his job as the Bills kick off training camp.”
Danna has started 49 games over six seasons, recording 21.5 sacks, while his best solo season was 6.5 sacks in 2023 when the Chiefs went back-to-back.
Although Danna has Super Bowl experience and has proven to be a good rotational player, he could be fighting for his job in Bills training camp.
Who Could Beat Out Mike Danna?
Although Danna was an impact signing at the time, he isn’t guaranteed a roster spot.
Instead, Haney believes some young players could beat out Danna for a spot on the 53-man roster.
“Danna is set to compete in a busy edge group,” Haney added. “Gregg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb will hold down starting jobs, with Michael Hoecht operating as the primary backup as he recovers from his Achilles injury. Behind him, the picture is unclear. Second-round rookie TJ Parker is expected to play a role, but he may be brought along slowly. Landon Jackson may kick inside, but he should still get some snaps on the edge. Even former fifth-round pick Javon Solomon has a chance to steal a spot on the roster.
“Buffalo kept five edge players on the initial 53-man roster last season. While a shift in system under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard could shift positional capacities, it’s clear that Danna is fighting for limited space on the roster. It may seem harsh that we left Danna off our early roster projection, but his job isn’t as secure as his name value may suggest.”
If Danna does make the roster, whether or not he gets a gameday jersey is to be seen.
Bills Overhauled Defense
Buffalo went out and overhauled their defense under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Ahead of training camp, Leonhard made it clear that the team is looking to be an aggressive defense.
“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front and on the back end,” he said. “We’re going to attack the football. The biggest stat in football is turnovers. So we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to fly around, we’re going to communicate, we’re going to play well together.”
Rookies reported to Bills camp on July 21, with veterans reporting on July 28.
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