The former first round draft pick enjoyed a fantastic season for the Buffalo Bills as a situational pass rusher, and had drawn interest from around the league.
After trading away middle linebacker Kiko Alonso, the Buffalo Bills will be looking to maintain some sort of consistency on a defense that ranked fourth in both scoring and yards allowed. As such, according to WGR’s Bills beat reporter Joe Buscaglia, the team has re-signed defensive end Jerry Hughes.
#Bills officially announce they've re-signed DE Jerry Hughes
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) March 9, 2015
Hughes had drawn interest from around the league, particularly the Jacksonville Jaguars, and was considered one of the premier free agents available this offseason.
However, the Bills will be retaining the pass rusher, and for a somewhat steep price.
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From ESPN:
"Terms were not disclosed, but a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that Hughes received a five-year deal worth more than $45 million."
As a part of one of the premier defensive fronts that included Pro Bowlers Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus, Hughes recorded 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. As a result, the Bills maintained the third best passing defense, and the first in terms of passing touchdowns allowed.
As a first-round draft pick for the Indianapolis Colts, Jerry Hughes struggled to enter the pass rush rotation, only recording five sacks in three years for the Colts. Since being traded in 2013 to Buffalo, Hughes has developed into a promising pass rusher, utilizing his speed and quick feet to place pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The Buffalo Bills replaced Doug Marrone this offseason with former Jets head coach Rex Ryan, and will therefore be switching to a 3-4 defense. While Hughes was classified as a defensive end in Marrone’s defense, he will likely end up at outside linebacker under Ryan, similar to the role that Terrell Suggs played while he was with Ryan in Baltimore.
The hope is that with the aid of a proven defensive mind, Hughes’ game will expand just as he is entering his peak. Hughes played under former Ryan disciple Mike Pettine (now head coach of the Cleveland Browns) in 2013, so he already has some familiarity with Ryan’s system. Hughes did have Jim Schwartz as his defensive coordinator for 2014, but Schwartz’s defense had a lighter focus on edge rushing than Ryan’s scheme.
In any event, Hughes is a strong candidate for a breakout 2015 season.
[H/T: ESPN]
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