NFL free agency update: Trent Murphy signs with Bills

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers /
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The Buffalo Bills bolstered their pass rush on Wednesday afternoon, signing veteran pass-rusher Trent Murphy to a three-year deal.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has not been sitting back this offseason. After trading Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns last week, Beane jumped right back into the fray, this time adding Trent Murphy to the defense.

Murphy played the first four years of his career with the Washington Redskins, although he missed all of last year with a torn ACL. Murphy was also suspended for the first four games of the campaign for violating the league’s PED guidelines.

The 27-year-old was a force in 2016, notching nine sacks. Buffalo is hoping to get that version of Murphy, who could help Buffalo make consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the 1995-96 seasons.

Contract details

Buffalo signed Murphy for three years and $21 million. The structure of the contract is not yet known, but a good guess would be the contract is basically a two-year deal with a team option for a third year.

The deal could be worth a total of $30 million, assuming Murphy hits all of the incentives placed within the pact.

National reaction

Grade

Buffalo has to continue adding pass rush to the roster. With only the aging Jerry Hughes, Kyle Williams and Lorenzo Alexander, Murphy adds some youth to a group that really needed it.

So why doesn’t this move get a higher grade? The PED suspension, combined with the ACL tear, adds enough reason to doubt whether Murphy can get back to his previous form.
So why doesn’t this move get a higher grade? The PED suspension, combined with the ACL tear, adds enough reason to doubt whether Murphy can get back to his previous form. /

Grade: B