One year ago, the Buffalo Bills were staring down the barrel of financial disaster. After years of using contract restructures for temporary salary cap relief, the Bills were forced to face an unavoidable cap overage. The Bills parted ways with key pieces in an attempt to become salary cap compliant before the new league year.
Buffalo was expected to take a step backwards after the significant roster turnover. Instead, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player after he rallied the team and nearly carried them to a Super Bowl appearance. The stellar campaign earned Allen a six-year, $330 million contract extension with an unprecedented $250 million in guaranteed money, but it was still a bittersweet season. The Bills ultimately fell short in the AFC Championship Game, losing their fourth straight playoff game against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has managed to fortify the roster this offseason, plugging many of the holes created by last year’s exodus. Most of the team’s free agency signings have been across the defensive line, highlighted by the addition of star defensive end Joey Bosa.
Two Bills’ free agency additions received six-game suspensions
While the signings have brought excitement to Orchard Park, the Bills have already experienced a setback with their new players. Defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi received six-game suspensions for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, Beane announced on Friday.
Beane clarified that the team was aware of Hoecht's pending suspension prior to his signing, but they were unaware of Ogunjobi’s punishment. The Bills had already agreed to terms with Ogunjobi before he was informed of his suspension.
Buffalo signed Hoecht to a three-year, $24 million contract on the first day of the league’s negotiating window. The 27-year-old defensive end began his career with the Los Angeles Rams, where he served as a rotational pass rusher over the past four years. He recorded three sacks while playing 57 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last season. Hoecht played 85 percent of the snaps in 2023 and notched six sacks. In 2022, he finished with 4.5 sacks on 38 percent of snaps.
The Bills signed Ogunjobi to a one-year, $8.3 million deal, adding experience and size to the interior of their defensive front. The 30-year-old defensive tackle finished with 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss in 15 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. The eight-year veteran has shown the versatility to play in multiple positions and schemes across the defensive line, and he’s never played fewer than 14 games in a season. He’ll likely serve as a rotational piece behind Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones.
Both players should provide Buffalo with some depth to keep the defensive line fresh, but neither will take their first snap with the team until October.