With the expectation that he would mature into a reliable pass rusher, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end A.J. Epenesa with a second-round pick in 2020. However, this could put the Bills in a tight spot given his delayed breakout season in 2023.
With his rookie contract coming to an end, Epenesa and several other important defensive players will be entering free agency next month. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia cautions that despite the positive remarks made about Epenesa by general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, his impressive play in the previous campaign might make his next deal unaffordable for the Bills.
Bills’s Difficult Decision
Epenesa had a sluggish NFL career debut, as Buscaglia pointed out. During his time in college, he lost over thirty pounds, and he arrived at the Bills as a rookie weighing 250 pounds. Over the course of the following two seasons, he raised his weight back up to 265 pounds.
Once Epenesa settled into his ideal playing weight, Buscaglia observed, he found his flow. His 13 sacks during the previous two seasons included eight pass defenses in 2023, when he also used his long arms to swat down balls at the line of scrimmage, making him a dangerous presence for opposing quarterbacks. Aside from one that he returned for a score, Epenesa also recorded two interceptions.
