The Buffalo Bills didn’t have depth on their side when rusher Von Miller ripped their ACL last season. Now the team is turning to one of his former teammates, agreeing to terms with outside linebacker Leonard Floyd on a one-year deal, The team confirmed Tuesday. The deal is worth $7 million with incentives that could bring it up to $9 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The 30-year-old has spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Recorded 29 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception in that period. He has nine sacks this season and 10.5 sacks in 2020 when he first joined the team.
The move to add Floyd comes late in free agency after the Bills did not add to their defensive line during the April draft. Instead, the team signed defensive back Bona Ford to a one-year, $2.25 million deal in May. Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver also recently agreed to a four-year, $68 million extension, which made the team official Monday.
Miller is expected to need at least nine months to recover from his anterior cruciate ligament injury, which puts Floyd in a position to fill his absence and add an added advantage upon his return. The duo won the Super Bowl LVI title together at the end of the 2021 season while playing for the Rams, as Floyd recorded five tackles and a sack in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Current Billing pass racers AJ Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau, Shaq Lawson and Boogie Basham are likely to benefit from additional experience and championship experience.
Floyd, the former Georgia Bulldog, was released by the Rams earlier this offseason. In his time there, he had a minimum of nine sacks, seven tackles for loss and a career leading 18 hits per season. Prior to that, he was recruited by the Chicago Bears with the #9 overall pick in 2016. He spent the first four years of his career there. Throughout his career, he had 47.5 sacks, 103 quarterback hits, 338 tackles, and three forced fumbles.
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