By cutting Quinton Jefferson before Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Browns allowed the veteran defensive lineman to avoid the waiver wire. Picking his next destination, Jefferson will choose one of his former teams.
The well-traveled defender will return to his 2020 club, with cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reporting the Bills are making an addition. Jefferson continued his nomadic career after a 2020 Buffalo one-off, but after Cleveland cut him Tuesday, he will fill one of the Bills’ open roster spots.
Buffalo cleared up a spot by putting defensive end Dawuane Smoot on IR. While Jefferson and Smoot’s skillsets do not overlap entirely, the former will still capitalize on an opportunity to jump from a 2-7 squad to the AFC-leading club that sits 7-2.
Jefferson, 31, had drifted to healthy-scratch status in Cleveland, seeing the Browns drop him out of their DT rotation after authorizing a one-year deal worth $4MM. The Browns shopped him but did not end up finding a trade partner. He will rejoin Ed Oliver in Buffalo’s DT corps, which also includes DaQuan Jones, Austin Johnson and Zion Logue.
This return comes three-plus years after the Bills released Jefferson. Buffalo had been the former Seattle draftee’s first free agency stop, signing him to a two-year, $13.5MM deal. Jefferson played all 16 games in 2020, logging four starts during the first of the Bills’ four Sean McDermott-era AFC East championship teams. After the release, Jefferson made his way to Las Vegas (2021), back to Seattle (’22) and to the Jets (’23).
Although Jefferson only tallied one sack in five games this season, he posted a career-high six with the Jets last year and finished with 5.5 during a return one-and-done with the Seahawks. He also combined for 42 QB hits from 2021-23, providing the Bills with some inside-rushing potential after they did not make a defensive addition at the deadline. Jones’ two sacks represent the most from a Bills D-lineman this season, as Oliver has not built on his 9.5-sack 2023; the former first-rounder has one to go with five QB hits through nine games.
So Shaq and Quinten?
Is this helping?