Leonard Floyd

Falcons, Leonard Floyd Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2025 at 3:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leonard Floyd has very quickly managed to find a new home. Shortly after his 49ers release, the veteran edge rusher has lined up a deal with Atlanta.

Floyd is headed to the Falcons, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a one-year contract worth $10MM. The deal represents a homecoming for the Georgia native. Floyd’s pact is guaranteed in full, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Floyd inked a two-year deal with the 49ers last offseason, and in his debut San Francisco campaign he finished second on the team with 8.5 sacks. In spite of that production, a release was known to be possible in advance of the offseason. The 49ers moved on earlier today, making Floyd one of the most attractive veteran edge rushers on the market.

The Falcons (recently listed as a Trey Hendrickson suitor) have long been in need of production along the edge. The Matt Judon trade was aimed at filling that void last offseason, and he managed 5.5 sacks in 2024. Judon is set to officially reach free agency starting tomorrow, though, and it would come as little surprise if he were to depart. With between 8.5 and 10.5 sacks in each of the past five years, Floyd will be counted on to provide notable production upon arrival.

The Georgia product will join an edge rush group featuring the likes of Lorenzo Carter, Arnold Ebiketie and 2024 third-rounder Bralen Trice. If Floyd manages another strong campaign, the Falcons will be able to take a needed step forward in terms of sack production. The team ranked 31st in the NFL with just 31 in 2024.

Atlanta has made several moves related to retaining and extending in-house players so far this offseason. The only other outside addition so far is the agreement with linebacker Divine Deablo. Floyd will join him in a new-look front seven in 2025 and aim to help his free agent stock for next spring in the process.

49ers Release Leonard Floyd

March 11th, 2025 at 12:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leonard Floyd was known to be a release candidate for the 49ers. The veteran edge rusher is indeed being let go, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Floyd inked a two-year pact with the 49ers last offseason, matching the move made by fellow edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Both of them were floated as cut candidates this offseason, though, so today’s news comes as little surprise. Floyd was set to carry a cap hit of $10.11MM, and this move will create $1.48MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of $8.63MM.

While many pointed to a Floyd release being possible based on the economics of the situation, his production will be difficult to replace. The 32-year-old finished second on the 49ers with 8.5 sacks in 2024. That extended his streak of at least eight sacks to five years, a stretch was has included time with three different teams. The former Bear, Ram and Bill will now be free to join an interested team at any time.

Finding a long-term complementary edge rusher to pair with Nick Bosa has proven to be a challenge for the 49ers during his decorated run with the team. Of course, the potential to bring in Joey Bosa has been floated in the past and the latter’s Chargers release has made it possible. San Francisco has been in communication with Joey, meaning a deal could be stuck at any time (although the Dolphins loom as a suitor as well).

The 49ers have agreed to a trade which will send wideout Deebo Samuel to the Commanders while they are also set to cut defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. San Francisco informed longtime fullback Kyle Juszczyk he will be released yesterday, so moving on from Floyd will leave San Francisco without a number of veterans next year. The team saw linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga agree to Broncos deals, yesterday, meaning a number of defensive moves will be needed in addition to replacing Floyd’s edge production.

The Georgia product has has not missed a game since 2017, a factor which (along with his consistent output) should help him land a new deal in short order. Other veteran edge rushers are available, but Floyd is now among the top ones on the market.

49ers Rumors: CMC, Kittle, Williams, Dobbs

February 27th, 2025 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

After shaking off injury trouble for two seasons, en route to staking a claim as the NFL’s best running back, Christian McCaffrey saw two issues create a lost season for him in 2024. The superstar back missed much of the season with an Achilles injury, and a PCL malady sustained in Buffalo sidelined him not long after he debuted. McCaffrey, who is going into his age-29 season, landed more guaranteed money via another market-setting extension (two years, $38MM), protecting himself for the 2025 season. The 49ers also expect their RB starter to be back by training camp and perhaps before, with John Lynch indicating (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the ninth-year veteran will probably be ready for part of the team’s offseason program.

Not that McCaffrey needs to log much offseason participation, as this will be Year 4 for him in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, but it would be an encouraging sign for a player who totaled only 50 carries last season. McCaffrey also saw injuries significantly limit him in 2020 and ’21 while in Carolina, but he played 17 games in 2022 and 16 in ’23, not missing any due to injury. The 49ers will hope the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year can return to that form in ’25.

Here is the latest out of San Francisco:

As another 49ers NFC title defense could not navigate a rash of injuries, Trent Williams became part of the unavailable contingent. The future Hall of Fame left tackle missed the final seven games of San Francisco’s season with an ankle injury. Lynch confirmed (via Barrows) what had been expected, indicating Williams will be back for a 16th NFL season. Williams can break the tackle record for Pro Bowl invites by booking a 12th in 2025, which will be his age-37 season. Thanks to the contract adjustment he received to end a holdout, Williams would have brought more than $50MM in dead money had he retired after the 2024 slate.
We heard Wednesday that the 49ers were talking not only with their top extension candidate, Brock Purdy, but with George Kittle as well. Staying mostly healthy over the course of his five-year, $75MM extension, the eight-year veteran — chosen in Lynch and Shanahan’s first draft — has put himself on the Hall of Fame radar. Lynch wants the star tight end to be a 49ers-only player during his career. “We want George to retire a Niner,” Lynch said. “He’s one of those guys — he’s a Niner through and through. So we want that to become a reality. I think the only thing on that is timing. And that’s no different than what I’ve told George and his agent.” The 49ers hammered out their first Kittle extension during training camp in 2020. Considering how this franchise usually conducts business, that is a timeframe to again monitor this year.
An either/or path at defensive end may form regarding Nick Bosa‘s wingmen. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are release candidates, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. While Floyd has a track record as a sack artist, totaling at least nine each year from 2020-23, Gross-Matos received a surprising two-year, $18MM deal in 2024. The ex-Panthers second-rounder underwent in-season knee surgery and finished with four sacks in 11 games. That was a half-sack off his career high, however, but the 49ers having backloaded his deal would free up $7.82MM in a post-June 1 release. Using a post-June 1 designation on Floyd would free up $7.95MM in 2025 space but leave a bigger hole in the pass-rushing department. The 49ers have one June 1 move to make, as Javon Hargrave‘s release takes up the team’s other allotted slot.
Josh Dobbs threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns during a meaningless Week 18 loss to the Cardinals, likely helping his cause for another QB2 deal. After losing the backup job to Brandon Allen, however, Dobbs is unlikely to re-sign with the 49ers, per Branch. When asked about a potential re-signing, Dobbs said recently, “Free agency is free agency.” If Allen is to reprise his 49ers QB2 role, he will need to be re-signed.

NFL Injury Updates: Hill, Horne, Cook, Magee, 49ers

August 25th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Ely Allen

As the preseason comes to a close, a number of teams experienced the scares of a worst-case scenario for most players: getting injured just before the team makes final roster decisions. Some ended up being that worst-case scenario, while others lucked out with minor ailments.

Texans safety Brandon Hill was one such player who experienced a worst-case scenario this weekend. In Houston’s final preseason game against the Rams, Hill suffered a significant knee injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The injury will be enough to end Hill’s 2024 season before it even got a chance to begin.

A seventh-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year, Hill only appeared in two games. With much of the same cast from last year returning in 2024, he wasn’t likely to see much more time on the field, but his loss thins out the team’s depth at safety and certainly ends his chances of being on the 53-man roster.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Giants defensive tackle Timmy Horne is also likely to miss the 2024 season. The third-year player out of Kansas State suffered a tear to his Achilles tendon that will keep him out for the year. Horne came to New York late last year after spending most of his first two seasons in the league with the Falcons. He started five games as an undrafted rookie in 2022 but has been a depth piece ever since.
The Steelers continue dealing with some bumps and bruises along the offensive line. After seeing rookie first-round tackle Troy Fautanu suffer an MCL sprain two weeks ago and center Nate Herbig tear his rotator cuff, the latest bump hits key reserve lineman Dylan Cook, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pittsburgh picked Cook up after he was waived by the Buccaneers last offseason and, while he made the team’s final 53-man roster in 2023, he didn’t ever appear in a game. With the recent foot injury, it looks like Cook will have to wait several more weeks before he can make his NFL- and Steelers-debut.
Another player who avoided the worst-case scenario but who is set to miss a decent amount of time is Commanders middle linebacker Jordan Magee. According to John Keim of ESPN, the fifth-round rookie out of Temple had an MCL injury that required a “procedure.” It’s been confirmed that the injury is not season-ending and that he will return at some point this season. Washington has a bit of depth at linebacker, but Magee was the only player listed behind veteran Bobby Wagner in that Mike-role.
Lastly, we finally got an update on the MRI results of 49ers pass rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported late after Friday’s contest that the two had suffered knee sprains that didn’t result in ACL damage, but MRIs were scheduled for both players to be sure. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows was the one to provide an update today, claiming that, following the MRIs scheduled for yesterday, Floyd has been determined as day-to-day, while Gross-Matos will be week-to-week.

49ers Rumors: Willis, Floyd, Ward

May 27th, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers have one of the NFL’s more complete rosters with few holes, if any. While tight end is certainly not a hole on the roster with George Kittle bringing his All-Pro talent to the offense, the team will be looking to fill in the depth behind him after the departures of Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley in free agency. Both former San Francisco backups signed with the Falcons this offseason.

According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, second-year tight end Brayden Willis is making a case for the TE2 job in 2024. Willis, a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma, was the second tight end the team drafted last year following Cameron Latu, whom the team drafted in the third round out of Alabama. While Latu spent his rookie season recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, Willis got depth experience with some special teams play and minimal snaps on offense.

The team does have some experience at the position in veteran free agent addition Eric Saubert, who can step in if Willis and Latu fail to make an impact during their sophomore campaigns. Local Cal-product Jake Tonges and Furman undrafted free agent Mason Pline serve as under the radar prospects at the position who will likely find their way to the practice squad. Some combination of Willis, Saubert, and Latu will likely be used to replace the backup production lost in Woerner and Dwelley’s departures.

Here are a few more rumors coming out of the Bay Area in recent weeks:

San Francisco may have added the complimentary pass rusher across from Nick Bosa that they’ve been looking for this offseason in Leonard Floyd. That signing can be directly attributed to another offseason addition: the hiring of assistant head coach Brandon Staley. Staley worked directly with Floyd in Chicago as the Bears outside linebackers coach in 2017 and 2018 and in Los Angeles as the Rams defensive coordinator in 2020. With Staley’s backing, Floyd became a priority free agent target this offseason for the 49ers.
Coming off of a second-team All-Pro season, cornerback Charvarius Ward is entering a contract year with the 49ers. In a recent interview on the Up & Adams show, Ward told Kay Adams that he’s “trying to get that bag.” He’s in no rush, though, as he said he’ll have to have his best year and, hopefully, get paid in 2025. He also shared an encouraging update on his injury status with Adams, telling her that he’ll “be ready for training camp for sure.”

49ers, DE Leonard Floyd Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Ben Levine

After moving on from a longtime contributor along the defensive line, the 49ers will make a notable addition. Leonard Floyd has agreed to a deal with San Francisco, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Floyd was among the several late-20s or early-30s edge rushers who needed to wait out a cold market last year. His May Bills agreement broke the ice, with the perennial AFC East champs landing the Rams cap casualty for just $7MM. Last year showed Floyd was not merely an Aaron Donald beneficiary, with the pass rusher tying a career-high with 10.5 sacks.

Once run out of Chicago for failing to deliver on his draft status, Floyd has proven to be one of the 2020s’ steadiest edge players. The former top prospect has finished with between nine and 10.5 sacks in each of the past four seasons, and his consistency was expected to make him a popular name on the market.

While Floyd could have profiled as a team’s top edge rusher, he’ll be playing second fiddle to Nick Bosa in San Francisco. The 49ers have been seeking a dependable source of sacks opposite their star pass rusher, with the team trying out the likes of Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam, Drake Jackson, Clelin Ferrell, and Chase Young at the second spot on the depth chart. Now, they’ll have an elite option playing opposite Bosa.

The 49ers clearly made Floyd a priority to fill the hole on their depth chart. New assistant coach Brandon Staley is plenty familiar with his new pass rusher; Staley was the Rams defensive coordinator when the two were in Los Angeles together, and Staley also served as the OLBs coach when the two were in Chicago.

AFC East Notes: Becton, Jets, Howard, Bills

January 19th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mekhi Becton‘s quest to solidify himself as the Jets‘ long-term left tackle did not come to fruition, but the injury-prone blocker did finish the season without an IR trip. A few other Jets O-linemen could not say the same. Becton’s contract year consisted of 16 games and starts at both right and left tackle. While the 2020 first-round pick would like to re-sign with the Jets, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the team is unlikely to have a strong interest in a second contract.

Pro Football Focus graded Becton 68th overall among tackles this season, and Next Gen Stats charged the slimmed-down tackle with 12 sacks allowed. That said, the Jets will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of tackle help this offseason. Duane Brown is 38 and played out a two-year contract. He and Becton departing would leave the Jets with two tackle vacancies, though the team has explored the possibility of shifting Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle on a full-time basis. But Vera-Tucker, drafted as a guard, has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the past two years.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

A player the Jets look to have more interest in signing, Bryce Huff, will not stay just because he has developed as a Jet. Pointing to his family and those around him, the young defensive end said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he will take the best offer he receives in free agency. The Jets, however, do want to re-sign Huff, per GM Joe Douglas. A former UDFA, Huff broke through in his contract year to lead the team with 10.5 sacks despite not starting any games. The Jets and Huff, who has not graded well as a run defender, discussed an extension during the season. The Jets have first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, along with John Franklin-Myers, but losing Huff would be a blow for Robert Saleh‘s defense.
On the same note, Xavien Howard is unlikely to accept a pay cut to stay with the Dolphins, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley notes. “No matter where I’m going, I’m still going to do my thing,” Howard said. “Whatever comes with it, I’m excited about what will happen.” The Dolphins’ longest-tenured starter, at eight seasons, Howard is signed through 2026 on the contract he agreed to upon voicing issue with Byron Jones out-earning him. Miami gave Howard a five-year, $90MM extension in 2022, but the veteran ballhawk is now 30 and finished the season sidelined with a foot sprain. The Dolphins, who released Jones as a post-June 1 cut last year, can only recoup notable savings by using this designation on Howard. Now employing Jalen Ramsey as its top corner, Miami would save $18.5MM this year by using the post-June 1 designation on Howard.
The Bills will be without Gabe Davis in a second playoff game, ruling out the contract-year wideout for their divisional-round game. Davis is battling a PCL sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Davis represents an intriguing free agent-to-be, having scored 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons, but the Bills have seen 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir emerge as a player capable of being a low-cost Stefon Diggs complement going forward.
Additionally, Buffalo has not ruled out Terrel Bernard for its Kansas City rematch. Bernard was carted off the field against the Steelers, but the Bills’ top tackler only suffered a sprained ankle, Rapoport adds. The second-year linebacker aggravated the ankle injury he sustained earlier this season, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. While the Bills are already without Matt Milano at linebacker, starter Tyrel Dodson — who missed the team’s wild-card game — is on track to return in Round 2.
Leonard Floyd collected an additional $1MM by reaching 10 sacks this season, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The May free agency addition signed a one-year, $7MM deal, one that has been vital due to Von Miller‘s struggle to return to form following his second ACL tear. Floyd, 30, totaled a career-high-matching 10.5 sacks this season.

AFC East Notes: Floyd, Patriots, Dolphins

June 14th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Over the past two offseasons, the Bills have added both the Super Bowl LVI-winning Rams’ top edge rushers. Leonard Floyd‘s deal did not move close to the Von Miller ballpark, with the Bills guaranteeing the younger defensive end $7MM. The incentives that could bump Floyd’s deal to $9MM are now known as well. They are each sack-based. Floyd can earn $500K bumps by reaching the eight- and 10-sack plateaus, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. If Floyd registers 12 sacks — which would be a career-high total — he can add $1MM to his base pay. Over the past three seasons, Floyd has hit the first benchmark three times (9.5 sacks in 2021, nine in ’22) and the second threshold once (10.5 sacks in 2020). The Bills tacked on three void years to the deal to keep Floyd’s cap number at $2.6MM.

The Bills began talking to Floyd just before the draft, per GM Brandon Beane, who adds (via the Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald) Miller led the way in recruiting the former top-10 pick. Floyd turned down at least one more lucrative offer to join Miller and Gregory Rousseau in Buffalo. With Miller now aiming to return in Week 1 after rehabbing an ACL tear, the Floyd addition becomes more interesting given the pair’s production together in Los Angeles.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Although Bill O’Brien‘s Patriots past undoubtedly helped him take over as offensive coordinator, but the former Texans HC is using concepts from his most recent gig as he installs his offense. O’Brien is adding pieces from the Alabama offense he ran, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). This stands to be good news for Mac Jones, who starred at Alabama in 2020. While Tua Tagovailoa‘s Crimson Tide successor did not play for O’Brien in college, he helped the incoming Alabama OC with the playbook on his way out in 2021. Considering Jones’ issues with the Patriots’ Matt Patricia– and Joe Judge-run offense in 2022, O’Brien’s arrival is shaping up as a significant step forward. Jones looks far more comfortable thus far in O’Brien’s offense, Howe adds.
A period during the Patriots’ recent OTA sessions may shed some early light on Mike Gesicki‘s New England role. With other tight ends staying on one field to work an inside-run drill, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes Gesicki was working with the Pats’ wide receivers on another field. Gesicki is not known for his run-blocking ability, which became an issue in Mike McDaniel‘s Miami offense last season, but he has long been a proven pass catcher. Lining up as a receiver will not be foreign to Gesicki, though it is still a bit early to determine the five-year Dolphin’s true role with his new team.
The Dolphins initially came into the offseason with a goal not to devote much money to their backup quarterback spot, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes they became “smitten” with Mike White. Miami added White early during the legal tampering period, giving the ex-Jets starter a two-year, $8MM deal ($4.5MM guaranteed). It is interesting the Dolphins would have considered skimping at QB2, considering how Tagovailoa’s injury trouble hijacked their promising 2022 season. But White (seven starts from 2021-22) is now in Teddy Bridgewater‘s former role. White, however, has also dealt with multiple injuries over the past two years. Skylar Thompson and rookie UDFA James Blackman are the other Miami QBs.
James Robinson‘s Patriots release came after the team included three injury waivers in his contract, Breer tweets. This rare protection measure included waivers on both Robinson’s knees and his left Achilles. This since-scrapped contract — Robinson has cleared waivers — illustrates the ex-Jaguars starter’s lack of options. Robinson, who saw a torn Achilles halt his early-career surge in December 2021, is facing an uncertain NFL future. The 24-year-old back has yet to earn much, either. Robinson totaled a rookie UDFA-record 1,414 scrimmage yards in 2020 but spent his first three seasons attached to league-minimum salaries.

Bills Targeted Leonard Floyd Regardless Of Von Miller’s Status

June 7th, 2023 at 12:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Von Miller is coming off his second ACL tear. While the future Hall of Fame pass rusher re-emerged from a December 2013 tear in time for Week 1 of the ’14 season, he is now 34. Given how the Bills proceeded with Tre’Davious White, it would not surprise to see the team exercise caution with Miller’s return.

Miller now expects to be ready by Week 1, but Buffalo’s recent one-year Leonard Floyd deal provides some protection against the 13th-year veteran needing more recovery time. Though, the team will be expected to have both veterans in uniform fairly early in the season. GM Brandon Beane has since said (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) the Bills targeted Floyd regardless of Miller’s health situation.

Last year, the Bills gave Miller a $120MM deal with guarantees stretching into Year 3. This pried Miller from the Rams’ grasp, with the Bills viewing the star edge rusher as a missing piece in what had been a homegrown defensive end crew. Miller tallied eight sacks in the 10 games he finished last season, but the team certainly missed him following the Thanksgiving ACL tear. Floyd, who has not missed a game since the 2017 season, profiles as a seasoned insurance option.

Floyd, 30, benefited from Miller and Aaron Donald during the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI push two seasons ago but also totaled a career-high 22 quarterback hits last season — one in which the Rams shut down Donald after 12 games. Floyd collected four of his nine sacks without Donald in the lineup, offering potential as a standalone edge presence for a Bills team that hopes to see more from its younger rushers. Of course, Floyd’s presence will reduce that contingent’s playing time.

Gregory Rousseau, a 2021 first-round pick, totaled three of his eight sacks after Miller’s injury, and A.J. Epenesa (Round 2, 2020) finished with a career-best 6.5. Boogie Basham has struggled to make a steady impact since going off the board in the 2021 second round, totaling 4.5 sacks in 23 career games. The Bills also re-signed Shaq Lawson this offseason. It does not seem the team will have room for six D-ends. Unless Miller begins the season on the reserve/PUP list, it would seem likely one of the sextet is not on the team’s initial 53-man roster.

Floyd’s arrival will give the Bills three players with at least one eight-sack season on their resume. Miller and Floyd have combined for 13 such slates, with Rousseau getting there in 2022. Floyd still fared decently as a street free agent, despite waiting until June to sign. Several edge rushers resided in the same boat, as that market has not moved much this year. Floyd’s deal may help establish a veteran market of sorts, with the likes of Frank Clark, Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney still available.

To land Floyd, the Bills authorized $7MM guaranteed on a contract that maxes out at $9MM. The team will spread out Floyd’s $5.84MM signing bonus over four years, via the use of three void years, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The void years drop Floyd’s cap hit to $2.6MM. Thanks to Ed Oliver‘s extension taking the defensive tackle’s fifth-year option price out of the equation, the Bills created some cap room for Floyd. They still hold $5.5MM, which is nearly $5MM more than they carried at this point last week.

Bills, OLB Leonard Floyd Agree To Deal

June 5th, 2023 at 6:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

6:25pm: Floyd agreed to join the Bills on a deal that pays $7MM in base value, Rapoport tweets. Incentives can take the contract to $9MM. While this is well off Floyd’s previous NFL contract — a four-year, $64MM pact the Rams shed in March — the former first-round pick still did reasonably well after spending nearly three months in free agency. Floyd received other offers, per Rapoport, who adds he turned down a more lucrative one to land with a contender in Buffalo.

8:58am: The next domino has fallen with respect to veteran edge rusher landing new contracts deep into free agency. Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year-deal with the Bills, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

The move will give Buffalo another experienced presence on the edge, and Floyd will be reunited with Von Miller after the pair spent time together with the Rams during their Super Bowl run. The latter is aiming to return to the lineup for Week 1 after his ACL tear, but Floyd will provide insurance for the team if that does not take place. When the Bills’ edge group is at full strength, it will have an intriguing mix of experience and upside.

Floyd enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles after a generally underwhelming start to his career in Chicago. The 30-year-old posted 10.5, then 9.5 and 9.0 sacks in his three years with the Rams, and was a crucial part of their defense during his time there. No other edge rusher recorded more than one sack for the team in 2022, though they still committed to parting ways with the veteran this offseason.

After failing to find a trade partner willing to take on the remainder of the contract Floyd signed in 2021, the Rams released him. That fell in line with their moves at other spots on the roster, as they look to reset financially and move past what was a highly disappointing 2022 campaign. It left Floyd on the open market amongst many other accomplished pass rushers, though, and the position’s market has remained cool through June.

Floyd has landed in a new home where there could be signficant competition for playing time, especially once Miller is healthy. The Bills have 2021 first-round pick Gregory Rousseau, along with former second-rounders A.J. Epenesa and Carlos Basham Jr. in the fold; they also re-signed veteran Shaq Lawson this offseason. Floyd logged a snap share of at least 80% in all three of his Rams seasons, so he is capable of handling a heavy workload if need be.

Given the team’s depth, however, the former first-rounder is likely in line for a smaller role in Buffalo, a team which ranked mid-pack with 40 sacks last season. A strong campaign from Floyd would help boost his free agent stock ahead of next offseason, while also providing a boost up front to a team which is once again eyeing a deep postseason run.

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