Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills signed veteran defensive end Morgan Fox to their practice squad after bringing in the 31-year-old free agent for a workout on Tuesday.
Fox has remained on the market since Aug. 23 when the Atlanta Falcons released him as part of final cuts. The decision was a surprise after he signed a two-year deal in March, but Atlanta’s youth movement on the defensive line led general manager Terry Fontenot to move on from Fox.
The Bills are banged up on their defensive line. Michael Hoecht went down with a torn Achilles tendon during Buffalo’s Week 9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He had made an immediate impact in less than two games, contributing 1.5 sacks and helping lead an impressive onslaught against Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver tore his biceps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, and A.J. Epenesa missed the last game with a concussion.
Buffalo only hit Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa twice and didn’t manage a single sack last week in a 30-13 blowout loss. The Bills are searching for any able bodies to throw into the mix to maintain what’s been a strength of the team this season.
Fox played his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before a one-season pitstop in Carolina. He played the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before leaving in free agency. With the Rams, Fox played a similar role on the defensive line as Hoecht did in his time with L.A. The Bills targeted Hoecht early in free agency and brought him in on a three-year deal, even though he was set to miss the first six games on suspension from a failed test for performance-enhancing drugs.
Hoecht stepped into a similar role with the Bills, playing on the edge and flipping inside to rush as a tackle. The belief is that Fox could help fill a similar role.
“Yeah, veteran player, excited to watch him today,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said before Wednesday’s practice. “It’s been a little bit of time since he’s played as well, so we got to take our time with that. But (he has) position flexibility and plays hard.”
The Bills released veteran defensive end Kingsley Jonathan, who the team signed back to the practice squad last week. Jonathan spent two seasons with the Bills, ping-ponging between the practice squad and the active roster. Once Buffalo got a look at Fox, they decided to move in that direction.
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