Joey Bosa, Buffalo Bills
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
As the NFL draft approaches in the next two weeks, many teams appear to be holding off on signing free agents until they have a clearer picture of their roster after the draft concludes.
The Bills are definitely a team to keep an eye on in the free agent market once the draft wraps up at the end of April. Buffalo is likely to bring in a few veteran players to fill positions that weren’t addressed during the draft, and several former Bills might also be looking for new opportunities in the coming months.
Cleveland Browns Urged to Sign Former Bills Pass Rusher Joey Bosa
A former Bills player currently available on the open market is pass rusher Joey Bosa. It may come as a surprise that Bosa is still unsigned, but Aidan Chacon, a writer for Browns On SI, believes that Clevelandshould definitely pursue him.
“Investing $10 to $12 million on a player like former Ohio State Buckeye Joey Bosa or even taking a chance on a seasoned pass rusher who hasn’t been given a chance to start a full season like AJ Epenesa would further level out the playing field in the unpredictable AFC North division,” Chacon wrote on Wednesday.
Buffalo signed Bosa to a one-year, $12.6 million deal last season, and he had a solid impact with the Bills. He recorded five sacks and forced five fumbles over 15 games, playing a significant role in helping Buffalo reach the playoffs.
Before Bosa joined the Bills, he played nine seasons with the Chargers. He spent his first season in San Diego before the team relocated to Los Angeles, where he played for the next eight seasons.
Reasons Bosa is Still on The Open Market
One of the biggest issues with Bosa was his struggle to stay healthy with the Chargers, during which he played fewer than 10 games in three of his nine seasons. However, over the last two seasons, he has participated in 29 games. While it’s unlikely that Bosa will ever play in all 17 regular season games in a season, if he can manage to put in 13 to 15 games, he could be a solid bargain at this point in free agency.
Spotrac recently listed Bosa’smarket value at $13 million per season, more than the Bills offered him last year. Since he could potentially secure a $13 million annual contract, that might be one reason he has yet to finalize a deal with any team.
Some teams may be concerned about paying Bosa $13 million per season, given that he will turn 31 this year. If he can’t stay healthy, he may not be worth that kind of money, especially with his production of five sacks not justifying such a salary.
Another reason Bosa is still on the market is that this year’s draft class is loaded with pass rushers. Teams are likely gearing up to select one of them, and if any team misses out, Bosa could see a deal come together as soon as Sunday, the day after the draft.