LAKE FOREST, Ill. − Whenever Michael Hoecht stands on the sideline for an 11-on-11 drill in training camp, the Buffalo Bills defensive end is following the same mental checklist.
Day Nine of Buffalo Bills Training Camp
Bills edge rusher Michael Hoecht goes through a drill during training camp on Aug. 3 in Pittsford. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
As the Bills’ defense lines up, Hoecht recites the play call. Then, based on the offense’s formation, he diagnoses which checks and adjustments he’d need to make if he were one of the defensive ends. Finally, as the ball is snapped, Hoecht thinks through the steps he’d take to beat his lineman and reach the backfield.
The exercise is part of Hoecht’s multitiered plan to prepare for the six weeks he’ll be suspended to start the season. His violation of the NFL performance-enhancing drugs policy will prevent him from entering One Bills Drive for four weeks, and he won’t be able to play until their Week 8 game in Carolina on Oct. 26.
“I’ll be watching on TV and watching on an iPad, so I’m trying to practice that now so when we get into that time, I’m not learning how to do it then,” Hoecht, 27, told The Buffalo News following practice Tuesday. “In the NFL, you have to learn how to play football by watching other people and watching film. It’s a skill that if you want to make it in this league, you’ve got to be very good at. This is a really good test for that.”
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Hoecht isn’t the only Bills player going through the process. Larry Ogunjobi, a 31-year-old defensive tackle with eight seasons of NFL experience, also is suspended six games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. The team knew about Hoecht’s punishment before it signed the edge rusher to a three-year, $21 million contract in March, but it wasn’t aware of Ogunjobi’s violation when he signed a one-year deal.
To prepare for their absences, the Bills’ coaching staff constructed a thorough plan to manage their snaps in practices and preseason games. They need to give Hoecht and Ogunjobi enough opportunities to integrate into the defense, but the rookies and second-year linemen also must be on the field enough to prepare for the roles they will fill while the veterans are away from the team.
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Bills coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich have not detailed the plan, but Hoecht and Ogunjobi are expected to play more snaps than usual Sunday night when Buffalo faces the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. They will be on the field for the preseason finale six days later, then they can’t enter the building again until Sept. 29.
“As a vet, I’ve been here before,” Ogunjobi, who spent the past three seasons in Pittsburgh, explained. “I’ve played a good amount of ball, so it’s really honing in on my craft. I’m trying to perfect certain things, seeing what works and what doesn’t work since this is a different defense than I was in before. It’s good just to being back in the attack style, getting up the field, and I feel good. That’s the most important thing.”
The preseason opener last week at Highmark Stadium provided a glimpse of how both defensive linemen can contribute to the Bills’ defense.
During the first quarter, Hoecht got his right arm around New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in the backfield while Ogunjobi occupied two blockers. But Dart avoided the sack by throwing a quick pass to tight end Greg Dulcich in the right flat.
Early in the second quarter, Hoecht used a cross chop on an inside stunt to beat the Giants’ right tackle and take down Dante Miller in the backfield. On the next play, Ogunjobi shot through the B gap to pressure Dart, only to watch the first-round pick gain 18 yards on a screen pass to Miller. Hoecht then overpowered the right tackle and batted Dart’s pass, causing the ball to flutter toward linebacker Joe Andreessen, who nearly secured the interception.
Hoecht and Ogunjobi played 22 and 21 snaps, respectively, showcasing how they can add to a defensive line that needs to be a strength for the Bills in 2025.
“I like him,” McDermott said of Hoecht. “We talk about being a smart football team on defense, and he is smart. He’s tough, he can set a tone for us, and so he’s been a really good addition. ... What you see on tape, you really never know until you get a player here. And free agency is always a little bit of unknown because you just don’t know. Coming from a different locker room, culture, what have you. But I think he’s going to be able to help us.”
Hoecht experienced some nerves once he arrived in Orchard Park for voluntary offseason workouts. Expectations were higher. His second NFL contract is with a Super Bowl contender, and McDermott’s defense is different than the one Hoecht left in Los Angeles.
Undrafted in 2020 from Brown University, Hoecht entered the league as a 300-pound defensive tackle and morphed his physique to become a defensive end for the Rams. His breakthrough occurred in 2023, when he had six sacks with 81 tackles and 28 quarterback hurries while playing 85% of the defensive snaps. He wasn’t on the field as often last season, but he has 13½ sacks over the past three seasons. Hoecht pairs the strength of a defensive tackle with the first step of an effective pass rusher, a combination that caught the Bills’ eye long before he became a free agent. He even had a pass breakup while covering three-time 1,000-yard receiver D.K. Metcalf.
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Hoecht, A.J. Epenesa, Javon Solomon and rookie Landon Jackson will rotate into the Bills’ defense to relieve their starters, Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa. It’s unclear how much Hoecht will play against the Bears on Sunday night. The coaching staff and front office consider several factors when making that decision. He already has a thorough plan for once he must leave, though.
“They know I’m a professional, and I’m going to handle it well,” said Hoecht, who grew up in Oakville, Ont. “That’s part of the reason why I think they wanted me to come here. If I want to come out of this the best I possibly can be and not let a bad situation be even worse than it has to be, you’ve got to do all the right stuff.”
Hoecht will remain near Orchard Park so he can maintain the same rhythm and routine each workday. He will work out at a private gym in Hamburg, perform defensive-line drills on a nearby football field and follow the plan given to him by the Bills’ strength staff. The team learned through Von Miller’s suspension last season how to prepare a player to return to the game-day roster.
Ogunjobi plans to stay in Orchard Park or return to Miami to follow a similar regimen. There will be countless hours in the weight room, position-specific workouts on a football field and film study. Both will watch the Bills’ games closely to stay up to date on the scheme and their roles within the defense.
Buffalo Bills New York Giants Preseason Football
Bills edge rusher Michael Hoecht pressures Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart during the first half of the preseason opener. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Ogunjobi is a run-stuffing tackle who has appeared in 214 games with three teams during his career. His spot on the roster may not be guaranteed, however, because the Bills’ rookies, most notably T.J. Sanders, have impressed during camp. They also have Deone Walker and DeWayne Carter, so there’s pressure on Ogunjobi to perform.
“It’s one of those things where you just have to take it on the chin and keep working,” Ogunjobi said. “You never try to cheat the game and I never have. You have to work hard, take it for what it is and keep grinding. I have an amazing opportunity in front of me. Come back and get to playing. I love it.”
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