Help is coming for the Buffalo Bills next week.
How much help is coming, how they are used and how big of an impact they will create is another story. But it’s coming at a time when the Bills could use some help, coming off the bye after two dismal outings.
Defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi are eligible to return from six-game suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. And Bills coach Sean McDermott said they are contemplating opening the 21-day window for first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston to return from injured reserve after suffering an LCL injury July 30.
Offensive tackle Tylan Grable (concussion) and kicker Tyler Bass (hip/groin) have been eligible to return from IR the last two weeks, but there has been no movement with them. The Bills opened two roster spots by placing safety Damar Hamlin (pectoral) and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (knee) on IR last week and added another by releasing linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo and re-signing him to the practice squad.
Larry Ogunjobi
After final cuts, it was fair to wonder whether Ogunjobi had a role waiting upon return or if he would ever actually play a game for the Bills. The 31-year-old saw a decline in production with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
General manager Brandon Beane said had he known about Ogunjobi’s suspension before agreeing to terms, they wouldn’t have signed him and Hoecht. And Hoecht received a three-year, $21 million deal while Ogunjobi signed up for a one-year term.
But injuries have ravaged the Bills at defensive tackle and they can’t afford to lose the depth. Since final cuts, four defensive tackles have missed at least one game, two are on IR and they have missed a combined 13 games.
That includes DeWayne Carter, who tore his Achilles two days after final cuts. And the Bills only had three defensive tackles available against the Atlanta Falcons Monday after DaQuan Jones injured his calf in pregame warm-ups.
Not only are the Bills last in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt (5.8) and 30th in total yards rushing allowed (938), but their resources to patch holes in the position are thin.
Zion Logue has exhausted all of his practice-squad call-ups and isn’t eligible to play until the postseason unless the Bills sign him to the active roster. Meanwhile, Jordan Phillips used two of his three call-ups.
Michael Hoecht
Hoecht is immediately going to have a significant role in the defense. He will provide a spark in early-down run defense as a force player on the edge.
His addition may also provide McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich options to be more creative than usual. The Los Angeles Rams used Hoecht all over the formation and the Bills were doing the same in training camp, bouncing from the edge to defensive tackle and even linebacker.
It has been a while since the Bills had a hybrid player like Hoecht. Javon Solomon has played a similar role, including rush defensive tackle the last two weeks. But Solomon hasn’t hit 20 defensive snaps in a game this season.
When it comes to Hoecht, think about how McDermott used Lorenzo Alexander during his first two seasons as coach in 2017 and 2018. Alexander, who spent the bulk of his career as a near-300-pound defensive tackle and special teams ace, slimmed down and transitioned to linebacker during his twilight to finally being a critical part of Buffalo’s defense.
Alexander was a 3-4 outside linebacker and a rush end under Rex Ryan in 2016. But McDermott’s staff moved him around. Alexander played 40% of his snaps on the edge and 60% as a traditional linebacker in two seasons in McDermott’s defense.
At nearly 270 pounds, Hoecht, like Alexander, entered the NFL as a defensive tackle before reshaping his body and is more of a traditional defensive end in Buffalo’s defense. Hoecht’s not suited to play inside linebacker more than a few plays per game. But he is a chess piece that moves every play.
Adding Hoecht may have consequences for other players. A healthy scratch the first four games, third-round pick Landon Jackson has played the last two games to give the Bills a bigger element against the run than Solomon, who is under 250 pounds.
Hoecht’s use may send Jackson back to the inactive list because the Bills feel Solomon provides a bigger impact on special teams. It should also allow the Bills to manage snaps better for Joey Bosa, who has played over 68% of the snaps this season.
Maxwell Hairston
Hairston may be the most important of the three and not just because not having a first-round pick contribute at all as a rookie is brutal. The Bills have struggled at cornerback opposite of Christian Benford.
Tre’Davious White has struggled so much that sixth-round pick Dorian Strong saw 15 snaps in a rotation with White against the Saints. But Strong is on IR after injuring his neck during the game.
And the Bills have given up 500 yards passing over the past two games. Hairston hasn’t played football in 2 ½ months and he missed almost all of his first training camp, so there is going to be an adjustment.
But if Hairston is healthy and they thought his competition with White was close in the spring and first week of camp, it might be wise to give him a chance to play. Beyond coverage skills, having a more physically dynamic cornerback — Hairston had the top 40-yard dash (4.28 seconds) at the NFL scouting combine — allows the Bills to be more aggressive.
Whether it’s blitzing more often or putting an extra defender in the box to limit the run, it usually increases the chances of man-to-man coverage outside. The Bills are always going to play more zone — it’s a zone league and a zone defense — but they have to play more than 21% man if they can’t stop the run more consistently.
Roster juggling
Activating Bass would be a simple swap for Matt Prater. But Prater has missed just one kick since signing just before the season opener, although he’s only had to attempt one 50-yard field goal, which he made.
However, if they want to bring back Grable, Hamlin, Sanders and Strong once they are healthy (and four games have passed), players must be released to make room.
Solomon’s defensive snaps are likely to dwindle with Hoecht back, but the Bills value his special teams play too much to cut him. The Bills are high rookie sixth-round pick Chase Lundt’s versatility to play guard and tackle. He hasn’t been active in six games, but he’s a developmental player and releasing him creates a risk of another team claiming him on waivers.
The Bills could find a trade partner for tackle Ryan Van Demark if they want Grable back at some point this season. Or they could carry 10 offensive linemen, which they have done in the past.
The most obvious bubble candidates are return specialist Brandon Codrington and safety Sam Franklin Jr. Codrington returned against the Falcons Monday after being a healthy scratch for two games because new kick returner Curtis Samuel was injured.
Codrington doesn’t provide much value outside of kick and punt returns and the same goes for Franklin. He may be their best special teams player, but he hasn’t played a defensive snap all season and only played four with Carolina last year.
Trades
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 4 and there is reason to believe Beane will make a deal before then beyond current roster needs. Beane has made seven in-season (after Week 1) trades since arriving in 2017 and he’s done so in three consecutive years, landing running back Nyheim Hines, cornerback Rasul Douglas and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
But trading for a player would likely require another roster move to make room. Frankly, player-for-player trades are a rarity.
Beane has only made one such in-season trade, swapping running back Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick for Hines in 2022. And he’s no anomaly in the league.
The Browns trade cornerback Greg Newsome to Jacksonville for cornerback Tyson Campbell with future picks mixed in. The Ravens also acquired safety Alohi Gilman and a future pick from the Ravens in exchange for linebacker Odafe Oweh and a pick.
But over the last decade, just 14 of the league’s 130 trades in-season have involved multiple players. It’s also worth noting the Bills only have $2.544 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.