Bills Linked to 10-Year Veteran Edge Rusher in Free Agency

The Buffalo Bills could be looking at adding depth to their pass rushing group as NFL free agency nears.

Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reported that the Bills have interest in 10-year veteran Preston Smith, who was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a cap-cutting move. The Bills struggled to generate a consistent pass rush in recent seasons despite some high-profile additions, and Smith could add quality depth and some veteran leadership to the unit.

Bills Among Several Teams Interested in Preston Smith

Pauline reported that the Bills have company in pursuing Smith, who has expressed a desire to close out his career with a shot at winning a Super Bowl.

“Former Steelers edge rusher Preston Smith, who was released as a salary-cap casualty just a few weeks ago, is getting a lot of interest here at the combine,” Pauline wrote.

“Three teams, most prominently the Buffalo Bills, have expressed a desire to sign Smith once free agency begins. If it happens, it would be a great coupling, as Buffalo needs depth at pass rusher, and Smith wants to finish his career with a playoff team.”

Smith came into the league as a second-round pick with Washington in 2015. He has appeared in 163 games over this 10-year career, making a total of 70.5 sacks with five interceptions and 10 forced fumbles. He had a total of 4.5 sacks last season, starting this season with the Green Bay Packers before moving to the Steelers ahead of the trade deadline.

Bills Face Other Decisions as Free Agency Nears

The Bills could also face some difficult decisions with their own free agents, including veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot. He came to the Bills on a one-year contract last offseason, but The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia believes the game could bring him back to maintain depth on the edge.

“Even going into his age-30 season in 2025, Smoot still holds some value to a team as a rotational pass-rushing piece that offers versatility,” Buscaglia wrote. “Smoot took reps at both left and right defensive end throughout the season. Then, in obvious passing situations, Smoot was the Bills’ preferred option to slide inside to defensive tackle to rush the passer next to Ed Oliver. With only 1.5 sacks, Smoot didn’t have the statistical impact the Bills were hoping for when they signed him as a free agent, but there is usually a home in the NFL for a competent and versatile rotational edge rusher.”

The Bills could also face a financial decision on veteran Von Miller, who has struggled to regain his previous form after suffering a torn ACL in the 2022 season. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested the Bills would seek a restructured contract and substantial pay cut for Miller, but added that it “simply getting out of the contract and going younger” could be the stronger option for the Bills.

Releasing Miller would save the Bills $8.4 million in cap space, Ballentine noted.

“Miller was still an important cog in the defensive front,” Ballentine wrote. “He only played 25 percent of the snaps, but he was third on the team in sacks with six. If the Bills believe they can replace that production for cheaper than the cap savings they get by cutting Miller then that makes sense.”