Buffalo Bills sign veteran defensive tackle who has started more than 100 NFL games Portrait of Sal MaioranaSal Maiorana Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Having addressed two key areas by agreeing to terms with edge rusher Joey Bosa and wide receiver Josh Palmer, the Buffalo Bills have rung the bell on yet another spot that needed help: Defensive tackle.

 

The Bills have reportedly agreed to terms Larry Ogunjobi on a one-year, $8.3 million deal with $8 million guaranteed.

 

 

The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder entered the league in 2017 as a third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, and that began a journey that took him to every AFC North team except the Baltimore Ravens as he also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and most recently, three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

 

Ogunjobi, who turns 31 in June, should not be considered anything more than a rotational player who will compete for a roster spot. He has started 108 of 124 career games which is certainly a nice resume, but his level of play with Pittsburgh has been pretty average.

 

Obviously, he’s not the big nose tackle player the Bills desperately need on the inside of their defensive line, and he will likely be in the three-technique role as the backup to Ed Oliver. The draft may be where the Bills get their big tackle.

 

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Last season, Ogunjobi played in 15 games with 12 starts for the Steelers and was on the field for 494 defensive snaps which yielded 41 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 14 pressures. The Steelers cut him on Monday with one year remaining on a three-year, $28.7 million contract he had signed in 2023 which allowed him to enter free agency.

 

Pittsburgh plays a bit of a different front, often with just three linemen, so in Buffalo’s four-man front Ogunjobi may be able to find better productivity as a penetrator. Quickness has been a part of his game as he plays similarly to Oliver in that respect.

 

Ogunjobi, whose parents moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1993, has also shown the ability to slide out to the edge and that versatility is almost a prerequisite for Bills’ defensive linemen. Newly acquired Michael Hoecht has that same skill set.

 

Last year, Ogunjobi was the Steelers’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. He is involved with the American Heart Association and the fight against childhood obesity, something that he dealt with as a kid when he weighed 350 pounds as a high school sophomore. He also hosts an annual football camp and he takes kids shopping at the holidays, and has paid to provide meals for families in need.

 

“We’ve got an obligation to give,” said Ogunjobi during a team meeting last December when teammate Cam Heyward announced he was the Payton nominee. “God has blessed us in tremendous ways. Our opportunity to give back to people is big. When you have an opportunity to put the light somewhere other than yourself, you have a chance to really make a difference. Let this be an example, anybody can do it, you guys can do it. Keep strivi

ng for greatness.”