The Buffalo Bills subtracted Von Miller earlier this offseason and replaced him with Los Angeles Chargers cast-off, Joey Bosa.
While Bosa is a strong replacement, he doesn't come without concern. Bosa has had issues staying healthy during his career, and he's already dealing with a calf injury that will likely keep him out until training camp.
"He'll be out for more than likely the foreseeable springtime at least and then we'll get into training camp," Bills head coach McDermott told reporters. "He should be able to go by training camp. Understand it just happened late last week, so we're still in kind of the exploratory phase of what that's going to mean."
There is still plenty of time for Bosa to get right before the season starts, but getting him to the playoffs healthy could still prove to be a difficult task.
If the Bills want more depth at the position in the wake of Bosa's injury concerns already creeping up, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano predicts the team will acquire Detroit Lions free agent Za'Darius Smith.
"Smith’s best days are behind him, but he proved last season with the Detroit Lions that he’s still capable of being a reliable rotational player for a Super Bowl contender," Manzano wrote.
"The Bills have already added Joey Bosa, but he has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons and recently injured his calf. "Even if Bosa stays healthy when the season arrives, Buffalo still needs depth behind No. 1 edge rusher Gregory Rousseau.
"Smith, who’s entering his age-33 season, has 69 career sacks in 10 NFL seasons."
We would pump the brakes on Smith's best days being behind him. After all, he did tally nine sacks in 2024, which was tied for the fourth-highest total of his career.
So, why would the Lions cut him when they have a clear need at EDGE opposite Aidan Hutchinson? Well, it comes down to money, according to Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
"It was an amicable decision," Holmes admitted. "We couldn't afford it is the bottom line... That was my communication with him and he understood that," Holmes said.
Smith would be a fantastic insurance policy for Bosa and someone who could even start. If Bosa can stay healthy, the Bills would have an embarrassment of riches at EDGE when you also include A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau, and that group would be more than enough for the Bills to compete for a Super Bowl with.
The biggest roadblock to the Bills signing Smith is money. The veteran will likely be seeking the $11 million or so he was set to make in Detroit, but the Bills have just $1.6 million left in cap space, which isn't enough to cut it.
Could Smith take a massive discount to join a Super Bowl contender like Buffalo? It's possible, but there are other contenders out there with the funds to afford his asking price, which might put the Bills at the back of the line.