While Von Miller will be the Bills’ cornerstone front-seven player going forward, their next defensive line will involve multiple reunions. In addition to bringing back Shaq Lawson, Buffalo re-signed Jordan Phillips to a one-year contract, per a team announcement.
Phillips enjoyed his best season with the Bills, when he registered a team-leading 9.5 sacks in 2019. That contract-year showing landed him a three-year, $30M deal from the Cardinals. Injuries slowed the veteran defensive tackle in Arizona, leading to a release earlier this week. Phillips’ Cardinals deal not panning allowed the Bills to add another player familiar with their defensive system.
Lawson also left Buffalo in 2020, signing with the Dolphins. His journey was a bit more complicated than Phillips’, with Lawson also being with the Texans and Jets during his time away from the Bills. Phillips’ production decreased further, however, after his Buffalo departure. The injuries he dealt with in Arizona limited him to just 18 games over a two-season span.
A former Dolphins second-round pick, Phillips revived his career with the Bills previously, joining the team as a waiver claim in 2018. At this point, Phillips’ 2019 season — which also featured 16 quarterback hits, 10 more than he has recorded in any other year — looks like an outlier. But the Bills may be eyeing a rotational role for the 29-year-old D-tackle this time around.
The AFC East champs gave Tim Settle a two-year, $9M deal to come over from Washington. Settle, Phillips and recent signee DaQuan Jones join Ed Oliver as Buffalo’s top inside D-linemen.
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