A.J. Epenesa was a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2020 and a good-solider as a backup defensive end for his first six seasons in the NFL — and now he’s a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
GM Howie Roseman signed the veteran edge rusher on Wednesday to add a rotational piece to Philadelphia’s defensive front. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first on the news:
As Schefter mentioned, Epenesa originally agreed to a one-year pact with the Browns but a failed physical nullified the deal.
Epenesa appeared in 91 regular-season games and 14 playoff contests for the Bills. He recorded 6.5 sacks twice (2022 and 2023) and never reached 30 pressures in a single regular season in Buffalo, though he had over 20 each year after his rookie campaign in 2020.
He was best as a rotational three-down type, perfectly suited for the Sean McDermott defense because of his size and length. He did deflect 21 passes in his six-year stint in Buffalo, and had four interceptions, none bigger than his tip-to-pick of Patrick Mahomes in the Bills win in Arrowhead in 2023.
Because of the timing of Epenesa signing with the Eagles, although he was an unrestricted free agent, he will not count toward the Bills 2027 compensatory pick formula.
NFL rules specify that following the first month after the NFL Draft, any unrestricted free agent on an expiring contract no longer counts toward his previous team’s compensatory pick formula.
The Bills are currently not projected to get any compensatory picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
