Overlooked free agent brings ‘old school’ feel to Bills defense

There’s a reason the Buffalo Bills didn’t use their remaining salary cap space to add a veteran defensive end, and his name is Dawuane Smoot.

After spending his first seven NFL seasons as part of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive line rotation, Smoot signed a one-year deal with the Bills in the first week of May. The 2017 third-round pick, who has 99 regular-season appearances under his belt, immediately made a good impression on Buffalo’s first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Babich.

“He’s been unbelievable, he’s a true professional. I met him and his wife, his wife came after he signed, they’re just a great family,” Babich said before practice No. 3 in Pittsford. “He’s a great person, a complete professional, he cares about the guys around him, he’s a great teammate. I can’t wait to see what he can bring to us.”

Smoot had four consecutive seasons of at least 5.0 sacks as a rotation player from 2019-22, when he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon against the New York Jets. Although Smoot returned to the field in 2023, playing in 12 games, he reportedly never regained his pre-injury form.

Since Jacksonville let him go, Smoot has something to prove in Buffalo and he’s doing it with a notable “upside.”

“He’s been great. Dawuane Smoot brings a more athletic side to football, for lack of a better term, he has that old-school side. I can’t wait to see Dawuane when we put the pads on,” Babich said.

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While he’s clearly in the plans for the upcoming season, Smoot needs to establish himself during his first training camp with the Bills.

“He also has work to do, like everyone else. Dawuane has been a great asset for us,” Babich said.

Smoot will likely compete for reps behind Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa and Von Miller.

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