By Joe Buscaglia, Zac Jackson and Amos Morale III
The Buffalo Bills are bolstering their defensive unit by signing a pair of familiar players. The team added defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips to the 53-man roster Wednesday.
Both signed on one-year deals, the Bills announced.
The Browns released Jefferson, 31, on Tuesday after the veteran player appeared in five games for Cleveland this season. He tallied six tackles and a sack. Jefferson spent most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks and had brief stints with the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and his new team, the Bills. He last played for Buffalo in 2020, logging 23 total tackles and three sacks that season.
The Dallas Cowboys released Phillips after Tuesday’s deadline. He appeared in two games this season with Dallas, recording one tackle, but was placed on injured reserve in September with a wrist injury. Though the Cowboys designated Phillips to return last month, they did not activate him in Weeks 8 or 9. He spent four seasons with Buffalo (2018-2019 and 2022-2023) before his move to Dallas, in addition to stints with the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.
The Bills sit atop the AFC East at 7-2.
What the Bills get in Jefferson, Phillips
Bills general manager Brandon Beane didn’t delay attempting to improve his defensive tackle depth after the Dolphins ran the ball at will on the Bills in Week 9. In Jefferson, they’re getting a player they know can fit their scheme who can give them reps at both defensive end and defensive tackle, as he did in 2020 for the Bills, while also working as a third-down option for obvious passing downs. That was Dawuane Smoot’s role before landing on injured reserve Tuesday.
Phillips returns to a more traditional defensive tackle role, having given them reps at both defensive tackle spots in the past. Phillips is at his best as a pass rusher and will likely be a direct backup to starter Ed Oliver. Rookie DeWayne Carter went on IR in Week 8, and free agent signing Austin Johnson struggled greatly against the Dolphins, necessitating the moves. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
Why the Browns let Jefferson go
Jefferson was a non-factor for the Browns and was a healthy scratch in four straight games before the team granted his release ahead of the trade deadline, allowing Jefferson to pick his next team.
He was signed to boost the interior pass rush on what was already an experienced front, and though Jefferson recorded a sack in a Week 2 win at Jacksonville, he totaled six pressures in five games, per Pro Football Focus, while playing just 44 percent of the snaps in those games. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
