Chargers Veteran May Join Joey Bosa at New Team

The Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs six straight years but haven’t reached the Super Bowl once during this stretch. Look at their last five playoff exits – they’re giving up a staggering 33.2 points per game. That’s nearly 14 points higher than what they allow in regular season play. If that was their regular season average, they’d have ranked dead last in NFL defense this year.

GM Brandon Beane didn’t mince words when addressing these defensive struggles during a radio appearance last month:

Defense had to be Buffalo’s top offseason priority – and not just adding solid contributors. The Bills desperately needed playmakers who can deliver in those critical postseason moments when everything’s on the line. They’re betting on Joey Bosa to provide some of that spark. The former Chargers edge rusher was once a double-digit sack machine and Pro Bowl regular when healthy. Now there’s a chance his former teammate could follow him to Buffalo.

That teammate? Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. The second-round pick hit the ground running in his NFL career, recording six interceptions and breaking up 35 passes from 2021-2024. Only 20 other defenders in the league matched those numbers during that span.

Samuel’s availability, like Bosa’s, comes with health concerns. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Samuel Jr. underwent neck surgery in April and is taking his time before signing with any team this summer. The procedure was likely connected to a shoulder issue that limited him to just four appearances last season.

The Bills need another cornerback

Buffalo’s defensive rebuild has been comprehensive this offseason. They’ve beefed up their front seven by adding Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht in free agency, plus drafting T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson, and Deone Walker. In the secondary, they’ve brought back familiar faces in Dane Jackson and Tre’Davious White while selecting Maxwell Hairston in the first round and adding Jordan Hancock and Dorian Strong on Day 3.

Their biggest defensive departure? Cornerback Rasul Douglas.

The 31-year-old Douglas – still unsigned – was on the field for over 75% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last year. That’s a significant void to fill for a team with championship aspirations.

The Bills are counting on rookie Hairston – who made plenty of splash plays in college – to step right into Douglas’s role. But Samuel Jr., if he can get healthy, would give them a proven veteran option at a likely discount rate. He’d provide valuable insurance if Hairston needs development time and add experienced depth to a cornerback room that might need it during a deep playoff run.