Hey Buffalo Bills fans. Look what we have here. We have a Leonard Floyd signing by GM Brandon Beane. The Buffalo Bills offseason addition last played with the LA Rams in 2022 and was teammates with current Bills superstar pass rusher Von Miller in the 2021 season.
What did they do together that year? Oh, they won the Super Bowl. And they most definitely are back as teammates to help Orchard Park celebrate the Buffalo Bills possibly winning their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
How Floyd was Acquired
On June 5, 2023, Floyd signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, reuniting with former LA Rams teammate Miller.
Floyd was brought in as an extra pass rusher to compliment Miller who was already brought in from the Rams in 2022 to do the same thing. Together, they will be the thunder and lighting on the Bills’ pass defense.
What He Brings to the Team
At 6′ 6″, 240 lbs., Floyd is a lighter-weight pass rusher but is all speed and burst off the line of scrimmage. Once he is in the offensive backfield, it’s game over for your offensive line and quarterback.
While Floyd has been teammates with Miller, the two have been compared to each other as both have very similar playing styles. Each of their main talent is to quickly get off the line as fast as they can, without jumping offside to tackle the ball carrier or put the quarterback on his backside.
Buffalo Bills LB Von Miller (40) – Mark J. Terrill/AP
Prior Experience with Miller
Miller is 6’3″, 249 lbs., and hits a bit faster, but you wouldn’t know it when both he and Floyd are on the field together. In 2022, when Miller went down with an ACL injury, the Buffalo Bills did have Greg Rosseau blossom into a pass rusher, but he was still a second-year player.
This year, they will hopefully have Miller healthy for all 17 games along with an emerging Floyd to have two menacing pass rushers to get after Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes as the Bills hit the road to play the Bengals and the Chiefs later in the season.
Sure, it’s fun to just have Miller on your team as he is a franchise-changing player in his own words. As the former number two pick by the Denver Broncos in 2011, he enjoyed a long 10-year career highlighted by an MVP nod in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos defeated Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
Super Bowl 56-Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Super Bowl Experience
His last Super Bowl win came with now current teammate Floyd in Super Bowl 56 as the LA Rams defeated Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on a game-winning TD from QB Matthew Stafford to WR Cooper Kupp.
With Miller and Kupp leading the way, Burrow was sacked nine times as the Bengals’ O-line couldn’t adjust to the speed of Miller and Kupp and the rest of the Rams’ pass rush.
But Burrow got his revenge last year in the divisional playoffs against the Buffalo Bills when Miller wasn’t in the lineup and the Bills had zero pass rush, run stopping, or zero defense at all in that game.
The Bengals kept the Bills on the field for most of the second half. With the Bills still trailing 27-10 with four minutes left to go and Josh Allen with the ball, it was too little, too late for a magical postseason comeback.
Burrow better watch out as by the time we play him, Miller and Floyd should be healthy and the Buffalo Bills pass rush will be ready to give him a good show in both the regular season and the playoffs.
First, Miller and Floyd better be ready for the man, the myth, the legend, and also Pat McAfee’s favorite pal on Tuesdays. That’s right; the Buffalo Bills will be taking on Aaron Rodgers and the NY Jets on MNF on September 11, 2023.
Beating “Joe Cool” and the Bengals is just one long step towards the ultimate goal and that is to win the Super Bowl.
