With the new NFL league year up and running, the Buffalo Bills took advantage of some new players that could bolster their already talented offense.
Their key focus was on adding additional size to the offensive line, creating more speed to the running back position, and bulking up their receiver core.
Let’s take a look at three important players the Buffalo Bills picked up for more offensive help this past week in Free Agency and what each new member will bring to the table.
Buffalo Bills Free Agent Signing #1
Damien Harris (RB)
The former New England Patriots ball carrier is heading to his AFC East rival and is now joining the Bills as an immediate replacement for the departed Devin Singletary. The talented back signed a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The 26-year-old Harris was drafted 87th overall in the third round of the 2019 draft from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The duel threat running back barely saw the field as a rookie, sitting behind Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, and James White, who had most of the reps at running back.
In 2020, Harris had 691 rushing yards on 137 carries and two touchdowns before his breakout year in 2021, with 929 yards rushing on 202 carries and 15 touchdowns.
His 2022 season was underwhelming, as injuries hampered him to only playing eleven games, where he rushed for just 462 yards on 106 carries and three touchdowns. To play both sides of the aisle, those are still solid numbers for someone who missed five games on the season.
Harris will see playing time alongside running back James Cook, who, last year as a rookie, ran for 507 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Look for the two backs to share time in the backfield.
#Patriots take 8-0 lead over #Bills on 64-yd TD run by Damien Harris, with 2-pt PAT rush by Brandon Bolden. Longest TD rush vs BUF since Derrick Henry's 76-yd gain at Ten 10/18/21 #NFL #MNF
— Mike Haim (@mikehaim) December 7, 2021
The newly signed back had some of his best games against the Bills, including a 64-yard TD run on MNF in Orchard Park, while playing for the Pats during Mac Jones’ rookie year.
Buffalo Bills Free Agent Signing #2
Trent Sherfield (WR)
The 27-year-old is a big addition to the receiver room, literally and figuratively. At 6’1″, 219 lbs. Sherfield has the build of current Bills Wide Receiver Gabe Davis and current Bucs Wide Receiver Mike Evans.
He also has the speed of former teammate and Dolphins’ WR Tyreek Hill. That’s pretty scary when you combine all those factors together and line him up with Stefon Diggs.
The speedy receiver had a career-high 417 yards on 30 catches and two touchdowns with the Dolphins. He also was third on the squad averaging 13.9 yards per catch, barely trailing Hill, who had 14.4 yards per catch.
Sherfield had a decorated college career playing at Vanderbilt University. He completed his course there with 1,869 receiving yards (8th in school history).
He also holds the college record for most receiving yards in a single game (240 yards vs. Austin Peay in 2015).
Buffalo Bills Free Agent Signing #3
David Edwards (OL)
Now, the focus shifts from speed to size. At 6’6″, 308 lbs. David Edwards is healthy, recovering from a concussion that kept him out for 13 regular season games.
After 21 football games I can confirm that my fingers hurt! #worldchamp
— David Edwards (@dedwards) February 14, 2022
He spent most of his career as a durable starter with the L.A. Rams and was part of the team that won Super Bowl LVI over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pro Football Focus graded him only a 58.2 last year, but that was more due to the team having an abysmal hangover season after winning the Lombardi Trophy the season prior.
Now that Edwards is in Buffalo, he will be on a Bills team that will be once again in contention for a Super Bowl.
The big offensive lineman will be reuniting with O-line coach Aaron Kromer. He and coach Kromer knew each other from spending three years together during their stay in Los Angeles.
Edwards will be looking to compete for a starting job on the O-line in conjunction with Ike Boettger, Ryan Bates, and Conner McGovern.
But of course, they still have the NFL draft coming up in April, so let’s see what will happen next.