A.J. Epenesa would thrive across from Myles Garrett on Cleveland’s defensive line
The Cleveland Browns have some work to do this offseason in regards to rebuilding its defensive line. Luckily, this year’s class of free agent defensive ends is gushing with talent.
The Browns are currently set to see 5 of their defensive linemen leave in free agency and 4 of those players saw a significant amount of snaps in 2023. Though a couple of them could be re-signed, Jim Schwartz and the rest of this defensive staff have been tasked with putting together another dominant defensive line within the next few months.
A guy like A.J. Epenesa is an intriguing option who’s shown a lot of potential during his time in Buffalo. At 6’6”, 270 pounds, he has a similar build and body type to Za’Darius Smith and has been able to do a few of the same things that Smith can do at the NFL level.
Despite their current financial situation, they can create a decent amount of cap space within the next month ($40M+). Andrew Berry has always done a great job of being able to get the best “bang for his buck” in Free Agency and he’ll most likely continue to do so in 2024.
We will continue to profile free agents as we head into the NFL combine. Once we have data from draft prospects we will add NFL draft profiles as well.
Name
A.J. Epenesa
Position
Defensive End
Height/Weight
6’6”, 270 pounds
2023 Team
Stats
2023: 15 games, 1 starts – 20 tackles, 7 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 8 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown
Career: 58 games, 4 starts – 64 tackles, 19 TFL, 15.5 sacks, 15 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown
PFF Grade: 80.3
2023 Contract
Final year of Buffalo deal, $1,870,051 cap number
Fit with Browns
Epenesa has been an incredibly versatile player for Buffalo throughout the first four years of his career. He’s played everywhere along the defensive line for the Bills, including dropping back into coverage as a stand-up linebacker. He excels with power moves, more specifically being able to convert speed to power on the edge.
His positional versatility and ability to potentially handle a larger workload could make him an attractive option for Jim Schwartz. Epenesa’s shown that he’s capable of being an above-average player when on the field and he could be an excellent running-mate across from Myles Garrett on Cleveland’s defensive line.
Browns player signing could impact
Alex Wright – If the team were to sign A.J. Epenesa, he would certainly take snaps away from Wright in Cleveland’s base defense and in different sub-packages due to his scheme and positional versatility.
Wright would most likely stay in his rotational role rather than taking a step forward in terms of his workload in 2024.
How signing could impact the NFL Draft
As it currently stands, the team might be planning on taking an edge rusher within their first 3 to 4 picks in the draft. Epenesa is only 25 years old and is oozing with potential as a full-time player. If they were to add him pre-draft, then there would be no reason to take a defensive end within that same pick range.
The Browns also drafted Isaiah McGuire in the 2023 NFL Draft, and could have higher expectations for him in year 2 as well.
Priority
High. Cleveland absolutely needs to add a playmaker at defensive end this offseason due to Za’Darius Smith hitting free agent market next week. Though there’s still a chance that the team could re-sign him, it might be smarter to go after someone who would be a bit cheaper.
Epenesa can realistically do a lot of the same things that Smith did for the team, and he’d most likely be about $6,000,000 per year cheaper.
Projected APY: $3,428,000 – $5,000,000
Who are some of your favorite free-agent defensive ends besides A.J. Epenesa? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
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