Greg

Rousseau

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal includes $54 million guaranteed. The Bills wasted no time in extended their defensive end, doing so prior to the final year on his rookie contract. The extension will now tie Rousseau to the Bills through his age-29 season. Rousseau has played three seasons for the Bills after opting out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, amassing 129 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, and 17 sacks in his time with the team.

The extension includes $54 million guaranteed for Rousseau while making him the eighth-highest paid EDGE on average in the NFL. A former first-round pick who had his fifth-year option picked up a year ago, he’s had eight sacks in two of the last three seasons. In 2024, Rousseau, who turns 25 next month, forced three fumbles, earned an 83.1 overall grade from PFF (12 among EDGEs), and had 63 QB pressures (10th among EDGEs). The extension is the third the Bills have handed out already this offseason as Khalil Shakir and Terrell Bernard also got new deals. Rousseau will now be in Buffalo through the 2029 season.

Rousseau has totaled 17 sacks and 30 TFLs in his first three seasons with the Bills, starting all 46 games he’s appeared in. The former first-round pick finished last season ranked 27th amongst all EDGEs in quarterback pressures (55) and ranked 39th in PFF pass-rushing grades (min. 200 snaps). He’s still waiting on his first double-digit sack season, but Rousseau, who turned 24 earlier this month, has the makeup of a high-end pass rusher if he can continue to progress in his development.

Rousseau has totaled 129 tackles and 17 sacks in three seasons with the Bills while adding another 30 TFLs. The 2021 first-round pick has generated 127 pressures for his career per PFF and ranked 27th amongst EDGE rushers in pressures last season. If the Bills do exercise Rousseau’s fifth-year option, he will officially be under contract with the team through 2025.

Rousseau exited against the Jets and did not return. He is likely to miss Week 10 against the Vikings, with an extended absence looking possible.

Rousseau appeared to get banged up right before the half. He’s on the field with a helmet on, but his return is questionable.

As is the case with all first-round picks, Rousseau’s deal includes a fifth-year team option for 2025. Rousseau (6'7/265) is a former three-star wide receiver/safety recruit with a basketball background whose elongated frame, 11-inch hands and 83” wingspan give him natural advantages as an edge rusher. He suffered a broken ankle in his first career game, ending his 2018 season prematurely, and opted out of 2020 due to concerns with the COVID-19 virus. Rousseau essentially only has seven games of starting experience in which to project his viability at the next level. In his defense, the Miami pass rusher put up a prolific 2019, recording 15.5 sacks and 54 tackles as a redshirt freshman en route to receiving All-ACC First Team and FWAA Second Team All-America recognition. Despite his ideal frame and length, Rousseau is still raw as a player. He took advantage of mismatches on the interior to roll up sack totals and won’t be able to beat NFL tackles around the edge without more refinement of his pass rush skills. There is a good amount of projection in Rousseau’s evaluation, but he has Carlos Dunlap-like upside.

Rousseau (6'7/265) is a former three-star wide receiver/safety recruit with a basketball background whose elongated frame, 11-inch hand and 83” wingspan give him natural advantages as an edge rusher. He suffered a broken ankle in his first career game, ending his 2018 season prematurely, and opted out of 2020 due to concerns with the COVID-19 virus. Rousseau essentially only has seven games of starting experience in which to project his viability at the next level. In his defense, the Miami pass rusher put up a prolific 2019 season, recording 15.5 sacks and 54 tackles as a redshirt freshman en route to receiving All-ACC First Team and FWAA Second Team All-America recognition. Despite his ideal frame and length, Rousseau is still raw as a player. He took advantage of mismatches on the interior to roll up sack totals and won’t be able to beat NFL tackles around the edge without more refinement of his pass rush skills. There is a good amount of projection in Rousseau’s evaluation, but he has Carlos Dunlap-like upside.

Brugler told Duffy that Rousseau is a “high upside guy, a high ceiling player,” but notes that if an NFL team needed to draft a player for immediate use (like for a game tomorrow), the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Miami standout wouldn’t draw a first-round selection. He’s simply too raw. Said Brugler, “When he can untap that power, use that length. You got something there.” Rousseau opted out on the 2020 season earlier this summer and will rely on his breakout 2019 tape to boost him up. In that killer campaign, Rousseau logged 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

Miami HC Manny Diaz announced the position change on Tuesday, with Joyner Jr. (6'2/225) moving to defensive end for depth reasons. The Hurricanes lost Gregory Rousseau last month, as the projected first-round pick opted out of playing this season sue to COVID-19 concerns. After appearing in four games and redshirting in 2018, Joyner Jr. was limited to one game last season due to injury.