Casey Rogers celebrates a play in a Nebraska game.
The Buffalo Bills made some big investments in their defensive line in the NFL draft and more in free agency, but are still looking for more talent to add.
The team found some this week, picking up promising defensive tackle Casey Rogers after he was waived by the New York Giants. The move came as a bit of a surprise given that the former undrafted free agent had carved out a minor role on the team, but now has the chance to make an impression on the Bills through offseason practices.
Casey Rogers Saw Playing Time in 2024
Though Rogers went undrafted last year, he earned a contract as an undrafted free agent and appeared in two games for the team. He was waived by the Giants and claimed by the Bills on Friday.
As the Bills’ team website noted, Rrogers was a former high school star in Syracuse, initially committing to Syracuse to play lacrosse before decommitting and going to Nebraska for football instead.
“Prior to making the leap to the NFL, Rogers spent five years in college playing for Nebraska (2019-21) and Oregon (2022-23),” the site noted. “In two seasons at Oregon, Rogers played in 27 games and recorded 56 tackles with 1.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss.”
Rogers can be a versatile addition to the Bills as he spent time both on defense and special teams in his two appearances with the Giants last season.
He could also have a big opportunity early in the season. Two of the team’s big free-agency additions — former Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Michael Hoecht and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi — were handed six-game suspensions by the NFL for violating the league’s rules against performance-enhancing drugs.
The Bills struggled at times in their line last season, often giving up big games to top running backs and failing to establish a consistent pass rush.
Bills Add Competition to the Defensive Line
The Bills have made some big moves on the defensive line this offseason, starting with the release of edge rusher Von Miller in a cap-saving move. The team also gave a big contract extension to edge rusher Greg Rousseau and added talent in the NFL draft.
After using their first-round draft pick on cornerback Maxwell Hairston, the Bills used their next three draft picks on the line, taking defensive tackle T.J. Sanders in the second, edge rusher Landon Jackson in the third and defensive tackle Deone Walker in the fourth.
Sanders is expected to make some big contributions to the team, with strengths both as a pass rusher and run stopper. Bleacher Report noted in its pre-draft analysis that Sanders has the physical traits and talent to excel at the NFL level.
“T.J. Sanders is an impressive run defender with plenty of pop in his hands to win at the point of attack,” the report noted. “That helps him gain control of blocks and occasionally stand-up interior offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. He also appears to have long arms to help get extension and escape blocks.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
