The Buffalo Bills agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent defensive end Eli Harold on Wednesday, adding another pass rusher to Leslie Frazier’s 4-3 defense.
Harold has appeared in 61 career games, logging nine sacks to go with 93 tackles during a four-year career. He spent the 2018 season with the Detroit Lions as an outside linebacker/situational pass rusher after playing the first three years of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers,
Bills fans might remember Harold, 25, for sacking New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady twice during a 26-10 win over the Patriots in Week 3 of the 2018 season.
Harold, who was drafted with the No. 79 overall pick (third round) out of the University of Virginia in the 2015 NFL Draft, started 24 of a possible 32 games for the 49ers during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Playing as a strong-side linebacker, Harold amassed 71 tackles with five sacks combined in 2016 and 2017.
His best statistical season came last year, when he recorded four sacks in 13 games.
Listed as 6’3” and 243 lbs, Harold should vie for playing time with Eddie Yarborough for a spot in the Bills’ defensive end rotation behind starters Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, and Trent Murphy.