Buffalo Bills going to let DT Jordan Phillips test free agency, per report

The Buffalo Bills are going to let free-agent defensive tackle Jordan Phillips test free agency this spring reports John Wawrow of the Associated Press. While both sides “enjoyed his two seasons in Buffalo,” they don’t expect to stay together for a third or beyond.

“[The] thinking behind decision is question of how much Bills can spend because they have to focus on re-signing others,” continued Wawrow.

We projected that this was how the story was going to play out when we looked at Phillips in January. With Ed Oliver ready to step up in his second season and be the lead 3-tech, there was no need to re-sign Phillips to a massive free-agent contract.

Phillips joined the Bills on waivers in 2018 and signed a one-year deal for the 2019 season. He started nine games in 2019 and played in all 16, recording an impressive 9.5 sacks along with 31 tackles at the perfect time to raise his market value.

With full-time starters Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, Jordan Poyer, and Dion Dawkins all set to need new deals soon, Buffalo didn’t want to invest in a rotational player along their defensive line. And that makes a ton of sense long term.

In a January poll, 27% of fans at Buffalo Rumblings wanted to re-sign him to a three-year, $21 million deal. The vast majority wished him well with a new team, however, and wanted them to sign a cheaper depth option on the free-agent market.