Before he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargave says the Buffalo Bills were among the teams vying for his services. That’s according to Philadelphia-area radio host John McMullen.
The Bills were in the market for defensive linemen, signing three of them during the first week of free agency. Instead of Hargrave, Buffalo added defensive end Mario Addison, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, and defensive tackle Vernon Butler.
Hargrave was a four-year starter for the Steelers after being selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He’s a one-tech defensive tackle and would have either replaced or rotated with Star Lotulelei and Harrison Phillips. Buffalo now has Butler for that role.
We don’t know how serious the Bills were in their pursuit of Hargrave as Buffalo was only said to have been “in the mix.” It’s certainly interesting that the Bills were in on a player who signed for three years and $39 million on a defensive line full of high-priced free-agent signings and a former first-round pick. It underscores how important the organization feels the defensive line is to the success of the defense.