Bills Urged to Avoid Former Washington Commanders No. 2 Pick in Free Agency
The Washington Commanders appeared to have made the right decision when they traded Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline.
After winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year in his rookie season, Young, the former No. 2 overall pick, was limited by injury in 2021 and 2022 and was relegated to a backup role in his nine games with San Francisco.
As Young enters free agency for the first time, Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey listed him as a player the Buffalo Bills, in need of pass-rushing help, should avoid signing.
“The Bills must reconfigure their pass rush with A.J. Epenesa, Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson scheduled to hit free agency,” Tansey wrote in a story published February 14. “Chase Young could intrigue the Buffalo front office because his pass-rushing skills, but he could command too much money to fit in the Bills’ plans.”
Instead, Tansey wrote, the draft “seems like the best spot to find any potential pass-rushing replacements at an affordable cost.”
The Bills do have a need for a pass rusher.
“Last year’s draft was the first time the Bills could ignore the defensive end position in many years, but with their current situation, it’s back near the top of the needs list,” The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote on February 6. “The only sure thing they have in their edge rusher group right now is Greg Rousseau. … There is also an added emphasis to take a defensive end early this year, as Rousseau is due a huge pay increase — either in the form of his fifth-year option or a long-term extension — in 2025.”
