Bills, former first-round pick Shaq Lawson interested in reunion

The Bills may soon welcome back a familiar face. There is “mutual interest” in a return to Buffalo between the team and edge rusher Shaq Lawson, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 

Lawson, 27, was a first-rounder of the Bills in 2016. He racked up 16.5 sacks during his four-year stay in Buffalo, which wasn’t enough for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. He stayed in the division when he signed with the Dolphins in 2020 on a three-year, $30M deal. His production was essentially on par with his days in Buffalo, though, and he found himself traded to the Texans one year later.

Lawson never played in Houston, however, being moved once again later that offseason, this time to the Jets. In New York, he managed just one sack and was let go before the end of the campaign. Over his six years in the NFL, he has established himself as a capable rotational pass rusher, and a reunion in Buffalo could return him to his most productive form.

Fowler notes that “nothing is imminent” as of now, which is understandable given that the Bills are currently projected to be over the cap by roughly $2M. Still, the Bills could likely find room to fit in the veteran without much issue. If they do, he would add an experienced presence to one of the AFC’s best rosters.