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There’s been no shortage of discussion about the Buffalo Bills’ plans along the defensive line. After a nearly 10-year run in former head coach Sean McDermott’s 4-3 base, nickel-heavy scheme, the Bills are changing things up beginning with the 2026 NFL season — which includes along the defensive line.
There are a lot of familiar names set
to reprise roles in Buffalo’s defensive trenches, but there’s plenty of new opportunity and some new blood to the room. However, after finding out the team will be without defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis thanks to a suspension for the first three games of the upcoming season, there was new urgency to add talent to the room.
Since early in the offseason, when president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane added defensive tackle Zane Durant in the 2026 NFL Draft, many have wondered what the plan was to stop the run. Durant profiles more akin to Ed Oliver, and the big man set to stuff the middle of the trenches as the team’s starter is Deone Walker. He’s shown a ton of talent, but he’s more in the mold of a freakish disruptor than someone who should be asked to clog rushing lanes.
There had been enough buzz around Tommy Akingbesote to guess he had a path to the active roster as a depth player who profiled as a space-eating one-tech defensive tackle. But two things appeared evident: The Bills may not prioritize space eaters, and they also needed to further address the defensive tackle position.
Recently, we heard rumblings of Buffalo’s front office reaching out to check on Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea. The now-former disgruntled DT was the talk of NFL circles after expressing discontent over his current contract. Vea’s staying in Tampa Bay, having agreed to a one-year, $30 million deal. It all seemed a bit rich for the Bills to meaningfully approach a trade, but Beane will always check on talented players.
It would seem, however, that their chats with the Bucs’ front office proved fruitful enough for roster needs. Earlier this week, Buffalo signed free-agent defensive lineman Greg Gaines to a one-year contract. Gaines fits the mold of a traditional space eater at nose tackle. He’s played eight seasons in the NFL since being selected by the Los Angeles Rams during Round 4 of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers connection here comes via Gaines’ three-year tenure with Tampa Bay, where he started nine of 49 games played from 2023 through 2025. The 6’1”, 312-pound Gaines isn’t pegged to be a starter with the Bills, instead taking on a reserve role. His game provides a much-needed specialized skill set as someone who will likely see action in obvious run situations.
The addition of Gaines saw Buffalo release Akingbesote, while it remains to be seen how his presence affects the depth chart elsewhere. Now including Gaines, the Bills currently roster 10 defensive linemen/tackles in DeWayne Carter, Travis Clayton, Zane Durant, Landon Jackson, Zion Logue, Phidarian Mathis, Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, and Deone Walker. That list includes seven players selected by Beane and company in recent drafts (Carter, Clayton, Durant, Jackson, Oliver, Sanders, Walker).
It would appear that despite their efforts, the Bills still felt a need to add talent from the outside. How do you rate the signing of Greg Gaines? Is it a needle mover one way or the other, or elsewise?
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