Although he is about to turn 32 and has just posted the lowest total of single-season sacks in any season in which he has been able to play a full list of games, JJ Watt is in high demand. The former Texan face, launched last week by Houston, seems like a good bet to get a multi-year pact soon.
Over the weekend, Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci suggested that the Bills, who were among Watt-linked teams immediately after his release, are unlikely to make a major free agent splash out this off-season. Instead, Carucci said he expects Buffalo to use most of his cash for an extension for QB Josh Allen, which would keep the club out of the hunt for top free agents like Watt.
However, Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN reported that the bills did ask about Watt and that mutual interest (Twitter link). Carucci’s sources confirmed just as much, saying that Bills and Watt’s agent, Tom Condon, communicated. Interestingly, Condon also represents Allen, so maybe he and Buffalo GM Brandon Beane can do a lot of work in the coming days.
Watt is trying to join a competitor with a first-class defender, and Bills, with an appearance in the AFC championship game, definitely qualifies. But there are about six teams remaining in the race, including the Browns, Titans, Steelers and Packers, and they all made the postseason in 2020. So while Carucci hears that Watt could start narrowing his list in the coming days, it is difficult to find a true leader at this time.
It’s easy to see why the bills take Watt seriously. Besides the fact that he is seen as a good match with the first team culture that Beane and head coach Sean McDermott contributed to the creation in western New York, the Bills were only 20 in the league under defender pressure last season and the first two defensive heads, Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, are 32 and 33, respectively. Of course, Watt is not far behind in terms of age, but while Watt was ranked as the seventh best defender in the league last year, according to the advanced values of Pro Football Focus, Addison was number 78 ED.
The bills are right in front of the ceiling, so theoretically they could release Addison to create just over $ 6 million in space and then put that money into a contract for Watt. Spotrac is projecting a two-year, $ 24 million bid for the first All-Pro team five times.
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