Buffalo Bills sign free agent Leonard Floyd to one-year deal

Former L.A. Rams linebacker Leonard Floyd has signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Released by the Rams in March, Floyd is coming off of his third season in Los Angeles. He racked up 29 sacks during those three seasons, including nine in 2022.

The Buffalo Bills are a contender to win the AFC this season and they’ve been adding power to the defensive line to help them get there. They signed Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips to one-year deals and now reunite Floyd with his former Rams teammate Von Miller as well.

Floyd, taken No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, is going into his eighth year in the league. His last contract with the Rams, he signed in March of 2021 for four years, $64 million. His former team cleared $3 million in cap space for 2023 when they released him.

In 2020, one year after exercising his fifth-year option, the Bears released Floyd, clearing $13.2 million in cap space. He signed with the Rams initially on a one-year deal for $10 million.

The Bills are Floyd’s third team, following the Bears and the Rams. He has 340 career tackles in regular season games, as well as 47.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and two interceptions. He also scored a touchdown in 2018 off of one of those interceptions.

Playing for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2013-15, Floyd had 17 sacks over three seasons.

The 30-year-old now has a chance at a second Super Bowl ring as the Buffalo Bills enter the season as the favorite to win the AFC East again.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. At that time, contracts running through 2022 officially ran out, making those players free agents.

Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7.

The legal negotiation period spanned from March 13 through March 15. The new year marked the beginning of all trades going official per the league office.

April 21 was the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 26, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hit.