Strong was spotted at Buffalo's OTAs on Tuesday without a neck brace, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
It appears Strong is still nursing his neck injury, as he wasn't participating in Tuesday's voluntary OTAs. However, the fact that he's no longer wearing a neck brace is an encouraging sign for his recovery ahead of the 2026 season. The 2025 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech appeared in four regular-season games during his rookie campaign, recording 10 total tackles across 133 total snaps (87 on defense, 46 on special teams).
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Bills' DeWayne Carter: Returns from Achilles injury
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Carter (Achilles) participated in Buffalo's OTAs on Wednesday, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.
Carter, who missed all of the Bills' 2025 season due to a torn Achilles, has now returned to the field and moved past his injury. The 2024 third-round pick from Duke appeared in 11 regular-season games during his rookie campaign, recording 14 total tackles and one pass defensed. Carter also bulked up to 330 pounds this offseason and is expected to compete for meaningful reps at nose tackle.
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Bills' Terrel Bernard: Returns for OTAs
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Bernard (calf) was spotted participating in the Bills' OTAs on Wednesday, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.
Bernard missed Buffalo's final three games (including playoffs) last season due to a calf injury. However, his participation in Wednesday's OTAs suggests he's recovered from the issue. The Baylor product dealt with multiple injuries during the 2025 campaign, appearing in just 12 regular-season games and recording 65 total tackles and three passes defensed, including one interception. Now fully healthy, Bernard is expected to remain a crucial part of the Bills' linebacker corps in 2026.
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Bills' Maxwell Hairston: Past ankle issue
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Hairston (ankle) was spotted participating in Buffalo's OTAs on Wednesday, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.
Hairston didn't play in either of Buffalo's two playoff games last season due to an ankle injury, but it appears he's moved past the issue. The 2025 first-round pick from Kentucky appeared in 11 regular-season contests during his rookie campaign, recording 18 total tackles and five passes defensed, including two interceptions. Entering his second NFL season, Hairston is expected to operate as one of Buffalo's top outside cornerbacks.
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Bills' Toriano Pride: Headed to Buffalo
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The Bills selected Pride in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 220th overall.
Pride, out of Missouri, has plenty of speed to keep up with opposing wideouts at the NFL level, posting the second-best 40-yard dash time (4.32) among defensive players at the NFL Combine. However, he's a bit on the smaller side (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) and can struggle with bigger wideouts. He's a solid tackler for his size and likely will be asked to contribute on special teams to maintain a 53-man roster spot.
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Bills' Jalon Kilgore: Bound for Buffalo
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The Bills selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 167th overall.
Kilgore was a key piece of South Carolina's secondary in all three years of his college career. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team in 2025, when he logged 54 total tackles and 10 pass defenses (two interceptions) across 11 games. Kilgore lacked some consistency and control on defense, but his size, athleticism and ball-hawking ability makes him a high-risk, high-reward selection on Day 3 of the draft, and he could earn a steady role for himself in the Bills' secondary with strong performances in offseason programs and training camp. Kilgore's main competition for defensive snaps will come from Dee Alford and Damar Hamlin, with veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson slated to be the Bills' primary option at the nickel corner.
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Bills' Kaleb Elarms-Orr: Bound for Buffalo
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The Bills selected Elarms-Orr in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 126th overall.
Elarms-Orr (6-foot-2, 234 pounds) spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Cal, where he emerged as a starter in 2023 before transferring to TCU. He contributed in a rotational role for the Horned Frogs in 2024 before breaking out with a team-high 130 tackles across 13 games in 2025, including 11 tackles for a loss and 4.0 sacks (both also team-best marks), plus two passes defensed. Elarms-Orr will have time to develop behind starting inside linebackers Dorian Williams (neck) and Terrel Bernard (calf) in Buffalo, and his speed of play (4.47 40-yard dash) should provide him a fair rotational floor as well as the upside to potentially develop into a true playmaker.
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A.J. Epenesa: Health concerns, remains free agent
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Epenesa (undisclosed) will not be signing with the Browns, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Epenesa was reportedly in agreement with Cleveland on a one-year deal, but the team wasn't comfortable finalizing the contract after his physical. It's unclear what exactly the defensive lineman is dealing with, but he did pop up on the Bills' injury report with a neck issue ahead of the team's matchup with the Broncos in the AFC divisional round, a contest in which he ultimately played. Epenesa registered 32 total tackles (17 solo), including 2.5 sacks, while also adding four passes defensed, two of which were interceptions, and a fumble recovery over 16 regular-season games this past year.
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Bills' Damar Hamlin: Back with Bills
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Buffalo re-signed Hamlin (pectoral) on Friday.
Hamlin appears to be fully recovered from the pectoral injury that caused him to miss the final 13 games of the 2025 campaign, as he practiced in full and was a candidate to return from IR in advance of the Bills' loss to the Broncos in the divisional round. Across five regular-season appearances last year, Hamlin handled just five defensive snaps. The soon-to-be 29-year-old looks primed to handle a similar reserve role during the 2026 campaign.
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Browns' A.J. Epenesa: Headed to Cleveland
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The Browns signed Epenesa to a one-year deal Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Epenesa is headed to Cleveland after spending the first six seasons of his career with the Bills. The 27-year-old will likely serve as one of the Browns' top rotational defensive ends behind Myles Garrett and Alex Wright during the 2026 campaign.
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Darius Slay: Calls it a career
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Slay announced Monday via his personal social media accounts that he is retiring from the NFL, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Slay heads to retirement with honors as a six-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion (LIX) and first-team All-Pro (2017), having spent time with the Lions, Eagles and Steelers in his career. The veteran appeared in 10 regular-season games with Pittsburgh in 2025 before being waived and claimed by Buffalo, though he never reported to the Bills' team facilities.
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Steelers' Darnell Savage: Headed to Pittsburgh
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Savage and the Steelers agreed on a one-year contract Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Savage will head to Pittsburgh after combining to record 18 total tackles (10 solo), a pass defensed and a forced fumble over 12 regular-season games with the Jaguars, Commanders and Bills in 2025. The 28-year-old will provide the Steelers with an experienced reserve option at safety behind DeShon Elliott (knee) and Jalen Ramsey in 2026.
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Raiders' Taron Johnson: Dealt to Las Vegas
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The Bills traded Johnson and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Raiders in return for a 2026 sixth-round pick Sunday, Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post reports.
Johnson was slated to be released by Buffalo ahead of the new league year, but the team was able to find a last-minute trade partner. The cornerback is coming off a 2025 campaign during which he compiled 57 total tackles (34 solo) and four passes defensed over 13 regular-season contests. Johnson now will compete for a starting role in the secondary with Las Vegas in 2026.
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Dane Jackson: Cut by Buffalo
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The Bills released Jackson on Friday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Jackson appeared in just three regular-season games for the Bills in 2025 while serving mostly on special teams. The 2020 seventh-rounder will look to join a team in need of a depth piece in the secondary who can also contribute on special teams.
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Taylor Rapp: Let go by Buffalo
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The Bills released Rapp (knee) on Friday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Rapp ended the 2025 regular season on injured reserve after sustaining a knee injury in late October that was severe enough for him to undergo surgery for. A recovery timeline for the 2019 second-rounder isn't clear, but he was a full-time starter for the Bills' defense since the 2024 season, so he should garner interest from teams looking for a veteran piece to their secondary.
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Bills' Taron Johnson: Bills set to part ways
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The Bills are slated to release Johnson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Johnson, who the Bills took in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 57 tackles in 13 regular-season games (including eight starts). The 29-year-old slot cornerback should have little problem catching on elsewhere in free agency.
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Bills' Phidarian Mathis: Re-signs with Buffalo
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The Bills re-signed Mathis to a one-year contract Monday.
Mathis spent most of the 2025 season on the Bills' practice squad but did appear in six regular-season contests, logging 13 tackles (four solo) across 120 defensive snaps. He'll compete for a job on Buffalo's defensive line this summer.
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Bills' Michael Hoecht: Expects to be ready by start of season
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Hoecht (Achilles) said Friday that he anticipates being ready to play by the beginning of the 2026 season, Ryan Talbot of syracuse.com reports. "Yeah, that's very much my expectation, I think it's everybody else's expectations," Hoecht said.
Hoecht was suspended for the first six weeks of last season but was impactful upon his return to action, posting 2.0 sacks in two contests. However, he tore his Achilles against Kansas City in Week 9 and missed the remainder of the campaign. Hoecht mentioned Friday that he plans to be finished with his rehab from the injury July 1 -- if that's the case, he could be cleared to participate from the beginning of training camp, which starts July 23. Of course, Buffalo's training staff will have the ultimate say in when Hoecht is good to go and how rapidly he'll be allowed to ramp up. With that said, it appears the veteran defensive end's arrow is pointing up ahead of what will be his second year of the three-year contract he signed with the Bills last March.
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Bills' DaQuan Jones: Notches 3.0 sacks in 2025
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Jones recorded 22 total tackles (11 solo), including 3.0 sacks, two passes defensed, including one interception, and one forced fumble across 12 regular-season games in 2025.
The 34-year-old from Penn State was the Bills' most productive interior pass rusher this season, tallying his highest sack total since his 2017 campaign with the Titans. Additionally, Jones nabbed the first interception of his career in the Week 16 win over the Browns. Set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the veteran will likely find work elsewhere ahead of the 2026 season following the emergence of 2025 fourth-round pick Deone Walker, who operated as the Bills' top interior defensive lineman for most of this season.
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Bills' A.J. Epenesa: Smaller defensive role in 2025
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Epenesa tallied 32 total tackles (17 solo), including 2.5 sacks, and four passes defensed, including two interceptions, over 16 regular-season games in 2025.
The Iowa product saw declines in several statistical categories compared to last season, recording fewer total tackles (39 to 32), sacks (6.0 to 2.5) and forced fumbles (two to zero) while playing significantly less defensive snaps (583 to 434). Despite the reduced workload, he remained an effective rotational edge defender and tied his career high in interceptions. Set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, Epenesa will likely explore other opportunities after his role dimished in 2025. He could draw interest from teams in need of a starting-caliber edge rusher ahead of the 2026 season.
