ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Bills bulked up their defensive line rotation by signing sturdy veteran Greg Gaines, the team announced Tuesday.
Gaines, entering his eighth NFL season at age 29, was most recently a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played about 40% of the defensive snaps over three seasons. Prior to the that he was a starter for the Los Angeles Rams during their Super Bowl championship season in 2022.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 312 pounds, Gaines provides depth and experience at the nose tackle position where second-year player Deone Walker is the projected starter, and third-year lineman DeWayne Carter is coming back from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season.
Gaines' signing comes after veteran defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis was suspended last week for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.
In a corresponding move, the Bills released defensive lineman Tommy Akingbesote, an undrafted rookie.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter.The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette.Read more of his work here.
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