Latest news with #LarryOgunjobi
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Desperate' Bills Commended For Roster Upgrades Toward Super Bowl Chase
'Desperate' Bills Commended For Roster Upgrades Toward Super Bowl Chase originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills were outclassed during the AFC Championship Game last season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It was the big reason why the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs ... again. Since that loss, though, Buffalo has done a great deal in an effort to upgrade and improve the unit once and for all ... in a chase for the Super Bowl. The moves made have been largely celebrated. Free agents like Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, and Michael Hoecht were just a few of the new arrivals needed to bolster the entire unit. (Though the early suspensions of the latter two cast a shadow here.) The team also used six of its nine draft picks as a way to solve some of their bigger defensive holes as well. Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman, in particular, praised the Bills for addressing their defensive needs in the draft. "The Bills desperately needed cornerback help after they earned the second-lowest team PFF coverage grade in the NFL last season," Wasserman said. "Their Super Bowl hopes have been repeatedly dashed by an inability to make defensive stops in big moments. They used this year's draft to alleviate that problem." "Desperate''? That's a bit much. Josh Allen is the face of the franchise and that won't be changing anytime soon. Indeed, we believe as long as that goes unchanged, Buffalo is a contender. But if the Bills want to win a Super Bowl? Yes, their defense must become more of a reason for the team to win ... creating a seesaw effect in which there is offensive and defensive balance for the opponent to deal with. That balanced concept is the model the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles both followed over the last few years. It seems that Buffalo is adopting that mindset as well. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
30 most important Bills players of 2025: No. 28 Larry Ogunjobi
As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2025 NFL season, we'll take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. They have a ton of cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they'll have help from some new additions as well. Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top 30 most important players on the roster. We'll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to what they'll offer in 2025, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year. Next up on the countdown is Larry Ogunjobi. Background Position: DT Age at start of season: 31 Experience: Ninth year 2025 cap hit: $4,106,684 2024 recap In 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ogunjobi recorded 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He missed two games late in the season with a groin injury, but aside from that he was a consistent contributor in the middle of the Steelers defense. He started 12 games for what was a stellar defensive line. 2025 outlook Ogunjobi is suspended for the first six games of the season due to testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, but when he returns he should play a solid role in the defense. He is a high-floor guy who can both rush the passer and play the run. Starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones wasn't as effective in 2024 as he has been in the past, and if that continues to be the case, then Ogunjobi and others will have opportunities to show what they can do. Ogunjobi will be one of many defensive linemen who will be rotating in throughout the year, but he has a chance to make an impact as Jones' backup and playing alongside guys like Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau. Biggest question: What will he look like after the suspension? Ogunjobi is 31 years old and will have to work his way into the defense after missing six games. He probably won't come in and be a perfect fit right away. He'll need to find his role and ramp up for the end-of-season stretch, and it will be crucial to have plenty of able bodies on the d-line come late in the season and into the playoffs. Last year, he received just a 49.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 150th out of 219 interior defenders. He'll be looking to get back to his 2021 form when he had seven sacks on a Bengals team which made the Super Bowl. 30 Most Important Bills of 2025 Check back as we continue to countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2025 season. No. 30 DT T.J. Sanders, No. 29 LB Dorian Williams.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers Already Name Rookie a Starter: ‘He's Really Wired In'
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at OTAs on May 28, 2025. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now The Pittsburgh Steelers have already named one of their rookies a starter for the 2025 NFL season. The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, but the team has already named one of its rookies a starter. Advertisement Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar revealed rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is already running with the first-team defense. 'He goes out there with the ones,' Dunbar said. 'He's our left starting defensive tackle. You can write that.' Harmon, 21, was Pittsburgh's first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft after wreaking havoc in opposing backfields for the Oregon Ducks. In 2024, the 6-foot-4 1/2, 313-pound defensive tackle recorded 45 tackles, five sacks and a pair of forced and recovered fumbles. Oregon Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch (1), defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell, behind, and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (55) celebrate a sack during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Idaho, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely) Harmon is likely being relied upon to take the place of veteran Larry Ogunjobi, who was released in March. And the Steelers are already seeing what they hoped to from the rookie at the beginning stages of the offseason program. Advertisement 'You can tell whether or not they're in shape, and I think he's done a good job of bringing himself into camp in some kind of shape,' Dunbar said. 'I think he's really wired in.' At this point, the only major concern with Harmon seems to be centered around his shoulder. A MRI at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine showed a partially torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum. However, general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin dismissed any worries regarding the issue. 'We wouldn't have picked him unless our medical staff was comfortable with it,' Khan said. Harmon reiterated a similar sentiment, too. Advertisement 'I don't know man, I'm fully healthy ready to go,' he said. 'I don't have no concerns. I'm ready to get to work.' In his three seasons of college football, Harmon did not miss a single game due to injury. He played 38 games. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Already Name Rookie a Starter: 'He's Really Wired In' Related Headlines
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bills Free Agent Addition Addresses PED Suspension
Bills Free Agent Addition Addresses PED Suspension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills wanted to address their defensive line in major ways this offseason. They accomplished that goal during the first week of free agency with the signings of Larry Ogunjobi, Joey Bosa, and Michael Hoecht. Advertisement There's just one problem, though. All of them won't be on the practice field for the most part over the next few months. Bosa is dealing with a calf injury that will keep him out until training camp. Ogunjobu and Hoecht, meanwhile, were suspended during the same week they signed their contracts for violating the league's PED policy. On the Ross Tucker Podcast this week, the former Ram in Hoecht explained that he let the Bills know a suspension was coming before he agreed to a deal. And the reason for that was to help Buffalo out with his mistakes. "I think it was wanting to negotiate in good faith," Hoecht said. "It was my mistake. I was careless and put faith in people I shouldn't have put faith in. And I didn't want to play the game of secrecy and hiding it and trying to screw over a team over." Advertisement Hoecht was a swiss army knife for the Rams over the last few seasons. When he's on the field, he should be able to make an immediate impact on the Bills roster. They key will be *when* he hits the field. Suspensions for players that enter a new system are never easy to move on from. And in the case of Hoecht, he will need to show he can play in Buffalo's complex defensive system first. Related: Bills Ex Stefon Diggs Caught In Patriots Controversy Via Boat Video Related: Bills' Sean McDermott Speaks Out On Tush Push This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills Punishment Tied to Underrated Benefit in Schedule
The 2025 schedule release was very kind to the Buffalo Bills. Not only do the defending AFC East champions have the ninth easiest schedule in the league, they also have an underrated benefit to their stretch as well. During the offseason, the Bills signed defensive linemen in Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi to boost their run defense. Almost immediately after signing those deals, though, both players were given six-game suspensions by the league for violating the PED policy. Advertisement Losing two key additions for the first six games is never easy. Buffalo's schedule makes things a bit more cushy, though. "A potentially more significant benefit has to do with a couple of players new to the roster in 2025," Buffalo Rumblings explained. "The Bills signed a pair of free agents in defensive lineman Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi — and both will miss the first six weeks of action while serving suspensions for failed PED tests. "With a bye in Week 7, it will allow Hoecht and Ogunjobi to get re-acclimated to practice and hopefully back up to the playing speed they'll have developed during training camp and preseason action. It's a silver lining for a pair of tarnished signings by general manager Brandon Beane." Ogunjobi and Hoecht cannot practice with the team while they are suspended. The fact the Bills have a bye week after both players are reinstated is massive. Advertisement It shows there might be a path to both being immediate contributors when they are reinstated by the league. It's another example of how advantageous their schedule continues to be for Buffalo. Related: Bills Offered 1 Major Schedule Edge In Super Bowl Ramp-Up Related: Ravens' Roquan Sounds Off On 'Revenge' vs. Bills in Week 1
