The Bills have made a switch in their defensive line rotation, signing Tyrunn Walker and cutting John Hughes, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Hughes suffered a groin injury in the team’s first preseason game on Thursday, which triggered his release.
Interestingly, Buffalo was also considering Walker when it signed Hughes in June, but it preferred Hughes at the time because he is more of a “space eater” than Walker. Both men have primarily served as backups in their respective careers, though Walker was more productive than Hughes in 2017. The 28-year-old Walker finished with 22 tackles, one sack, and four passes defended in 16 games (four starts) for the Rams last year, while Hughes played just eight games (no starts) for the Saints and compiled 10 tackles. He tore his bicep late in the season and landed on injured reserve as a result.
Walker, who has also suited up for the Saints and Lions in his career, auditioned for the Jets earlier this offseason, and New Orleans also considered bringing him back into the fold. He experienced a major legal scare last June when he was accused of rape, but he was later cleared by a grand jury.
He will battle for snaps behind starters Star Lotulelei and Kyle Williams.