The Buffalo Bills made three significant free agent signings on Friday, adding wide receiver Chase Claypool, linebacker Deion Jones, and defensive end Dawuane Smoot on one-year deals.
Chase Claypool, standing at 6-4 and weighing 238 pounds, brings a physical presence to the receiving corps. Since entering the NFL, he has accumulated over 2,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Claypool was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he set a franchise record with four touchdowns in a single game during Week 5 of his rookie season. In his rookie year, Claypool recorded 873 receiving yards (4th among rookies) and nine touchdowns (1st among rookies). He has also had stints with the Chicago Bears (2022-23) and the Miami Dolphins (2023).
Claypool hails from Abbotsford, BC, Canada, and played college football at Notre Dame, where he amassed over 2,000 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons.
Dawuane Smoot is a valuable addition to the Buffalo Bills’ defensive line, bringing depth and experience from his seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his NFL career, Smoot has played in 99 games and started in 17, accumulating 23.5 sacks, 133 total tackles, 64 quarterback hits, 27 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, five passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries.
His standout season came in 2021 when he started in 10 games and recorded six sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and seven tackles for loss. Smoot was originally drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Illinois. He hails from Groveport, Ohio.
Deion Jones brings a wealth of experience to the Buffalo Bills as a veteran linebacker with nine years in the NFL. Since being drafted in the second round in 2016, Jones has played for three teams and most recently appeared in 13 games for the Carolina Panthers last season.
In his career, Jones has accumulated 731 tackles, 12 sacks, and 13 interceptions, including five returned for touchdowns. He has had five seasons with at least 100 tackles and has recorded at least one sack in four consecutive seasons since 2020.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Jones played college football at LSU, where he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, during his senior season.
