Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills have long prioritized long-armed players along the defensive edge. While that philosophy has shifted of late to include bendier pass-rush types, the prototype of the long-armed, stout anchor still remains a popular one when general manager Brandon Beane seeks to add depth at defensive end.
Whether the Bills are adding players early in free agency or adding players for camp depth late, the Bills don’t shy away from their type. Sometimes, those late additions in the offseason lead to longer-term roles on the practice squad, as well. Just because a player joins the team late doesn’t mean that they aren’t valued by the Bills.
In today’s installment of “90 players in 90 days,” we discuss a newer addition to the defensive end grouping.
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Name: Justin Hollins
Number: 52
Position: DE
Height/Weight: 6’5”, 248 pounds
Age: 29 (30 on 1/15/2026)
Experience/Draft: 6; selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round (No. 156 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft
College: Oregon
Acquired: Signed with Bills on 8/5/2025
Financial situation (per OvertheCap): Hollins signed a one-year deal with the Bills last week. It’s worth a total of $1.17 million, none of which is guaranteed. If he makes the 53-man roster, Hollins carries a cap hit of $1.03 million. The Bills won’t carry any dead cap if he’s released prior to Week 1; however, Hollins’ entire base salary becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster for the first week.
2024 Recap: After spending time with three clubs in 2023 (the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Charges, and New York Giants), Hollins was not on a roster until late August last season. That’s when he signed with the Washington Commanders, and he played in the team’s final preseason game against the New England Patriots. Hollins signed with Washington on August 19, played in the game on August 25, and was released on August 27. He signed to Washington’s practice squad on September 19 before he was released from the practice squad on October 8. He did not appear in a regular-season game last year.
Positional outlook: Hollins is one of eight defensive ends on the current roster. Landon Jackson, Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, Michael Hoecht, Javon Solomon, Paris Shand, and A.J. Epenesa are the others.
2025 Offseason: Hollins is healthy, and he appeared in Buffalo’s 34-25 loss to the New York Giants in the preseason opener. He did not register a tackle in the game.
2025 Season outlook: Even with Hoecht’s suspension looming, it’s unlikely that Hollins makes the 53-man roster this season. The Bills have Bosa, Rousseau, Epenesa, and Jackson ahead of Hollins. Hoecht is also ahead of him, even if he can’t suit up for the first six games of the season thanks to a suspension for PED use.
Hollins is likely battling Shand for a spot on the practice squad, and even though the undrafted rookie also failed to register a tackle last Saturday, I’d give him the edge just based on his youth and size/strength...
