Defensive end Mario Addison joined the Bills this offseason after a successful spell with the Carolina Panthers. Buffalo is hoping to get the player who turned into a successful sack artist there. Over the past four-straight seasons, Addison had at least nine sacks every year.
But the 32-year-old wasn’t always a picture-perfect prospect. He once was an undrafted rookie who was unlikely to find a 10-year career in the NFL, but here he is.
Addison will be the first to admit that he didn’t get to this point without some help. He had plenty of support along the way, while bouncing around from team-to-team early in his career. While doing so, he crossed paths with former Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander in 2012 while with the Redskins.
Like Addison, Alexander bounced around early in his career, and even changed positions and became a special teams ace to extend his career. The new Bills defender said during his brief time with Alexander, the recently retired linebacker was a guy who helped mold him into a double-digit sacker.
“I know a lot about Lorenzo. I played with the him when I was with the Redskins. He was one of those guys, one of those veteran guys that… he wanted to help others. He was one of the guys I talked about to a couple of guys that like… you always have got to find that guy [in the locker room],” Addison told the Bills radio show on WGR-550. “You’re trying to find those guys that want to help you. He’s one of those guys that helped me along the way.”
It appears the Zo-effect is coming full circle in Buffalo. Now perhaps Addison will pay that veteran leadership forward for some of the Bills’ younger prospects playing alongside Addison for the forseeable future. The first name that comes to mind is second-round rookie AJ Epenesa.
Speaking of his teammates, Addison has some new ones, although Alexander won’t be among them with the Bills anymore. But despite not being able to get together for spring workouts because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with his new teammates, Addison mentioned he’s feeling something special with his new defensive line. Even if it’s through virtual workouts.
“It was very different when I first started, not only for me but everyone,” Addison said. “It’s been good, it’s been very fun, it’s been interesting. The D-line, talking to the D-line every day, I felt the bond that we’re going to have.”
If the Bills can get a nine-sack season out of Addison, that’d make the veteran a successful signing for the 2020 season. At the defensive end position, Buffalo’s Shaq Lawson led the Bills with 6.5 sacks last season, a stat that has to improve.
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