Bills’ Shaq Lawson named in PFF’s top-100 free agents

Buffalo Bills DE Shaq Lawson named to Pro Football Focus’ list of the top-100 free agents for 2020 offseason.

Pro Football Focus extended their top-50 pending free agents into at top-100 list on Tuesday and one member of the Buffalo Bills finally appears on the list.

While Quinton Spain and Jordan Phillips had respectable seasons in their own right, but it’s Shaq Lawson who appears as the Bills’ lone rep at the No. 72 spot.

Lawson had a career-high 6.5 sacks last season for the Bills, and the oft-touted run defense led Buffalo with 13 tackles for loss. He already said this offseason he’s shooting for a 10-plus sack season in 2020. But saying and doing are two separate things as Lawson has left a bit to be desired as a pass rusher early in his career.

The 2016 first rounder sees his rookie contract as a currently expiring one with the Bills, as the team decided no to pick up the fifth-year option on his deal. If Lawson does leave, the team will no longer have a single draft pick of former general manager Doug Whaley left on their roster. Lawson is the last one.

Per PFF, Lawson was the NFL’s 51st best edge defender with a 67.9 overall grade last season.

Speaking of Spain and Phillips, they’re way down on PFF’s charts, for those wondering. In regard to both of their positions, Spain and Phillips clocked in at No. 61 and No. 103 overall, respectively, via PFF’s grading system in 2019.

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