Buffalo Bills DL Quinton Jefferson explains how team has changed in the view of the NFL.
Quinton Jefferson was a fifth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2016. He did some jumping around, but eventually landed back with the Seahawks and his career took off. He had 3.5 sacks, 26 tackles, and four for loss last season.
Despite that moving around, a 2015 Jefferson was probably happy he didn’t get selected by the Buffalo Bills in the draft a few years back.
But what a difference a few seasons can make.
Jefferson chatted with western New York media via conference call on Thursday and described why he’s happy to join the Bills. But the most interesting part is the comparison he made to just a few years back.
“Four or five years ago, you told me about Buffalo, I’d be like… I don’t even know,” Jefferson said with a pause. “You ask guys about Buffalo now and they go, ‘Oh hell yeah I’ll come play for Buffalo. It’s a great team, it’s a great culture, great fans.’ I’m excited.”
Since 2017, when the Bills brought in head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, things certainly have changed. The team has made the playoffs two of the three years that duo started redoing things their way in Buffalo.
It’s clear with Jefferson that the “new” Bills… the team’s changed perception across the NFL, attracted him to signing in Buffalo.
“I left a place with great culture, great people, it made football fun and that was one of the biggest thing I’ve seen from Buffalo. I hear from other players just talking about, ‘(Buffalo is) a great place, with a great fan base,’ and like I said, just good energy,” Jefferson said. “And playing good football and winning. It’s something I definitely wanted to be part of. That’s a big thing.”
Buffalo is hoping that Jefferson’s addition will help the team do more of the same. McDermott said earlier this offseason that Jefferson has versatility that’s going to be a key for the Bills’ defensive line.
“Quinton Jefferson has position flexibility,” McDermott said. “You know how much I love that, and versatility I think is huge. He played really good snaps for the Seattle Seahawks on a good defense. He’s played inside, he’s played outside. Love his relentless attitude and approach, a true pro.”
Versatility is something that Jefferson said he picked up early in his football career, all the way back in high school. Overall, he said he prefers to play the 3-tech spot on the defensive line, which would be inside. But the Bills have talent there in the form of Ed Oliver, and then there’s Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes on the edge spots. Where will Jefferson fit?
It’s going to be a talented group and battle for playing time. But that’s not something that turned Jefferson away from the Bills, instead, like the Bills’ new perception across the NFL, the talent on Buffalo’s defense and D-line is just what he sought out as a free agent.
“Another thing, I wanted to play for a good organization… A good D-line with a lot of talent. I figured, why not come join that? It’s kind of what I left, so I wanted to join something good as well and see how I can contribute. (The Bills) are a playoff caliber team and I wanted to be a part of that,” Jefferson said.
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