Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander signed a one-year deal with the Bills for the veteran minimum of $885,000 in 2016, which made him one of the best bargains in the league by the end of the season.
Alexander had 76 tackles, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception after being pressed into a starting role due to injuries to other outside linebackers in Buffalo. That got him a berth in the Pro Bowl and Alexander had another strong game in Orlando that resulted in defensive MVP honors for the night.
Alexander is headed back to free agency off that performance and he’s a good bet to land a bigger deal this time around. After playing for four teams in the last five years, he’d like that deal to come from the Bills.
“I’ve been moving around a lot lately, so I really don’t want to go to a different team,” Alexander said, via ESPN.com. “I actually love Buffalo. I love that fan base. It’s a historic football city. So I would love to go back there. But at the end of the day, you know how this business works. It’s a lot of variables that can happen.”
Among the variables is the coaching change in Buffalo, which may mean a scheme shift that makes Alexander a lesser fit for what the Bills want to do defensively, and the fact that the Bills have other free agents they may want to retain. That group could include cornerback Stephon Gilmore and any deal that keeps quarterback Tyrod Taylor in town could lead to better opportunities for Alexander on other teams.