The Buffalo Bills have added yet another defensive player to the roster Monday. The team officially announced that they’ve claimed defensive end Scott Crichton off waivers.
A former third round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, Crichton spent the past three years with the organization before being released last week. In his first two seasons, Crichton had 10 tackles and non sacks in 21 total games. He was placed on Injured Reserve ahead of the 2016 season, limiting his potential appearances to zero.
Crichton, 6-foot-3 and 275-pounds, is the second defensive end the Bills have added this offseason. The team also signed free agent Ryan Davis earlier in March.
Joe B’s Take
With not much defensive end depth to speak of, it really isn’t any surprise that the Bills would go out and take a swing on a former third-round selection that is the prototype that they look for in their edge rushers.
Crichton hasn’t done much of anything in the NFL but still remains a definitive candidate to make the 53-man roster as it stands today just because of the lack of depth at the position. Crichton is a little bit of a stiffer player that didn’t show a lot getting after the quarterback in college.
Though on the positive side, Crichton was quite proficient at Oregon State in holding the edge and not allowing runners to bust a play outside. To make the Bills, he’ll likely need to show that side of his game consistently, prove that he can stay healthy, and to become a core special teams player this summer.
If he can do that, he’s got a shot. I wouldn’t go expecting him to take over one of the starting spots or anything along those lines, though. He’s a former third-round pick, so it really doesn’t hurt them to try and kick the tires on a 25-year-old player that could turn into a dependable sub.
