BUFFALO, N.Y. [WKBW] — Mario Addison is ready to help take the Buffalo Bills defense to the next level.
"As I've been watching those guys, they've got a swag to them that I play with," Addison said Monday. "So I'm going to bring my swag with those guys, we're going to merge this thing together and we're going to tear them up, man!"
Addison, who will be 33 in September, is coming off his fourth consecutive season with at least nine sacks. Since 2016, Addison has 39 sacks and 140 total tackles. Only 10 players have more sacks during that same span. Many coaches and analysts have mentioned Addison as one of the more underrated players in the league, but the lack of attention doesn't seem to bother him.
"I like to fly under the radar," Addison said. "I just like to compete. If my teammates know what I can do and I know what I can do, that's all that matters."
For Addison, this is a reunion with his former defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott, former defensive line coach/coordinator Eric Washington, and Bills GM Brandon Beane.
"Mario was a key piece to our defense in Carolina, and again, another highly competitive individual that played really good football for us," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. "So, we felt like adding Mario would help us not only from a skill level standpoint but also some of the leadership in the defensive line room."
Addison said he liked the idea of signing with the Bills from the get-go because he got an up-close look at how they worked last summer in Spartanburg when the Panthers hosted the Bills for a joint practice.
"In my mind, to be able to compete with those guys at practice every day, I know it'll make me a better player and I know I'll make those guys better. "
When asked where he sees himself lining up, Addison joked he called fellow DE Jerry Hughes and told him they would take turns playing the left and right side. Like the aforementioned coaches, Addison has a strong relationship with Hughes. The two players were roommates in Indianapolis. Hughes, a former first-round pick, invited Addison, who went undrafted, to live with him at the beginning of their careers. Now, they'll be sharing the same defensive line, not the same kitchen.
