ORCHARD PARK, NY (WKBW) — Is Mario Addison ready to go up against new Patriots quarterback Cam Newton?
"Hell yea," Addison laughed while straightening his beard during an interview Friday afternoon. "I've gotta add Cam to my sack list."
Expectations are high for the Buffalo Bills defense and they know how dangerous they can be against opposing offenses. Newcomers are taking notice of just how talented this defense is.
"I did have high expectations for this group ," Addison said, who worked out against the team last preseason with Carolina. "When I actually got out there and balled out with them, these guys are off the chart."
Addison, along with Quinton Jefferson, are two of the off-season additions to the Bills defensive line. Both speak highly of each other and their play on the field.
"For an old guy, he can move," Jefferson laughed when talking about Addison. "Just watching him work and picking his brain and how he goes about rushing the passer and some of the moves he uses. Ten years in, he's still moving like a young guy."
"Quinton is a beast," Addison said. "Quinton is one of those guys that'll fool you. You think he can't play on the inside, but when he gets in there, he's beasting people."
Addison comes from Carolina where he spent the last seven years of his career. He was an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft and is proof you can make it in the league with hard work.
"It's a testimony," he said about his path. "It shows younger guys who weren't drafted that it doesn't matter what round you were drafted. If I had to change and do it all over again, I'd do it again.
Jefferson, meanwhile, spent the last four seasons with Seattle. During the last two seasons, he led the team in quarterback pressure rate among all interior defensive linemen. He's always been a part of a successful defense and thinks he can excel in Buffalo.
"I fit right in. I like to play physical with my hands and I think I mesh well with this defense and it allows me to be aggressive," he said. "The sky's the limit for me, this is only gonna bring out the best version of myself."
Both players will look to contribute right away and fill some of the roles left open following the departures of Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson. They say this defense is already successful because of their depth and willingness to play in any position.
"The sky's the limit, we're only gonna get better from this," Jefferson said. "We're all gonna push ourselves to the next level. It's something that made me want to come here."
"There's no I in team. Coach is gonna put our best players out there that are going to make the team successful," Addison said. "Coach is doing a great job at mixing everyone up with each other. Everyone is a pass rusher on this defensive line and that's a great feeling."
The off-season has been different for players with no mini-camp, OTAs, preseason football, and minimal time to meet and get to know each other. But Addison and Jefferson are loving Buffalo and say the on and off the field atmosphere is different in a good way.
"You've got great food," Jefferson laughed about how he's liking Buffalo off the field. "The fanbase here is amazing. Seattle, we had a great fanbase, but I've never been recognized as much here as I've been there."
"We actually have fun here," Addison said about the on-field experience. "It's about football and winning, but at the same time, they make it fun to come to work. Coach McDermott does a great job at letting the guys be themselves and I love that about here."
