The Buffalo Bills are trying everything they can to get over the hump during the 2025 NFL season. Buffalo is in the middle of their Super Bowl window because of superstar quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills locked up Allen on a massive $330 million contract extension before the start of NFL free agency.

Now that Allen is locked up, the Bills need to do everything in their power to add talent to the roster over the next few offseasons.

Buffalo got off to a good start during NFL free agency in March. The Bills made some excellent additions on both sides of the football. As a result, the Bills have very few holes heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

Buffalo signed veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa to a one-year contract. He will line up opposite of Greg Rousseau, who also bagged a massive contract extension this offseason.

The Bills also brought in several other contributors in free agency, including Darrick Forrest, Dane Jackson, Larry Ogunjobi, and Joshua Palmer.

The Bills also have 10 selections, including the 30th overall pick, in the 2025 NFL Draft.

One free agency signing by the Bills is flying under the radar right now. This one player may look like a steal at the end of the 2025 season.

But who could it be?

Below we will explore one of the sneakiest free agency signings by the Buffalo Bills during the 2025 NFL free agency cycle.

Bills could get a lot of production about of former Ram Michael Hoecht

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht (97) lines up against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the most underrated free agent signings of this cycle was Michael Hoecht landing with the Bills. Buffalo signed Hoecht to a three-year contract worth $21 million in free agency.

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The Los Angeles Rams signed Hoecht as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. Weirdly enough, the CFL also had eyes on Hoecht, as he was drafted in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft. It should be no surprise that Hoecht took his chances in the NFL.

Hoecht is an incredibly versatile defensive lineman who could bring a lot to the Bills. He has never missed a game, playing in all 17 games over the past four seasons.

According to PFF, Hoecht has lined up all over the defensive line over his four-year stint in Los Angeles. The Rams primarily played Hoecht on the defensive line, specifically on the outside as an edge rusher. However, he has also slid inside to play defensive tackle and played some coverage snaps as a slot defender.

The Bills are likely to use Hoecht exclusively as a defensive lineman. In that role, Hoecht should serve as a versatile chess piece who can fill in at any position on any down. This is a great trait for a backup player like Hoecht to have because it allows him to get on the field whenever possible.

Buffalo already has a great-looking defensive line with Greg Rousseau, Joey Bosa, Ed Oliver, and DaQuan Jones in the starting lineup. As such, Hoecht joins AJ Epenesa and DeWayne Carter as the primary backups on the d-line.

Hoecht brings some excellent pass-rush juice off the bench. He has logged 13.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during his four-year career. Hoecht has also generated 88 total pressures according to PFF.

However, there is one obvious downside to the Hoecht signing. The Bills announced earlier in March that the NFL has issued a six-game suspension for Hoecht. The league claims that Hoecht violated the NFL's policy regarding performance-enhancing substances. Larry Ogunjobi also received the same suspension.

As a result, Hoecht will not be able to join the Bills until midway through the 2025 regular season. This is a situation that the Bills likely did not know would happen before signing Hoecht. However, only losing him for six games should not change the course of Buffalo's season.

This move could look even better following the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bills are expected to focus on defense during the draft. If the Bills continue adding to their defensive line in the draft, having depth players like Hoecht becomes even more valuable. The Bills could choose to heavily rotate defensive players, which would keep everyone fresh throughout games.

However, it does seem more realistic that Buffalo would target cornerback and safety in the draft instead of defensive line. The 2025 draft class is stacked on the d-line, so it is always possible that Buffalo cannot pass up a good value.

Either way, Bills fans can expect Hoecht to play the Dawuane Smoot role once he returns from his suspension.