The Buffalo Bills are not waiting for the start of the new NFL year to start addressing their roster, signing a pair of important depth players including a defensive lineman who could take on a bigger role in 2026.

The team announced on Monday that they re-signed offensive lineman Alec Anderson and defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis to new contracts, boosting the trenches ahead of a season where they will see an almost entirely new coaching staff.

Phidarian Mathis Earns Return to Buffalo

The Bills had picked up Mathis as a free agent last year after he spent the first three years of his career with the Washington Commanders. Mathis appeared in six games for the Bills, making 13 total tackles.

Mathis originally joined the practice squad in September, but earned a call-up to the active roster after the team suffered some injuries, losing starter Ed Oliver for the rest of the regular season.

Signing Mathis helps the Bills piece together their unit for next season, when they are expected to undergo some major changes after the departure of head coach Sean McDermott and hiring of former Bills defensive back Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator.

The Bills face more decisions on the defensive line, with several key players headed to free agency including defensive end Joey Bosa and defensive tackles Larry Ogunjobi and Jordan Phillips.

Bills Establishing New Defensive Identity

The Bills are shifting to a new base defense, moving away from McDermott’s 4-3 in favor of Leonhard’s 3-4. Leonhard said he was excited to start working with the players, saying it would not be a major change for them.

“It’s going to be a change for them, but we’re excited as a coaching staff to really be able to create something that is best for their skill sets and fits their personalities,” Leonhard said, via the team’s official website.

The re-signing is a good sign for Mathis, who has the potential to play a bigger role under Leonhard’s system.

“I think there is a level of versatility in there that is exciting to think about,” Leonhard said about Buffalo’s roster. “I am big on flexibility and being able to play to your best players and force offenses to try to find your issues and to have to deal with their own problems, not always being reactive.”

The team will likely become more aggressive in pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The Denver Broncos blitzed at the fourth-highest rate in the league over the last few years with Leonhard on staff, while the Bills ranked 29th in blitz rate under McDermott.

Leonhard said wants to bring that aggressive identity to Buffalo.

“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front and in the back end,” Leonhard said. “We’re going to attack the football. The biggest stat in football is turnovers, so we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to fly around, we’re going to communicate, we’re going to play well together, but we’re going to cause issues for offense, and we’re going to force them to react to us.”