PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Former Falcons veteran DE Kroy Biermann has signed with the Buffalo Bills. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter it was a one-year deal.
Biermann was seen walking with Bills staff members outside the locker room area as coach Rex Ryan gave his news conference earlier Monday.
Biermann, who made a free-agent visit to the Bills in March, will add depth at outside linebacker after injuries to Shaq Lawson (shoulder), Manny Lawson (pectoral) and IK Enemkpali (knee). Ryan confirmed Monday that Enemkpali tore his ACL in Saturday's preseason opener and will miss the season, while Ryan reiterated that Manny Lawson is expected back for the Week 1 opener in Baltimore. Shaq Lawson is not expected to return until Week 6 at the earliest, a source told Schefter.
On Tuesday, the Bills announced that Manny Lawson has passed his physical and will participate in practice.
Enemkpali was part of the first-team defense for the first two weeks of training camp opposite top pass-rusher Jerry Hughes. That spot was filled in Monday's practice by veteran Lorenzo Alexander, who has been mostly a special-teams player during his career.
Later Monday, the Bills designated Enemkpali as waived/injured.
"I think we'd all feel better if Manny was practicing, but he's not," Ryan said Monday. "Until he does, you don't have that comfort level. Lorenzo Alexander would have been the guy we would have been our starter if we had a [regular-season] game. So I feel great about him, but that wasn't why we brought him in. We brought him in here to be a dominant special-teams player and to contribute on defense, and that's the plan that we have for him."
Biermann is expected to compete with Alexander and undrafted rookies Eric Striker and Bryson Albright for a role behind Hughes and Manny Lawson. A fifth-round draft pick in 2008, Biermann played the past eight seasons for the Atlanta Falcons. He did not make any starts last season under coach Dan Quinn, finishing with 54 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
The Falcons started Biermann in 15 games at outside linebacker in 2014 in Mike Nolan's 3-4 defensive scheme, which Ryan is using with the Bills this season. Biermann totaled 75 tackles and 4.5 sacks and added a forced fumble that season.
