New England Patriots Report

Anderson signs with Bills

March, 21, 2012

3/21/12

2:25

PM ET

By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.com

Free-agent defensive end Mark Anderson, who revived his career with the Patriots in 2011, has signed a four-year deal with the Bills, the team announced.

The deal is for $27.5 million, with $8 million fully guaranteed, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports.

That's a price the Patriots just weren't going to pay.

Anderson was one of the team's better free-agent signings last year, playing in all 19 games (playoffs included) and totaling 12.5 sacks (10 in the regular season, 2.5 in the playoffs).

He was a part-time player until the end of the year when Andre Carter was lost to a quad injury. In Buffalo, he could be in line for a larger role, lining up across from prized free-agent acquisition Mario Williams.

For the Patriots, free-agent signee Trevor Scott is a candidate to take over Anderson's 47-percent playtime role. Veteran Andre Carter, a free-agent recovering from quad surgery, is also a possibility to return and potentially play some of those snaps.

Another candidate is 2011 sixth-round draft choice Markell Carter, who spent his rookie season on the practice squad.

Mike Reiss

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com

Covered Patriots since 1997
Blogging on Pats since 2004
Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009

Tags:

Free agency

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Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

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Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attended Providence College. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).