The Buffalo Bills’ 43-21 walloping of the Washington Football Team in Week 3 last season might have been a forgettable experience for Washington fans, but it left a big impression on Tim Settle.
The fourth-year defensive tackle for Washington, now a new Bills free-agent signee, was mighty impressed with the team on the other sideline.
“We lost, we lost, bad,” Settle said, beginning a riff during his introductory news conference. “Just how I noticed that the momentum here gets up, and once it’s gone, you better call a timeout or somebody better play like they got a hamstring or something, or they scoring 55 points. This is a team, it’s not no filter – you gonna score 100 points.
“And you got relentless defense, you got corners, you got safeties, you got linebackers, it’s like, 'Wow, I don’t know what to look at?' This is like a food bar, like a candy pantry or something,” Settle said. “You get all over, little everything. I’m sinking it in, it’s still surreal. I’m still shocked. This is a surreal moment.”
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Settle took a deep breath and exclaimed – “WOOOOO! Go Buffalo, man!”
“I want y’all to know, I don’t know, man, it’s still sinking in,” Settle said. “I’m excited to be a part of this. Y’all don’t understand.”
Settle has plenty of reasons to be thrilled with his new team. He signed a two-year contract with the Bills that could pay him $9 million total.
Bills General Manager Brandon Beane recognized Settle's enthusiasm.
"He was very bubbly in the lunch room, which was the first place I went to meet him before he came to my office," Beane said. "He was popping out of his chair, which I liked his enthusiasm. . . . I think he's an energetic guy, positive personality."
Settle is virtually assured of getting more playing time. Settle had five sacks while playing 33% of the snaps in 2020. Last season, Washington’s starting front four – all first-round draft picks – stayed healthy all year. Settle got only 20% of the snaps and had no sacks.
Now he steps into a revamped Bills defensive line group in which he figures to be the primary backup at the 1-technique position behind new run-stuffer DaQuan Jones.
“I feel like it was time to take that step,” Settle said of leaving the Commanders. “Being behind the guys that I was behind, I felt like that was getting me ready for times like this. Play your role, do what you got to do until it was your time. I felt like it was time for me to flip the chapter, time for a new book. It was all love there, it's all love. I love the coaches, I love the organization, I love, love Washington. It was time for a new book.”
The Bills love to rotate their defensive linemen. Settle's quickness also figures to add value as the pass rusher from the 1-technique position on third downs.
“I love that,” Settle said. “We're going to be fresh. That's what it's about is being fresh and getting after it. You've got fresh guys in there that can rotate, that can ball, you're going to get productivity, you're going to get positive outcome.”
Settle, however, stressed he wasn’t upset about his limited chances in Washington.
“I wouldn't say I’m under the radar, you know, it's more of the opportunity thing,” Settle said. “I realize that opportunity is everything in the NFL. You've got to take advantage of it no matter the situation, no matter if you get one play or no matter if you get four, 20 or 10. You want to get the same result that you put in. I just know that regardless of the snap count, whenever you get that opportunity, whenever you get that chance, you've got to make something of it. You can't complain and cry about it. Nobody cares.”
Beane said Settle can play both the 1-technique defensive tackle spot and the 3-technique spot (Ed Oliver's position).
"I'd say probably 1 first," Beane said. "We tried to add some beef in there, but not just with these moves, not just beef, but also some pass rush. . . . He had five sacks a year ago. I think he had 2 1/2 one of the other years, so I think he's got some pass rush. I don't think he's just a true like nose tackle, 1-tech type."
Settle was a college teammate of Bills middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds at Virginia Tech. He said he consulted with Edmunds before making his decision to sign with the Bills.
“I definitely talked to Tremaine,” he said. “We already have a connection. I know how he plays, he knows how I play, so everything should feel perfectly fine, perfectly normal. It's definitely gonna feel good to be able to play with Tremaine again.
“If you ask him, he might say he put a recruiting pitch in, but I talked to him before, during, after, you know, he's a guy I can call whenever, regardless of the situation,” Settle said. “Me and him have that connection. It's all love.”
