Former Buffalo Bills edge rusher Carlos “Boogie” Basham is once again in search of a new NFL home.
The former second-round pick failed to find a place in Buffalo’s defensive line rotation, leading the team to trade him to the New York Giants in 2023. Basham was cut by the Giants last year and trying to earn a spot on the Carolina Panthers’ final roster, but was a cut deadline casualty.
Panthers Make Final Call on Boogie Basham
The 27-year-old edge rusher was seen as a fringe roster candidate heading into Tuesday’s deadline for 53-man rosters, and the Panthers ultimately decided to cut him loose.
Basham has struggled to find a place in the NFL. Despite coming to the Bills as a second-round pick in 2021, he appeared in just eight games his rookie season and made 2.5 sacks with 18 total tackles. He appeared in 15 games the next season but traded that offseason to the Giants.
Basham had a connection to Giants general manager Joe Schoen, who was an assistant GM in Buffalo when Basham was drafted. The connection didn’t help Basham latch on and he was waived the following season.
The Bills had gone heavy on edge rushers at the top of the 2021 draft, using their first-round pick that year on Greg Rousseau. He has grown into one of the team’s top pass rushers, landing a four-year, $80 million contract extension this offseason.
“Just a blessing from God, and couldn’t be any happier just to be back here in Buffalo,” Rousseau said at the time, via the team’s official website. “It’s been a special place ever since they picked me in 2021. Beane, the trust that he’s put in me, and also to trust me with this second contract and reward me with this, it just means world to me. I’m just ready to go out there and just keep on putting it all on the line for my teammates, try to win as many as possible, be the best player I can be and get to that next level.”
Basham has struggled to find a place in the NFL. Despite coming to the Bills as a second-round pick in 2021, he appeared in just eight games his rookie season and made 2.5 sacks with 18 total tackles. He appeared in 15 games the next season but traded that offseason to the Giants.
Bills Reaped Benefits of Boogie Basham Trade
The Bills gained a 2025 sixth-round draft pick from the Basham trade, which they used to select cornerback Dorian Strong. He earned some strong reviews through training camp and ultimately a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Mike Moraitis of SI.com suggested that Strong will start out with a light role in Buffalo but could work his way up to a starting job if he continues to progress at the rate he showed in training camp.
“That said, Strong can still garner some reserve snaps for Buffalo, which would give him valuable experience,” Moraitis wrote. “Strong’s biggest form of competition to be the first man off the bench on the outside is veteran Dane Jackson.
“With White and Jackson set to be free agents in 2026, Strong may be auditioning for a starting job down the road. And, if he ends up doing enough to seize it, that would be extremely helpful for the cap-strapped Bills.”
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