Tim Settle’s reaction to joining Bills is gut punch for Commanders fans

The Washington Commanders have lost a plethora of talent in free agency thus far, so hopefully the front office feels an impetus to get the ball rolling. Yes, re-signing players is paramount for culture and on-field continuity, but it feels like the team has missed out on some prime chances to round out the roster.

While Brandon Scherff and Landon Collins stick out as the most notable departures in terms of individual talent, the likes of Ereck Flowers, Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle leaving are huge blows to the team’s depth in the trenches.

When it comes to the least surprising departure, Settle probably takes the cake. There’s an argument to be made for Collins, but he was technically under contract for 2022 when the offseason started. Settle was a free agent.

As we know, Settle inked a two-year agreement to join the Bills. It’s a massive opportunity for the Commanders’ former fifth-round pick and it seems as though he’s settling in seamlessly with both his new team and the media.

In his first press conference as a Bills player, Settle made it pretty obvious how excited he is to be joining the reigning AFC East champs.

Commanders fans will grimace watching Tim Settle’s introductory press conference with Buffalo.

Well, someone is definitely happy to be out of Washington. And you know what? We’re equally happy for Settle. No, this isn’t a bad look for the Commanders. The four-year defensive tackle didn’t go on a tangent chastising Washington like some free agents do after they sign with new teams.

Just put yourself in Settle’s shoes for a moment. Over four seasons with the Commanders, he never played more than 33 percent of the snaps.

In 2020, Settle enjoyed his best season as a pro, logging five sacks, seven quarterback hits, 18 pressures and a 75.0 pass rush grade from PFF. How were Settle’s efforts rewarded? With his lowest snap share (20 percent) since his rookie year in 2018 when he played 13 percent of the  snaps.

With that in mind, you can’t blame Settle for being euphoric about joining a team that’ll likely give him a legitimate role. Couple that with the fact he’ll do so with a bonafide championship contender in Buffalo and it’s easy to see why Settle let out a spur-of-the-moment “WOOH!” during his presser.

The 24-year-old is already endearing himself to Bills Mafia, too.

You can tell how much Settle has been itching to get meaningful snaps. And the fact he gets to play alongside the likes of Von Miller, Tre’Davious White, Micah Hyde, Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver and Jordan Poyer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If Settle lives up to his potential, he could parlay his two-year, $9 million contract with Buffalo into a lucrative long-term deal.

By all accounts, Settle enjoyed his time in Washington, but it’s still a gut punch to the fan base that the Virginia Tech product is THIS excited to join the Bills. Can we blame him? Obviously not, but that won’t help the wound heal any faster.