John Bazemore/Associated Press

For the first time in his nine-year career, veteran defensive end Kroy Biermann will suit up for a team other than the Atlanta Falcons when he takes the field in 2016. The Buffalo Bills announced Monday that they signed the 30-year-old.

The move comes after IK Enemkpali suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Buffalo's first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Falcons selected Biermann in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, and he went on to play 114 regular-season games for them. He missed just 14 games in eight years, all of which came in 2013, when he suffered a torn Achilles.

Biermann had a productive 2014 season relative to coming off a major injury, recording 75 combined tackles and 4.5 sacks, but his play dropped off in 2015. He didn't start a single game, which resulted in fewer tackles (54) and sacks (2.5). Pro Football Focus also graded him as the 79th-best edge defender in the league.

Writing for SB Nation's The Falcoholic, Allen Strk argued that Biermann's career was never the same following the Achilles injury:

Coming off a season-ending injury, he was forced into playing 939 snaps in 2014. The coaching staff (and front office) deserves blame for pushing a role player towards such a prominent position. Signing run stuffers instead of edge rushers left Biermann in a hopeless situation. His first step was sluggish, which is never a good sign for an undersized defensive end. Opposing tackles handled Biermann, if he couldn't beat them off the edge. It was an unfortunate situation for the once fan-favorite. He went from being a dependable role player into an overexposed starter that couldn't provide much spark as a pass rusher.

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Biermann's days as a starter are almost certainly over—only twice in eight years did he start more than three games. While PFF gave him an 88.0 grade in run defense—seventh-highest among edge defenders—his inability to rush the passer is glaring. At 6'3", 255 pounds, he's also too small to move inside, where his skill set would be more effective.

To an extent, Biermann will always be a liability against the pass. In a more limited capacity, however, he can still help an NFL defense, as evidenced by his strong work against the run.

He's also a versatile defender, having played multiple positions in Atlanta. He has been a defensive end for most of his career, but the Falcons used Biermann as an outside linebacker occasionally in their 3-4 scheme. Head coach Dan Quinn said last offseason that he viewed Biermann as a linebacker/end hybrid when the team re-signed him, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Biermann visited the Bills on March 29, at which point the chances looked good he'd eventually sign with the team.

On one hand, Biermann is a fit in head coach Rex Ryan's defense, and he'll undoubtedly provide depth behind Manny Lawson and Jerry Hughes.

On the other hand, ESPN.com's Mike Rodak wondered in March whether Biermann addresses the team's weaknesses:

According to Football Outsiders, the Bills finished 31st in adjusted sack rate (3.8 percent). Given how his career has unfolded, Biermann won't provide much help in that regard, so as Rodak argued, Buffalo might need to add another player to strengthen the pass rush.

With Enemkpali out for the year and first-round draft pick Shaq Lawson having undergone offseason shoulder surgery, signing Biermann was a smart move by general manager Doug Whaley to strengthen the defense this offseason.