Once Brandon Beane extended the contract of nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, it was a pretty clear sign that he was freeing up additional salary cap space to make another free agent signing.

The Bills have hosted a few players this week, and one of those will be joining the team - edge rusher Casey Toohill, a four-year NFL veteran who has seven career sacks.

Toohill was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2020 but while he made the team, he played in only one game before being waived and signed by the Commanders. With Washington, Toohill saw limited duty on a defensive line that included star edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat, but he did get into 57 games and started 14.

Last season was his best, primarily because Young and Sweat were both dealt at the trade deadline which opened up playing time. Toohill started eight games and registered five sacks, 26 tackles, and a fumble recovery.

The 254-pounder signed a one-year deal and he joins a group in Buffalo that includes Greg Rousseau, Von Miller, A.J. Epenesa and Kingsley Jonathan.

Toohill’s arrival probably does not rule out the possibility that Buffalo still takes a swing early in the 2024 draft at edge rusher, but adding him to the roster also alleviates Beane reaching to fill that need if the draft board does not play out.

The first sack Toohill made in his career came in 2021, and it was one he probably won’t forget: Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs.

The San Diego native played collegiately at Stanford where he appeared in 46 games and made 130 tackles, 14.5 sacks, one interception, three batted down passes and one fumble recovery.

Toohill, who stands 6-foot-5 and is 27 years old, actually grew up loving baseball.

“Baseball was my favorite sport growing up because that’s what my brother (Connor) played, and I was interested in collecting cards and balls, ” he told BVM Sports in 2021.

Football came on his radar screen, but not the tackle version. He started out in flag football because, “My parents didn’t want me to play Pop Warner until I was a little bit older, which I thought was a smart decision.”

Former Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day visited Buffalo but then turned around and signed with the Titans. They also had safeties Mike Edwards, formerly of the Chiefs, and Julian Blackmon, formerly of the Colts, in for visits this week.

Safety seems like it’s the next priority for Buffalo as it tries to patch the holes left by the departures of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.

▶ The Bills also officially announced the signing of running back Ty Johnson to a one-year contract.

▶ In off the field news, Rochester’s own Pete Guelli was named Chief Operating Officer of the Bills and Sabres. The 59-year-old Aquinas and SUNY Brockport graduate was in the organization back during Ralph Wilson’s ownership tenure from 1998-2009, he played a vital role in bringing the team’s training camp to St. John Fisher College in 2000, and eventually became senior vice-president of business operations in 2008.

He left the team in 2009 to join the front office of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and played a role in transitioning the staff when Michael Jordan became part of the ownership group in 2010. He worked his way up to the role of COO, then left to return to the NFL, taking the position of Chief Business Officer for the New York Giants in 2019.

“It was hard not to be impressed with the experience and overall business acumen of Pete Guelli,” Terry Pegula said in a statement. “The New York market is the largest in our country and highly competitive and he did an outstanding job on all levels of their business operation. His work in helping turn around the Charlotte franchise in the NBA was remarkable. He is a proven leader with tremendous skills and experience in the sports business landscape. With the upcoming changes on the way in both team’s venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams.”

In a statement, Guelli said “I just want to thank Terry and the Pegula family for this incredible opportunity. I know the importance of these franchises to the market and understand the responsibility that comes with this role. I am looking forward to getting to work and becoming part of the community again.”

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out each Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills sign edge rusher Casey Toohill to one-year contract