Buffalo Bills free agency 2018: Top 5 targets

One thing to always keep in the back of your mind with this era of Bills football is Beane and McDermott’s connection to the Carolina Panthers. Both worked in Charlotte for a long time before making the trek northward to Orchard Park. One guy that could conceivably join the Bills in 2018 is defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.

Carolina used its No. 14 overall pick on Lotulelei out of Utah in the 2013 NFL Draft. It was former general manager Dave Gettleman’s strategy to double-down one-two with his first two picks in a draft to solidify a major position of need. Apparently, fellow Carolina defensive tackle Kawann Short has been easily the more productive pro. He was franchise tagged as a second-round pick in 2017, while Carolina exercised the fifth-year option on the former first-rounder in Lotulelei.

At 6-foot-3, 311 pounds, Lotulelei could fill the void left by defensive tackle Kyle Williams should he leave in free agency. Keep in mind that Buffalo traded another defensive tackle in Marcell Dareus to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the middle of the 2017 NFL season. Buffalo needs to go to work at addressing defensive tackle this offseason.

No, Lotulelei will never be more than a solid, middle of the road starting tackle in the NFL. However, he does have great familiarity with what McDermott will want to do defensively. While he made $9,604,500 on his four-year rookie deal in 2013, odds are that Lotulelei won’t be as expensive entering his second contract. Maybe reuniting with McDermott in a new spot takes his game to another level?