Buffalo Bills free agency 2021: Top 5 targets this offseason

Buffalo Bills free agency 2021: Top 5 targets

FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 28: Josh Allen #17, Stefon Diggs #14, and Daryl Williams #75 of the Buffalo Bills huddle during a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 21: Kawann Short #99 of the Carolina Panthers during the Carolina Panthers Training Camp at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

4. Kawann Short

McDermott and Beane both have deep routes inside the Panthers’ organization. That’s made Carolina a fertile recruiting ground for Buffalo in the recent past. Look for that trend to continue this offseason.

It wasn’t that long ago when Short was justifiably considered to be one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. Injuries have taken a heavy toll on his game over the past two seasons. That makes him a strong candidate to leave Carolina as a cap casualty.

Signing him would be a risk for Buffalo, but Short isn’t in a position to command a significant deal in free agency. Inking him to a one-year, incentive-laden deal would give him a chance to reestablish his value before hitting free agency again.

Ironically, the Bills could use him to step in for another former Panther. Vernon Butler got a sizable deal from Buffalo in free agency but looks to be an impending cap-casualty of their own. Short would give McDermott and his coaching staff a lottery ticket that could pay off in a big way for their front seven in 2021.

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