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Buffalo Bills: A look at the most overrated player on the roster

By Steven Kubitza

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: A Buffalo Bills helmet sits on the bench before the game against the New York Jets at New Era Field on September 15, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: A Buffalo Bills helmet sits on the bench before the game against the New York Jets at New Era Field on September 15, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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The Buffalo Bills have brought in a handful of new players this season and one new addition is deemed to be rather overrated in an NFL Spin Zone list.

Defensive line was not the top priority for the Buffalo Bills this offseason but the team decided to make a significant investment by signing Star Lotulelei to a five-year, $50 million deal.

This move was received both positively and negatively by fans and analysts alike, and Lotulelei shows up as the team’s most overrated player in an article on NFL Spin Zone written by Randy Gurzi.

From the piece:

"What doesn’t make sense is the money Lotulelei was paid. He’s a decent enough player, but $10 million a year shouldn’t go to a player who is only ‘decent.’ And in all honesty last season, he wasn’t even good enough to be called decent.He finished 2017 with just 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His impact was minimal and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 109th best defensive tackle with a grade of just 49.5."

Lotulelei only has 11.5 career sacks and was never a star in Carolina after being drafted in the first round back in 2013. What he does have is a connection with Sean McDermott, who was the defensive coordinator in Carolina with Lotulelei before coming to coach the Bills last season.

Gurzi makes the point of an annual value of $10 million being too much, but that isn’t crazy money given the fact the Bills aren’t spending heavily on this roster. Without a lot of money invested in a quarterback or a star receiver, such as is the case with other teams, there is money to spend. $10 million isn’t a horrible amount of money spent on any player. This is easy to say when it is not my own money being spent.

I am not declaring Lotulelei to automatically be worth the contract but I do believe even if he doesn’t turn out to be a star, his contract won’t be a disaster if he is solid enough to remain a starter. He can serve as the constant on this unit as Kyle Williams gets ready for his swan song season.

He can also serve as a mentor to Harrison Phillips as the young player learns the ways of the NFL.

Next: 4 players with the most to prove on offense in 2018

As for my take on the most overrated player, it is hard to pick. One take could be to say it is Nathan Peterman in the sense that some media members have built him up as a legitimate contender for the starting job this season. If that happens, something has gone wrong in the plans.

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