Buffalo Bills: 4 players with the most to prove on defense in 2018

Star Lotulelei

Star Lotulelei just signed a $50 million contract which means there are naturally some high expectations surrounding him.

He needs to prove he is worth the money for a team that is in the midst of rebuilding for a future run of success. An annual value of $10 isn’t a crazy amount, but not getting any production from that chunk of the payroll could do some damage in terms of other moves not being able to be made.

Lotulelei had 11.5 career sacks in five seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Not a stat that jumps off the page but his job is to be a disruptor in the middle. If he can take up two blockers often and the sack numbers go up for those around him, he is doing his job.

A player like Lotulelei wouldn’t show up on this list for most teams but since he is making so much compared to the rest of the Bills roster, here he is. He is the sixth-highest cap hit this year, as shown on Spotrac.

Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott have a lot of history with Lotulelei from their days in Carolina so clearly they believe he has what it takes to be a great player. Bills fans who trust the process are hoping for the same.