The Buffalo Bills added two free agents on Sunday and the message is clear that they are still trying to find the right players to replace Star Lotulelei.
When the Buffalo Bills announced that starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei had opted out of the 2020 season, there was no question this was a big loss for this defense. The veteran defensive tackle may not have had big stat lines but what he brought to this group went beyond the box score.
At the time the Buffalo Bills looked to be well-equipped to handle the absence of Lotulelei this year as the defensive tackle position was one of the deepest on the roster. The Bills were getting back Harrison Phillips, who suffered a torn ACL last season, and added free agents Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler this offseason. They also had Vincent Taylor and Niles Scott on the roster.
However, the moves on Sunday could paint a different picture and the team could still be searching for the answer to replace Star Lotulelei this offseason. The Buffalo Bills announced the team has signed defensive tackles Tanzel Smart and Justin Zimmer. The team had to create space on their roster and waived wide receiver Nick Easley and defensive tackle Niles Scott.
Signed: DT Tanzel Smart & DT Justin Zimmer
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) August 16, 2020
Waived: WR Nick Easley
Waived/Injured: DT Niles Scott pic.twitter.com/8XiEJedHjE
While the Buffalo Bills could just be doing their due diligence, it is interesting to see them add two defensive tackles to a position that is already pretty deep. One of the reasons it is surprising is that the team only has 14 padded practices during training camp and with no preseason, the snaps and reps during these practices are even more valuable.
This could be a sign the team is going to try and limit Harrison Phillips workload as he continues to work back from his injury. However, now having potentially five players to rotate through and get enough film to evaluate all of them could be a challenge.
The rotation at defensive tackle during training camp was one of the top things to watch for the Buffalo Bills over the next few weeks. These moves has now created even more intrigue over the coming weeks.