3 free agent defensive tackles the Detroit Lions could sign to add size

1. Star Lotulelei

Lotulelei was released by the Buffalo Bills in March, with two years remaining on his contract. There hasn’t been much interest in the 32-year old, after he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 and his 2021 season was derailed after he got COVID.

Before he got COVID, Bills general manager Brandon Beane suggested Lotulelei was playing well, calling him one of Buffalo’s “disruptive lineman” during the early part of the season.

"But when he got COVID, when he came back, it really affected him,” Beane said. “Without getting too deep into the woods, I don’t think he returned to form. And I think he’d be the first to tell you that at what he was playing at earlier in the year. He got better and I thought it improved the two playoff games, but I still don’t think it was as consistent as he was the first part of the season.”"

Lotulelei had five sacks over the final two seasons he played for the Bills, including three last year in 11 games. So he appears to have a little something left in the tank, and the Lions wouldn’t need him to play a lot if he managed to stick around through camp. At 315 pounds, he also has a good helping of the “girth” Campbell talked about.