Getty Linebacker Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers follows the play against quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.
The Buffalo Bills had a very famous visitor at OTAs this week.
The team shared a video showing legendary Carolina Panthers linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly on the sidelines with Bills head coach Sean McDermott at practice on May 31. This is now the second year that the retired linebacker has dropped in to the Bills’ facility, which has led to speculation in the past that he could eventually find his way onto McDermott’s coaching staff.
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Kuechly Takes in Practice
Video shared by the Bills on Twitter showed Kuechly chatting with McDermott on the sidelines as members of the Bills went through practice. He was likely there to take in defensive practice, as the Buffalo News showed linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds going through drills on Monday.
Hey there, @LukeKuechly! 👋
This is now the second year that Keuchly has dropped in to a Bills practice. He also made an appearance at training camp last August, which made a big impression on then-Bills defensive lineman Star Lotulelei, Keuchly’s former Panthers teammate.
“I think he’s a great source for Tremaine [Edmunds] and Matt [Milano],” Lotulelei said at the time, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “They’re both Boston College guys but really anybody in that room can learn so much from Luke. How to be professional, how to be great at his position. He’s such a smart player in how he saw the field and how he saw plays. I think these guys are a little spoiled having Luke in there. I’d take advantage of it if I were anybody in that room.”
This could be a make-or-break season for some of the Bills linebacking corps. After the Bills picked up his fifth-year option, former first-round pick Edmunds could be on the hot seat this season, insider Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News speculated.
Skurski speculated that after giving big contract extensions to Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, the Bills might not have enough money to keep Edmunds.
“After handing out big-money deals to Josh Allen and Von Miller, among others, there is no guarantee Edmunds will get an extension,” Skurski wrote. “Calling him a bust would definitely be a stretch, but expecting a bit more from him – given when he was picked – is fair.”
Carolina Pipeline Remains Strong
Keuchly is one of many players and coaches coming to Buffalo from Carolina, the former home of McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane. The Bills had seven players on last year’s team who had spent time with the Panthers — Mario Addison, Vernon Butler, Star Lotulelei, Efe Obada, Andre Smith, A.J. Klein and Daryl Williams. Another former Panthers player, Bryan Cox Jr., was on injured reserve for the Bills last season.
Former Panthers All-Pro PB Luke Kuechly took in #Bills practice today. Here he is chatting with coach McDermott.
McDermott has leaned heavily on Panthers players throughout his tenure with the Bills. In his first year in Buffalo, he made a deadline trade for Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who helped the Bills to break their 17-year playoff drought that season.
The pipeline can go both ways. Dan Morgan, Carolina’s assistant general manager, also spent time in Buffalo’s front office.
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