The Bills hosted defensive tackle Tenny Palepoi on a free agent visit yesterday, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). This is the first reported visit for the 27-year-old.
The 2014 undrafted free agent out of Utah had spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers organization. He missed the 2015 season after fracturing his foot, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a regular season game due to injury (he missed four games between 2016 and 2017 due to a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs). Palepoi had his most productive season in 2017, compiling 24 tackles and one sack in 15 games. The lineman didn’t play enough snaps to earn a spot on Pro Football Focus‘ positional rankings, but his score would have landed outside the top-100 among interior defenders.
If the free agent were to join the Bills, it’d be a reunion of sorts for the defender. As Yates notes, Palepoi played with new Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei when the two were in college. Palepoi would certainly have competition for playing time, as Buffalo is also rostering defensive tackles Kyle Williams, former third-rounder Adolphus Washington, and Rickey Hatley.