Rex had interest
Here’s an interesting though, could he have been with the Bills sooner? Was the Bills and Butler connection something long overdue? In a way, yes, and no, not because of the “Carolina connection.”
Prior to being a first-round pick of the Panthers in 2016, the Rex Ryan-Doug Whaley-led Bills reportedly had Butler in for a pre-draft visit. Butler had a strong pro day at Louisiana Tech prior to that year’s draft which saw him shoot up draft boards. But he apparently didn’t shoot high enough for the Bills. Instead of selecting Butler, the recently departed Shaq Lawson was their first-round pick that year at No. 19 overall. Lawson ended up being the final draft pick of the Whaley era to stick around with the Bills. He’s now with the Dolphins because Buffalo didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on his contract, and Butler is with the Bills because the Panthers didn’t pick up his.
Go inside the war room as the coaches call Vernon Butler to let him know he's heading to Carolina. #PanthersDrafthttps://t.co/uCcJljY5jR
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 29, 2016