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With the hiring of Rex Ryan and his dedication to the “ground and pound” philosophy, the importance of the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line was critical to the success of the new players in the backfield. In their first year under Roman, on the whole the offensive line did the job. Individually, the right side of the line is a bit of a work in progress. Couple that with the impending free agent status of both the left tackle and guard and you have a recipe for upheaval.
Key Stats
While being the 29th passing offense isn’t anything to sneeze at, the number one ranked rushing offense in the NFL wouldn’t have been accomplished without the unit bringing their “A” game and working well under the tutelage of Roman and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. The Bills also had the most “explosive” rushing plays with 70 – again a great indicator of how well the line and running backs / Tyrod were able to take advantage of holes in the defense.
Roman called a balanced game running wise – 24% of the time to the left, 25% to the right and 51% of the time up the middle. But when running to the right, he would typically pull Richie Incognito or at times Eric Wood to ensure run success.
In the pass game, the Bills allowed 42 sacks, which was 22nd in the NFL. While some of that can be argued to be at the feet of the quarterback, far too much pressure was allowed from the right side, with the right tackle (Mills, Henderson, Kouandjio) being the sore point.
Possible FA Fits
With both Glenn and Incognito soon-to-be free agents, the Bills are focusing on them as priorities 1 and 1a. For this article I’ll assume they get it done with both. Given that, here are a few options for right tackle that should be affordable:
Bobbie Massie, Cardinals – After posting a solid season for the Cardinals upon his return from a two game suspension (due to a team security guard calling him in for trying to sleep off drinking too much in the team parking lot) Massie has been just as good in the playoffs. Because he’s done good and not great and plays right tackle, he shouldn’t command an insane contract in free agency – and would solidify the Bills at right tackle for at least the next few years.
Andre Smith, Bengals – Paying a player that has at times been known for weight/effort issues isn’t smart. Paying said player on a mid-level “prove it” deal where he can earn big money if he stays in shape and performs does. Andre Smith is such a player. The Bengals have done a masterful job on their roster and their offensive line has two first round caliber players in the wings who got a “redshirt” NFL year. Smith as a result should find himself on the market this off-season and the Bills would be smart to at least see if he and his agent bite at such a deal. When he is on his game he’s a heavy handed player that can help lean on the defense in the run game.
Final Thoughts
Because of rookie John Miller’s injuries toward the tail end of the season, we couldn’t get a fair evaluation of him vs the run or pass. Right tackle however, was a different story. Both Cyrus Kouandjio and Seantrel Henderson struggled at times – and with Henderson’s illness being a determinant as to how good he’ll be upon his return. Getting an option that Kromer can work with outside of Mills keeps the Bills’ options open at right tackle. Hopefully, they can bring the left side back or the situation can get ugly in a hurry.
Going into 2016, the offense and by extension the offensive line must continue to evolve, particularly with the nebulous nature of how the defense will perform.
Up Next: We’ll chat defensive linemen.
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