The Buffalo Bills’ roster in 2020 looks good, there’s really no glaring holes in it. Heck, Bleacher Report themselves had to admit that when doing this recent exercise.
B/R tabbed every NFL team’s weak link heading into 2020. For the Bills, it was their offensive guard positions in the trenches. It’s a fair point, but in their breakdown, the word “nitpick” is even used.
However, with recent news surrounding that position on Buffalo’s roster, it is certainly a valid selection. Here’s what B/R said about the Bills’ guard spot:
While the Buffalo Bills’ interior offensive line isn’t in terrible shape thanks to the presence of high-quality veteran Mitch Morse, incumbent starting left guard Jon Feliciano’s recent pectoral injury could leave Buffalo in dire straits on either side of Morse.
That’s because Feliciano was probably the stronger of the team’s two reigning starters at that position. Left guard Quinton Spain has never been a standout player and earned a poor grade from Pro Football Focus in his debut season with the Bills, which could put a lot of pressure on backups Daryl Williams, Ike Boettger and Evan Boehm.
That’s a pretty solid group of versatile options beyond Feliciano, but depth only comes in handy if somebody emerges, and none of those guys has accomplished much in starting guard roles.
Without the Feliciano injury, this would be a bit of a nitpick decision considering the number of options at this spot in Buffalo. That we went this route is another indication the defensively balanced and offensively exciting Bills are truly a playoff-caliber team without any glaring weaknesses.
Truthfully the entire Bills offensive line breaks down in a similar manner to the way B/R handles it. Last season the unit was average, they were not flawless. Many observers of the Bills believe this group was amongst the best because of the 2018 O-line. That year, the unit was so bad Buffalo brought in four new starters in 2019, so looking at last year’s team with 2018’s in mind… yeah, they were a lot better. But there’s room for improvement.
But there’s reason for optimism because of the lack of changes in this unit from last season to this year. The chemistry along the long has a chance to grow and this average unit could emerge as one of the top ones in the league now.
But one weird thing left out here by B/R. No mention of Brian Winters, who has primarily been a starter for his seven-year career with the Jets. Did they forget he’s there?
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