Tag: Ryan Van Demark

Bills’ Ryan Van Demark brings ‘Who gives a [expletive]?’ mindset to new opportunity

#Bills’ Ryan Van Demark brings ‘Who gives a [expletive]?’ mindset to new opportunity:

If you’re a Buffalo Bills fan, all of a sudden you’re aware of this guy named Ryan Van Demark.

Perhaps that’s harsh. Van Demark was seeing second-team snaps over the likes of David Quessenberry before the offensive tackle position … hit the fan… but since that has happened he’s been thrust into a spotlight.

A late offseason addition, Brandon Shell, decided to retire from football. A few short days later, Tommy Doyle had a season-ending knee injury.

Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are still poised to start for the Bills, but Van Demark has gone from a third-to-four teamer on paper this spring to… one snap away from blocking for quarterback Josh Allen during the season opener.

Despite that huge change in circumstance, Van Demark hasn’t shown a sign of changing his mindset.

“It’s a huge opportunity for me to keep working and doing what I’m doing,” Van Demark said to the Buffalo News.

“I’m just coming out here and literally trying to be the best version of myself every day,” he noted to The Athletic. “And I think that, like taking a step back and breathing and being like, ‘Who gives a —? Just play.’ That’s what I’ve been doing every day coming out here.”

It still remains to be seen how the Bills handle the massive change in tackle depth.

An outside addition was made via Garrett McGhin. A higher-profile name could still be coveted by Buffalo when roster cut-down day arrives next week.

For the time being, it sounds like Van Demark is going to get an opportunity to stake his own claim.

“(Van Demark) has really grown in the system and really shown his athletic ability and his ability to play (tackle) and hold up,” Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said via video conference. “Coach (offensive line coach Aaron) Kromer does a great job as a teacher of that position.”

Van Demark is a name to watch during the Bills’ preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

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Bills finalize practice squad with three players from other teams

#Bills finalize practice squad with three players from other teams:

The Bills made their initial cuts down to 53 total players to begin the 2022 NFL season. Then came waivers.

Of all 25-plus players released by the team, four were picked up by other squads on the wavier wire. Another vet in OJ Howard ended up signing with the Texans.

The Bills went on to sign 13 players they previously cut to their practice squad. That left space for three more and those spots were filled by players previously cut by other teams in the NFL.

[the_huddle]

That trio can be found below:

Report: Colts waive OT Ryan Van Demark, LB Forrest Rhyne

Colts are waiving UDFA OT Ryan Van Demark and LB Forrest Rhyne.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to waive offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark and linebacker Forrest Rhyne ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to reduce the roster to 53 players.

Van Demark was one of the top undrafted rookies to sign with the Colts following the 2022 NFL draft. The Colts gave him a massive signing bonus to the tune of $175,000—the highest of the team’s undrafted rookie crop. However, Van Demark struggled in the preseason to the point where he’s likely a practice squad candidate.

Rhyne was battling for one of the final spots in the linebacker room and while he flashed some impressive traits, it’s likely he will wind up on the practice squad.

Be sure to keep up with all of the latest roster cuts via our tracker.

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6 Colts on the roster bubble who need strong preseason finale

These six Colts need a strong showing in the preseason finale.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night for the preseason finale.

While the starters will see the field for roughly the entire first half of the game, this is the final chance for the fringe players on the roster bubble to make their case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Colts will have until Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET to cut the roster down to 53 players ahead of the Week 1 opener against the Houston Texans.

Here are six Colts on the roster bubble who need a strong showing in the preseason finale:

Stock report from Colts’ preseason loss to Lions

Here is the stock report from the Colts’ preseason loss to the Lions.

The Indianapolis Colts got through their second preseason game with a 27-26 loss to the Detroit Lions on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Without the majority of starters on the field, the Colts got a good look at the deeper parts of the depth chart. On both sides of the ball, we saw some players raise their stock with one preseason game left. We also saw some players lower their stock going into the preseason finale.

The stock reports are always fluid. It changes from player to player. A factor that might damage the stock of one player may not have the same impact on another. Most of it is circumstantial, and things can change on a dime in the NFL.

But with the second preseason game now behind us, here is a look at the stock report from Saturday’s loss:

Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Offensive Tackle

Taking a look at the OTs entering training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are less than two weeks away from the start of training camp, which again takes place at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

One of the more intriguing position battles will take place on the offensive line, specifically at left tackle where a veteran and a rookie will battle it out for the starting role on the blindside.

Be sure to check out the other position previews ahead of training camp:

With veterans reporting for training camp on July 26, here’s our preview of the offensive tackle spots:

Colts give UDFA OT Ryan Van Demark $175,000 signing bonus

UConn OT Ryan Van Demark gets a hefty UDFA signing bonus from the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts concluded their 2022 NFL draft class and now it’s time to add the undrafted rookie free agents to the roster.

We have a tracker going, giving you all the updates you need to following along. But some of the signings are a bit more important. Most of the time, it is indicative by the size of the signing bonus.

Immediately after the draft, the Colts reportedly signed former Connecticut offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark with a bonus of $175,000.

That’s a pretty significant signing bonus and the fact that it’s fully guaranteed means Van Demark has a good chance to make the roster. If he doesn’t, it’s highly likely the Colts would make sure he gets to the practice squad.

Van Demark had a strong pro day in front of a number of teams and the Colts have been among the organizations he visited during the pre-draft process.

Van Demark checks a lot of the boxes that the Colts have historically liked in their offensive tackles.

The senior out of Connecticut was a team captain for the Huskies in 2022. Those are two boxes the Colts like to see. He also measured in at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds with 35 1/2-inch arms. Check, check and check.

He also spent his last three seasons at UConn playing left tackle as the starter, which shows that may be more of his natural position.

What’s also intriguing about Van Demark, who is expected to be drafted on Day 3, is his athletic profile. The fact that he posted a 4.5 in the short shuttle drill bodes well for his ability to reach his ceiling.

(Courtesy of Kent Lee Platte)

The Colts may have used a third-round pick on offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann to compete for the starting left tackle position, but we might want to throw Van Demark’s name in the mix as well considering the Colts were likely contemplating selecting him in the draft.

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Colts hosted UConn OT Ryan Van Demark on pre-draft visit

The Colts brought in UConn OT Ryan Van Demark for a pre-draft visit.

The Indianapolis Colts hosted former Connecticut offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark for a top-30 visit ahead of the 2022 NFL draft, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

With the draft quickly approaching, the Colts are rounding out their top-30 visits as they try to get as much information as possible on every prospect that might be on their draft board.

Demark had a strong pro day in front of a number of teams and the Colts have been among the organizations he visited during the pre-draft process.

Van Demark checks a lot of the boxes that the Colts have historically liked in their offensive tackles.

The senior out of Connecticut was a team captain for the Huskies in 2022. Those are two boxes the Colts like to see. He also measured in at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds with 35 1/2-inch arms. Check, check and check.

He also spent his last three seasons at UConn playing left tackle as the starter, which shows that may be more of his natural position.

What’s also intriguing about Demark, who is expected to be drafted on Day 3, is his athletic profile. The fact that he posted a 4.5 in the short shuttle drill bodes well for his ability to reach his ceiling.

(Courtesy of Kent Lee Platte)

As Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy has pointed out over the last few offseasons, an elite time in the short shuttle has an extremely high hit rate among offensive tackles.

That number doesn’t guarantee Van Demark will be a bonafide starter. But those who have hit close to the mark have hit their ceiling more often than not.

Van Demark may be best suited as a swing tackle working more in a depth role but given his athleticism and measurable, there would be no surprise if he wound up being one of the Colts’ selections on Day 3.

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7 offensive tackles who can help Cowboys as position in flux for first time in

The Cowboys may need to go into the draft with a mission of finding a future starting offensive tackle. @TimLettiero reviews the possibilities.

If the Dallas Cowboys want to keep their $40 million quarterback Dak Prescott upright, preventing edge pressure is essential. All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith is an elite talent, but hasn’t played a full season since 2015 and is not getting any younger. On the right side, usual starter La’el Collins dealt with injury, inconsistent play and a maddening suspension over avoiding drug testing which ultimately saw his stint in Dallas run its course

Terence Steele showed solid development after being a liability in 2020, proving he is worth a look as a starting caliber tackle in 2022. With only young and unproven OTs Josh Ball and Aviante Collins remaining on roster, this should be the year Dallas finally decides to address the tackle position with a long-term vision in mind. Here are several players from the 2022 NFL draft who provide value at various points of the weekend.