The Buffalo Bills have Super Bowl LVI aspirations, but the one thing that could stop them from reaching their goal is an offensive line that seemingly cannot stop anyone.
There was some hope that Buffalo would address the position at the NFL trade deadline, but no deal ever came. The only offensive lineman to move at the deadline was Laurent Duvernay-Tardif who was sent in a one-for-one trade to the New York Jets with tight end Dan Brown joining the Kansas City Chiefs. Just about every contending team was likely looking at offensive line options, but options were few and far between.
Things went from bad to worse post-deadline with the offensive line getting embarrassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville had over 20 pressures in their 9-6 win. While the Bills were without two of their starters for the game, this was the third time this season that Buffalo allowed 20-plus pressures in a game.
With the deadline come and gone, Buffalo’s only option now is to hope that the unit that they currently have gets healthier and starts playing at a much higher level or look at NFL free agency and practice squads across the league.
As it stands, the team currently has less than $4 million in cap space, but as George Bluth Sr. famously said, “There’s always money in the banana stand.” Simply put, the Bills can get creative if need be.
So who should the team be looking at in free agency or on practice squads across the league? Here are some of the more intriguing options.
Mitchell Schwartz
The vast majority of players in this article are guards, but Mitchell Schwartz stands out as a tackle option that could appeal to Buffalo. As it stands, Spencer Brown appears to be getting close from returning from a back injury that he suffered over the team’s bye week.
Without Brown in the lineup, the team moved Daryl Williams to right tackle, a spot he played well at with the Bills in 2020. The limited results in 2021 have not been kind to Williams so having a backup plan in the event that Brown suffers another injury is worthwhile. That’s where Schwartz comes in.
Schwartz, 32, suffered a back injury in the Chiefs’ regular season win over the Bills last season and underwent surgery in the offseason. He told Forbes.com that he is still dealing with some nerve pain, but that he’s rehabbing in hopes of possibly playing again.
“I’m just trying to get fully healthy,” Schwartz told Forbes, “and then I feel like I can make that determination.”
Schwartz is a name to consider late in the year if another injury occurs at tackle or if Brown takes a step back in play.
Kelechi Osemele
Kelechi Osemele is another offensive lineman who is coming off of a serious injury. The guard, 32, tore tendons in both of his knees last season with the Chiefs during a matchup against the Raiders, but he appears to be getting closer to a comeback. Back in March, Osemele was shown rehabbing. At the time, he was moving pretty well.
Osemele had been playing well in Kansas City before the injury and could give Jon Feliciano legitimate competition at left guard. With 101 career starts, The two-time Pro Bowl lineman--at minimum--would be an upgrade over Ike Boettger and Cody Ford in terms of guard depth.
Joining the Bills may not take much convincing. In addition to joining a Super Bowl contender, Osemele is a Josh Allen fan.
David DeCastro
Much like the first two names on the list, DeCastro is coming off of an injury. DeCastro revealed over the summer that he needed a third ankle surgery. It was referred to as a “clean up” surgery, but not much has been said about a potential comeback in 2021 and DeCastro said retirement was on the table.
“I have to get surgery on my ankle a third time,” DeCastro said in a text to Joe Starkey of the Post-Gazette. “I tried to fix it last year but the bone spurs kept coming back. It nagged me pretty bad all last year.”
Despite the ankle issues, DeCastro, a three-time All Pro, still played at a high level with the Steelers.
It may be worth a call to see how the longtime Steeler’s ankle is feeling.
D.J. Fluker
D.J. Fluker, a former 1st round pick, joined the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad on October 20. Fluker had been suspended for the first six games of the 2021 season, but put up some decent film last season in Baltimore. Fluker appeared in 16 games with the Ravens one season ago and made eight starts at guard. Pro Football Focus gave Fluker a 63.8 grade for his play.
Fluker may not be as accomplished as Osemele or DeCastro, but he has 96 career starts and there are no questions about whether or not he plans to play in 2021.
J.R. Sweezy
J.R. Sweezy is another guard with plenty of starting experience in the NFL. He’s recorded 104 starts (117 games played) in his career with the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Cardinals. Sweezy last played in 2020 with the Cardinals. He started 10 games at right guard last season and allowed just one sack with the team.
Sweezy signed with the Saints in early August this offseason but was released later that month.
Nick Easton
The Saints released Nick Easton in February as they looked to get under the salary cap. The versatile lineman has experience playing along the interior of the offensive line and has appeared in 45 games (32 starts) in his career. He received interest from the Bengals and Texans after his release and New Orleans showed some interest in bringing the lineman back as well, but he remains unsigned. Easton did suffer two concussions in 2020 which could be playing a part in him being a free agent.
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