Buffalo Bills: Four players primed for breakout seasons in 2018

Ryan Groy

I think Ryan Groy is one of the best players on this team that you have barely heard of. In 2016, Groy filled in for Eric Wood at center for the final seven games of the season and was outstanding. He took 539 snaps, didn’t allow a sack in 291 pass-blocking snaps and had allowed just nine total pressures in those seven games. Pro Football Focus declared him as the team’s secret superstar after his performance in 2016.

To me, Groy should be the starting center without question. There is enough competition at either guard position with the likes of Vlad Ducasse, John Miller and Wyatt Teller. At center, the only competition for Groy is Russell Bodine. I believe that due to his proven track record at center for the Bills and being able to open up lanes for LeSean McCoy.

I recently saw a video put out by the guys over at Cover 1 where they did an in-depth overview of the offensive line and what each player brings to the table. At about the 11:30 mark of the video, the guys begin to break down Bodine’s game and then start to cover Groy.

They do an excellent job in breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of Bodine and Groy and how Groy is a more athletic player and when he was asked to fill in for Eric Wood in years past, there was no real difference. That isn’t in any way a knock on Wood (puns are fun), but it just goes to show the value and set of skills that Groy has.

In my eyes, Groy is a fantastic luxury to have. At the beginning of the offseason in 2017, the team matched an offer-sheet for Groy from the Los Angeles Rams to keep him in Buffalo. While he has often served as the sixth offensive lineman in larger sets, it shows that the team sees something in him and now is his time to show he is a starter in this league.