Buffalo Bills: A post-minicamp look at the battles along the offensive line
By Daniel Hahn
Projected starter – Jordan Mills
Jordan Mills is like the invisible man on the GM to-do list. Mills is a two year starter for the Bills, and that should be enough to cause comfort amongst all the other changes.
Mills is a mixed bag among Bills fans. You could argue he’s been unfairly judged since he’s been playing alongside three Pro-Bowl players and by default he was the weakest link.
However, he often had untimely penalties and was typically saved by Tyrod Taylor/LeSean McCoy escaping the defenders he missed.
Mills isn’t a MUST to replace. However, bringing in competition for him has been a Bills offseason to-do item. In 2017 they drafted Dion Dawkins who could have competed with Mills. Due to Cordy Glenn’s injury, he was forced to start on the left side.
During this offseason, newcomer Marshall Newhouse should compete with Mills. Yet he won’t fully dedicate his time to the competition since he has significant chances to start at other positions with the retirements of Incognito and Wood.
The issue with Mills isn’t that he starts, it’s that he has seemingly worked with some voodoo magic to remove camp competition before it ever arrives.
Names to watch: Marshall Newhouse; Conor McDermott; Free Agent
The in-house names to backup for Mills and potentially push him in camp are the same we already listed. The undrafted free agents best bet is to make the practice squad, as they have some developing still to do.
The biggest competition to push Mills will be if a right tackle is cut during camp from another team. Mills himself was once cut and became a two-year starter for the Bills. So don’t knock it as an option.
At the end of the day, there will be a lot of changes to the offensive line, and a change in leadership. Can Dawkins provide leadership in only his second year for the entire line? Can Bodine bring veteran leadership while also competing for his own job?
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The right mix of five will be decided during training camp. And that decision could be the biggest offseason decision for the Buffalo Bills.