Buffalo Bills: 5 offensive players on the roster bubble

Russell Bodine – C

Russell Bodine was supposed to be Eric Wood‘s heir apparent. After one season of play, it’s clear that he isn’t. In 2018 — the first year of a two-year, $5 million contract — he played and started 10 games, didn’t allow a sack, then suffered a season-ending broken leg in week 12.

The Bills clearly don’t view Bodine as their future at the center position, as they signed fellow center Mitch Morse to a record-breaking deal in free agency. The team also added on versatile guard/center Spencer Long to a similar deal to the one Bodine signed in 2018. The two addition likely put Bodine as the third center on the roster, and a highly paid one at $2.8 million.

Unfortunately for Bodine, he doesn’t offer a skill set suited to play guard. He’s been a center throughout his five-year career and hasn’t played any other position since college. If the Bills see Long as more of a center, Bodine is in a pickle. However, if they view Long as a guard — which he played at minicamp — and he wins a starting or priority backup job, Bodine will be solidified as the backup center.

The Bills’ offensive line is full of position battles worth tracking in training camp. With so many new additions, there are only so many spots for the old. Bodine will be battling for a job, but it will depend on where Spencer Long ends up. If Long starts or wins a guard job, Bodine should be the backup center; if he doesn’t, the Bills would have the highest paid third-string center in the NFL.