Predicting the Buffalo Bills 2020 Depth Chart: Interior offensive line
By Daniel Bruce
Starter (Left Guard): Quinton Spain
Signed to a one-year contract last season, Spain offered a much needed stable presence at the guard position, which Buffalo had been missing since Richie Incognito left.
Spain was one of the biggest reasons why Buffalo’s offensive line improved so much last season and the left side was a huge strength between Spain and Dawkins. The veteran guard was a big help to Dawkins and was one of the reasons why the Bills left tackle improved as much as he did.
While Spain had some poor showings, he was great in pass protection during the season, allowing zero sacks during the season and constantly holding up in that area. While struggling in the run game, he is still a crucial part of the Bills success.
Spain has been working hard this offseason, and is looking slim and in the best shape of his life in this photo he uploaded to twitter:
Had a great offseason can’t wait till i can put them pads back on pic.twitter.com/kvK8ItALH8
— Mr. Undrafted (@quinton_spain) June 25, 2020
Winning the “Iron Bills” award for his willingness to work hard and was said to have lost significant weight. Vic Carucci wrote a section on how Spain transformed his body.
"Spain said the honor mainly recognized the fact he had lost about 20 pounds, going from 351 to 331, and did a good job of transferring fat to muscle. He credited the physical transformation to healthy eating, which featured plenty of seafood and vegetables prepared by a personal chef, and two-a-day workouts in the makeshift weight room he set up in the garage of his home in West Virginia."
The left guard looks ready to roll for 2020.
Starter (Center): Mitch Morse
Viewed as the biggest signing of the 2019 free agency for the Buffalo Bills, Morse was a pillar for Kansas City for four seasons before coming over to the Bills.
Signing a huge 4-year contract with Buffalo, Morse was brought in as a leader for the offensive line, and to be the best of the group.
The former Kansas City Chief did not disappoint, avoiding injuries in the regular season that had hampered him both of the two seasons prior and played a full 16 games for the Buffalo Bills. Allowing 1 sack during the season, Morse was really solid and used his great mobility as a strength.
On many occasions while Devin Singletary was running with the ball, you could see Morse leading the way ahead of the runner, a frequent plan by the offense to take advantage of Morse’s strengths.
I mentioned how Buffalo's offensive scheme took advantage of what Mitch Morse does best (get in space) & this is a perfect example.
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 14, 2019
The jet motion influences Mosley inside JUST enough to give Morse all he needed to get the seal & spring Singletary for an untouched 20 yard gain. pic.twitter.com/orThS18VHV
The five-year veteran is a beast in space, and should make plenty of these plays for the Bills in 2020.
Starter (Right Guard): Jon Feliciano
In probably what is the most fluid spot on the interior, Jon Feliciano will most likely start the season at the right guard spot.
Enjoying his first season in the NFL as a starter, Feliciano started off the season strongly, then as the season wore on he started to regress. Allowing 4 sacks during the season, Feliciano wasn’t poor but was more of an average or below average starter. The regression in the veteran’s game could be due to injury as he had surgery for a torn rotator cuff at seasons end. Theres no telling how long Feliciano played hurt, but for the severity of the injury it would without a doubt hamper his performance.
The toughness of Feliciano is something the Bills love, and the fact he played through such a severe injury should add some brownie points in McDermott’s mind. If he can stay healthy there’s no reasons why he can’t return to his early season form.