The Buffalo Bills drafted two offensive linemen during the 2023 NFL Draft when they selected O'Cyrus Torrence in the second round and then Nick Broeker in the seventh round. However, the front office wasn't done addressing the line and signed Richard Gouraige as an undrafted free agent last week.
Gouraige, who played alongside O'Cyrus Torrence last season for the Florida Gators, has experience both at tackle and guard. He appeared in 49 games over four seasons for the Gators with the first two inside at guard before moving to left tackle.
How does Richard Gouraige fit with the Buffalo Bills?
The former Florida Gators' left tackle was expected to be drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. The scouting report on The Draft Network had given him a 70 out of 100, which was a fifth round value.
However, he did not test very well at all leading up to the NFL Draft and this could have been why he ended up going undrafted. Gouraige finished with a Relative Athletic Score of 1.52 out of 10 which ranks 1,098 out of 1,240 offensive tackles since 1987.
While he didn't test well, he was a starting left tackle in the SEC which is not an easy task at the college level with the talent in that conference. The Buffalo Bills obviously saw something while watching him play for them to sign him as an undrafted free agent and that made them believe they could develop him.
The Buffalo Bills currently have good depth across the offensive line and Richard Gouraige is unlikely to make the 53-man roster. However, he is a player who would be a good fit on the practice squad which would give the coaching staff time for him to develop, either at guard or tackle and eventually make it to the active roster.