Buffalo Bills Must Upgrade Offensive Line to Make NFL Playoffs in 2015

The Buffalo Bills made a bold move on Tuesday when they reportedly agreed to trade linebacker Kiko Alonso for Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak. C.J. Spiller, meanwhile, learned that his days with the Bills are over.

But no matter who's standing in the Bills backfield next season—me, Shady McCoy or Walter Payton in his prime—Buffalo needs to improve its offensive line in order to compete for a playoff spot.

For 2014, Pro Football Focus ranked Buffalo's O-line 30th out of 32 NFL teams, including 23rd in pass blocking and dead last in run blocking. For the first time in 35 years, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, the Bills failed to have a 100-yard rusher in any single game.

That's stunning, especially considering they added three offensive linemen in last year's draft. But in numerous ways, things simply did not go as planned.

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The Bills took one step toward shoring up their front five last month when they signed notorious bully Richie Incognito to handle the left guard duties (a NSFW description of his bullying can be found here). But there are still major holes to be filled, especially on the right side.

According to the latest figures from the NFL Players Association, the Bills had $27.1 million in cap space before trading for McCoy. That number decreases substantially now due to McCoy's massive cap hit, but Buffalo declined to use its franchise tag on defensive end Jerry Hughes or anyone else, so there's still room to work with.

A chunk of that room, whether via free agency or the draft, should be devoted to offensive linemen.

It's not that the Bills don't have any returning options—seven offensive linemen from last year's roster entered this offseason under team control. It's that there are massive question marks surrounding almost every one of them. 

If the Bills want any chance to end their playoff drought in 2015, a serviceable quarterback would be nice, but a serviceable offensive line will be just as critical in Greg Roman's ground-and-pound scheme. Otherwise, the Bills will be dominated at the line of scrimmage.

With that in mind, let's assess the situation along the offensive line, position by position.

Left Tackle

Cordy Glenn is as close to a sure thing as you're going to get on this offensive line, and even he had major issues in 2014.

After an excellent 2013 in which he was one of the better left tackles in the NFL, Glenn missed all of training camp with an undisclosed illness and never approached his expected levels of performance during the 2014 regular season.

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It's fairly safe to assume Glenn's 2015 effort will fall somewhere between his 2014 and 2013 performances, which is to say he'll hold down the left tackle spot just fine. Still, his drop-off last year is just one more reason why the Bills need more depth on the O-line. There's always a chance he'll continue to regress.

A few guys could potentially serve as backups to Glenn, such as Cyrus Kouandjio and restricted free agent Chris Hairston. But the right side is currently such a mess that, at least for now, it's all up to Glenn on the far left.

Left Guard

Incognito has been out of NFL action since midway through the 2013 season, and his reported history of abusive behavior toward teammates is something the Bills need to keep a close eye on. But he was a Pro Bowler in 2012, and from an on-field standpoint, signing him was a concerted effort by the Bills to fix a left guard position that was a revolving door last season.

Cyril Richardson started four games there as a rookie but was not yet fully ready for the role. Chris Williams started three and was lackluster before going on injured reserve in Week 7. Then Kraig Urbik started the final nine games of the season, bringing some stability to the position but little more.

"I never understood the Williams signing from the start," ESPN NFL scout Matt Williamson told ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. "I didn't think he was a good player before he got to Buffalo. I don't think he's a tackle. I don't think he's a guard. I wouldn't count on him at all."

Williamson added this not-so-ringing endorsement of Urbik: "I can live with Urbik as a starting guard, though."  

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According to Rodak, Urbik's cap hit is $3.675 million and Williams' $3.35 million, respectively second- and third-most among the Bills' returning O-linemen. Williams is entering the second year of a four-year, $13.5 million deal that's looking like a mistake and would currently project as the second-string left guard behind Incognito.

Urbik, meanwhile, could compete for the starting right guard job, but there's also a legitimate chance the Bills will release him. "By releasing Urbik this spring, they would save $2.275 million off their 2015 cap, or nearly $3 million if the move happened after June 1," Rodak notes.  

Center

Like at left tackle, the Bills have a starter at center who was less than stellar in 2014 and pretty much no backup options. That starter is Eric Wood, whom the Bills drafted 28th overall in 2009. He's the elder statesman of the line, though the 28-year-old lacked consistency last season.

"Wood was adequate and better at times," Carucci writes, "but not as consistently dominant as one would expect for a salary that indicates he’s among the NFL’s best at his position."

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Wood's $6 million cap hit is by far the biggest on the O-line and the fourth-biggest on Buffalo's roster, if you include McCoy. He's a team captain in the midst of a four-year, $25.4 million deal. He'll certainly be back next season but is unlikely to be worth the amount he's owed.

Pro Football Focus rankings suggest Wood's performance as a run-blocker has slipped in the past few seasons, and he also had a down year in pass protection in 2014—though it couldn't have helped that the guards on either side of him were liabilities.

Regardless, the Bills might look to draft a player with experience at center in case Wood gets injured.

Right Guard

Erik Pears started all 16 games at right guard for Buffalo last year after spending the previous three seasons at right tackle. Now he's an unrestricted free agent.

"There hasn't been any movement between the Bills and Pears, according to a source," Rodak wrote on Feb. 23. "It's unlikely the Bills will re-sign Pears after adding free-agent guard Richie Incognito earlier this month. Last week, [general manager Doug] Whaley called the Bills' guard play last season 'lackluster,' which is a sign they're looking to move on from Pears."  

If the Bills do part ways with Pears, Urbik would logically be the next man up at right guard if he's not released. Beyond that, Kouandjio was underwhelming at tackle as a rookie and may be better suited at guard in Roman's inside run scheme. With Incognito on the left side, Richardson could also compete for the right guard spot in camp.

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All of which is to say the Bills should still acquire at least one more guard. In free agency, Mike Iupati of the San Francisco 49ers is one name that jumps to mind, especially since he's worked with Roman before.

As for the draft, Williamson notes, "it's a pretty deep guard draft for power players."  

Right Tackle

Seantrel Henderson was not supposed to start every snap of every game last season after the Bills drafted him in the seventh round. Alas, that's how things shook out on this severely understaffed O-line.

Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com sums up the Seantrel situation: "Henderson was one of the league's worst players at his position last year, struggling equally in both pass protection and in the run game. Sure, he's young, and there is still considerable upside here, but in no sane universe will this guy be handed a starting job again." 

Henderson should take steps forward in 2015, but at the very least, Rex Ryan needs to let Kouandjio and Hairston compete with Henderson for that right tackle job. 

Hairston, who came to Buffalo in the trade for Marshawn Lynch in 2010, could be a valuable piece, since he's capable of playing both outside and inside. He took first-team reps at right guard during training camp last summer, but Urbik ultimately won that battle. 

Zooming out, it is not totally inconceivable for the Bills to have an average offensive line with their current personnel. But just about everything would need to go right—no injuries, no regression and major improvements from the young guys. In a run-first offense, that's no way to live.

The takeaway? Bring in a couple of draftees for depth and sign another veteran to shore up the right side.