What To Make Of The OT Position (2023)

Brown has had a slew of injuries over his career, including one last season that forced him to miss three games and come out of others. His recovery from back surgery before last season trickled down into this summer, and he started off training camp unable to pick up his helmet on the ground. As a fan, you likely hoped that the team would have a backup option in place right away, even after Brandon Shell’s retirement (and maybe it is Germain Ifedi). But with a $258M QB in the backfield, you need as much talent as you can find on the OL. If Brown hasn’t cut it over the last couple of years, it may have been time to find somebody this off-season. But they put their faith in him this year, and hopefully it pans out.

What do we have in Ryan Van Demark?

Once he steps onto the field, the UConn product figures to be a swing tackle. Van Demark was mostly a LT throughout his college career. However, when he stepped up and played RT in the preseason this year, he was very solid. Buffalo likes to have their guys play multiple positions, and maybe he’s a guy that can start on either side if needed. But without him playing a real NFL snap yet, the team needs to be cautious with throwing him into the fire, especially against the elite edge rushers Buffalo will face the first few weeks of the season.

Germain Ifedi

Ifedi is a former first round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, and since then has been on four teams, including the Bills. His best work came with the Chicago Bears, where (as mentioned earlier) he blocked well for his QB. In 2020, he started 10 games at RG and six at RT, so he has that position flexibility that Buffalo loves in their offensive linemen. Ifedi, 29, is teetering between a young player and a veteran presence behind Brown. And, if Brown continues to struggle this year, he could lose his job to Ifedi.

Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown open up the season with a tough test through four weeks, facing the Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins.