The Buffalo Bills have demonstrated time and time again that they are not satisfied until they turn over every stone and open every door looking for players that fit their vision. This continues to be evident with the signings of C Russell Bodine and OT Mitchell Newhouse. Both are players with extensive time in the league that should help bring a veteran presence to a rapidly changing offensive line with the departures of C Eric Wood, OT’s Seantrel Henderson and Cordy Glenn. Today’s post will assess the new signing’s injury histories and possible impact this season.
First up is C Russell Bodine. The recent Cincinnati Bengals lineman signed a 2 year, $5 million deal to come to Buffalo and compete for the starting job. The veteran lineman has shown the ability to play at a high level and be effective, starting every game of his 4 year career. He has also not had any major injury, only showing up once on the injury report during the 2015 season with a finger injury which did not cause him to miss time. While he has big shoes to fill with the departure of C Eric Wood, the 4th year pro will be able to battle for the starting position with C/G Ryan Groy and C Adam Redmon in training camp with a strong starter and effective depth established as a result.
Next up is OT Marshall Newhouse formerly of the Oakland Raiders. The 8th year pro has had stops in Green Bay, Cincinnati, New York Giants and now most recently Oakland. Newhouse recently signed a 1 year contract with the Bills to provide depth with a thinning tackle position. The journeyman tackle has dealt with many injuries over his time in the NFL which may explain why he has bounced around so often.
Newhouse was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2010 and missed the entire season as he was inactive and dealt with an on and off back injury which eventually placed him on injured reserve. 2011-2014 saw him much healthier dealing with minor knee, wrist, shoulder, and back injuries that did not cause him to miss any time. His time with the Giants in 2015-2016 saw him once again deal with a back issue followed by a season ending concussion that forced him to miss two total games. 2016 saw him have no issues injury wise but 2017 saw Newhouse miss two games with foot and hip injuries. The veteran guard will be able to provide depth at both RT and LT as he has played both positions throughout his career. He will provide depth at a position that with the exception of T Dion Dawkins is a question mark going into the season.
Overall, I like the Bodine signing as he is able to provide stability at the position with both health and effective play if he wins the starting position. The Newhouse signing is only beneficial for depth as I believe that he will not compete for a starting position and will be only relevant in certain packages or in case of injury. Either way, the front office has continued to show a willingness to find the pieces they need to build a team that is more cap efficient and built for the long term.
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