Bills to sign former first-round pick

The Bills have added some veteran depth to their offensive line. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Bills are expected to sign offensive tackle Germain Ifedi. The organization worked out Ifedi earlier Tuesday.

Ifedi was a first-round pick by the Seahawks in 2016 and proceeded to spend four years in Seattle, starting all 65 of his appearances (regular season and playoffs). He became a free agent in 2020 after the Seahawks declined his fifth-year option.

He caught on with the Bears, where he proceeded to get into 25 games (23 starts) across two seasons with the organization. He joined the Falcons last offseason and got into all 17 games without a start, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He signed with the Lions earlier this offseason but was cut by the organization this week.

While Ifedi barely played on the offensive line in 2022, he graded out as an above-average lineman as recently as 2021, per Pro Football Focus. That season, the site gave him particularly high marks for his pass-blocking ability, a skill that’s been a theme throughout his career.

It seemed inevitable that the Bills would add some offensive line depth. Brandon Shell was placed on the reserve/retired list during training camp, and Tommy Doyle has since suffered a season-ending injury. Then, the organization made the surprising move Tuesday when they let go of David Quessenberry, who was the organization’s primary swing tackle last season.