Bills expected to sign former first-round pick Germain Ifedi
It’s been reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that the Buffalo Bills have added yet another addition to their offensive line rotation, and it’s a former first-round draft pick.
29-year-old OT Germain Ifedi, the 31st overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, is joining the Bills’ front-line position group following his visit to the team’s facilities.
Ifedi will join a Bills squad that lost fellow draft class and similar PFF-graded Brandon Shell to retirement, Tommy Doyle to injury, and David Queensbury to roster cuts.
The veteran can provide depth at right tackle behind starter Spencer Brown, along with Alec Anderson, and also can play at the offensive guard position. Brown has struggled at times since a 2021 back injury that hampered his 2022 campaign as well. Brown’s missed time during that stretch and his training camp hasn’t been his strongest either. Ifedi offers veteran starting experience and can help share the load at multiple line positions.
While the veteran has yet to play to the potential of his first-round selection caliber at the pro level, the Bills do have an emphasis on player development that could benefit him. He also has strong physical assets and athletic capabilities that could be unlocked in Buffalo as well.
Germain Ifedi hasn't lived up to first-round hype after being selected there in 2016
He does have that built-in-a-lab look at OT pic.twitter.com/rTDb0nkH83— Chris Trapasso 🏈 (@ChrisTrapasso) August 30, 2023
The signing is also another chess move addition in terms of rotation flexibility, as Ifedi allows Ryan Van Demark to backup Dion Dawkins and Anderson the ability to backup multiple spots, creating the type of versatility Buffalo’s looked for in the linemen they’ve brought in.
In his career, Ifedi has started 83 contests in 102 games he’s appeared in. After playing with Seattle until 2019 he joined the Chicago Bears for two seasons before spending one with the Atlanta Falcons. The offensive tackle was with the Detroit Lions this offseason before the team released him.
While the signing comes after a visit to One Bills Drive, they may have seen film of him playing ahead of previous matchups against his former teams.
Buffalo’s front office continues to remain active in shaping the roster.
The team just made cuts and traded defensive end Boogie Basham to the Giants, with the former second-round pick netting an underwhelming asset return in the deal that GM Brandon Beane may likely aim to use to turn into something more meaningful in a future deal or draft.
There could even be more additions on the way, as outside linebacker Von Miller is set to miss the first four games of the season on the PUP list, and the inside linebacker position battle has been an area of weakness. Meanwhile, a number of linebackers parted ways with their respective teams this week.
