The Buffalo Bills are preparing for their first game of the season against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Before that, they are still evaluating players who could join the practice squad or even the active 53-man roster. Recently, they brought in a familiar face for a Tuesday workout.
Buffalo worked out offensive lineman Cody Ford, whom it drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Ford played three seasons with the Bills.
The Bills Could Be Looking to Bring Ford Back
Ford played in 38 games for the Buffalo Bills, starting 29 of those at right tackle, right guard, and left guard. In August 2022, the Bills traded Ford to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 and played there for three seasons before the team released him in late August.
It was somewhat surprising that the Bengals released Ford, but Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor wanted to ensure that Ford would have a chance to find a new team. That’s why the organization released him a few days before the final roster cuts.
“Really, he’s given us a lot over the last three and a half years,” Taylor told reporters in late August, via Cleveland.com. “I really appreciate that from Cody, you know, and so just give him a head start on the whole process I thought was the right thing to do.”
If the Bills do sign Ford, they’ll likely add him to their practice squad and then maybe try to elevate him to the active roster in the next few months.
Bills Have Alec Anderson as the Starting Left Guard
The Bills released their first official depth chart for Week 1 on Tuesday, and penciled in at left guard was Alec Anderson.
Buffalo signed Anderson as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he has been around the organization over the last few years, on the Bills’ active roster and practice squad.
But now Anderson will get a chance to show off his skills as a starter. The Bills needed a new guard after David Edwards signed with the New Orleans Saints on a four-year, $61 million deal this offseason.
Buffalo has had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL the last few seasons, and Pro Football Focus ranked the Bills’ offensive line as No. 6 heading into the season.
“The strength of the Bills’ offensive line is on the outside, as Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are one of the best duos in the league,” Gordon McGuinness wrote in early August. “Dawkins has earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 75.0 in all nine of his seasons in the NFL, while Brown has emerged as one of the best run blockers at the position. Alec Anderson looks set to start at left guard and has just 542 snaps to his name, but the Bills did add veteran insurance behind him in Austin Corbett.”
Bills Host Former High Draft Pick for Visit Days Before Week 1 vs. Texans