Bills offensive line gets deeper with addition of Bobby Hart
The Buffalo Bills' quiet addition on Monday of Bobby Hart as their primary backup to starting tackles Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams could come with some noise.
Hart was a salary cap casualty of the Cincinnati Bengals, who cleared nearly $6 million in space by letting him go.
But it was an Instagram post he made last spring that caused a stir, suggesting that homosexuality is being promoted to children, a practice he believes needs to stop.
Pushback from the public led to him removing the post, but the damage was done to his reputation.
Nevertheless, the Bills have him in on a one-year deal to give them experience at the swing tackle, a position held last season by Ty Nsekhe, who has been lost to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
A seventh-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 2015, the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Hart also brings extensive starting experience. He's started all but three games for the Bengals over the previous three seasons.
In 2020, he was rated as the 40th best tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
The Bills also have Trey Adams and Ryan Bates on the roster, but wanted more experience.
His arrival doesn't mean they suddenly are no longer are expected to dip into this year's rookie pool for more offensive linemen in an NFL Draft widely perceived to be teeming with talent at those positions.
If all goes well for the Bills, Hart will be limited to special teams.
Williams started every game for the Bills last season after coming over from the Carolina Panthers. Dawkins hasn't missed a game since being drafted by the Bills in the second round in 2017.
The Bills own seven picks in this year's draft, including three in the top 100.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.
