Why Bills Signed OL Germain Ifedi
The Buffalo Bills are beefing up their offensive line by signing veteran offensive tackle Germain Ifedi.
Ifedi, 29, was a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he's turned into a journeyman. The Bills mark his fifth team in as many years.
"He's started a lot of games … he's played a lot," general manager Brandon Beane said. "He's just a big man, he's long. And the thing that I saw is that if he got beat, it wasn't an immediate loss. It was a fight to the third or fourth second of the play."
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The Bills lost backup left tackle Tommy Doyle for the season after he suffered an injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason. Now, Ifedi joins the roster looking to provide depth.
During his four seasons with the Seahawks, Ifedi started all 60 games he appeared in. Up until the 2020 season, he played 100 percent of the offensive snaps for games he was active in, showing how much coaching staffs valued his blocking ability. Overall, Ifedi has a wealth of experience with 5,934 career snaps on both offense and special teams combined.
ESPN lists Ifedi as the team's backup right tackle behind starter Spencer Brown. But the veteran could play on either side of the line or slide in as a guard.
Dion Dawkins is expected to start at left tackle, with Connor McGovern, Mitch Morse and Ryan Bates playing inside.
Ifedi and the Bills' offensive line rotation is preparing for Week 1 against the New York Jets on Monday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
