Bills Urged to Add Former Browns' Seven-Time Pro Bowler to Address Biggest Issue

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has been busy surveying all 32 NFL teams. He opted to come up with the biggest remaining issues for 20 “contenders” in 2026. “To save myself from having to make playoff predictions in mid-March, said Barnwell, “I’ll define contenders as franchises that made the playoffs in either 2024 or 2025, which leaves us with only…20 teams.”

When it comes to the Buffalo Bills, the team with the longest-active playoff streak in the league, that issue that general manager Brandon Beane has to address left guard.

Buffalo Bills have vacancy on offensive front

“While Beane was able to retain Connor McGovern at center,” said Barnwell, “the Bills weren’t able to bring back left guard David Edwards, who signed a quietly significant deal with the Saints. Edwards’ four-year, $61 million pact isn’t an outlandish salary for a good veteran guard, but the Saints guaranteed $21.3 million for Edwards in 2026, $8.7 million in 2027 and $10 million of the $15 million he’s due in 2028.

“We’ll see how that works out for the Saints,” added Barnwell, “but the Bills are left with a hole at left guard. Alec Anderson was a useful sixth lineman for the Bills in 2024 and has been their utility player up front over the past couple of years, but he’s likely best at tackle. The Bills tendered swing tackle Ryan Van Demark (who recently signed an offer sheet with the Vikings) and could try moving him inside, but Beane should really pursue a more significant solution in between McGovern and Dion Dawkins.”

Experienced blocker may be the choice for GM Brandon Beane

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio (75) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

While Edwards is Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 guard, he graded out as the position’s No. 12 performer in terms of pass-blocking. That’s a big loss for a team that was Pro Football Focus’ sixth-ranked offensive line in 2025.

Barnwell believes that the Bills should pursue an experienced performer to fill Edwards’s spot, with this reasoning as well “Highly regarded offensive line coach Aaron Kromer also retired after the 2025 season, so the Bills might not be as confident about their ability to mold young players into starters quickly up front.”

There’s a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro that remains on the open market. “It’s unclear whether whether Joel Bitonio plans on retiring or if he would be willing to leave Cleveland,” said Barnwell, “but heading to Buffalo would obviously give the veteran lineman a better chance of winning a Super Bowl.

There would be a bit of irony if the 12-year blocker wound up supplanting Edwards. As previously mentioned, the latter ranks 22nd on PFF’s guards list with a 70.3 overall grade. That just one spot below Bitonio (70.7), who is eighth in pass-blocking at his position.

“If Bitonio’s not an option,” added Barnwell, “the best veteran guard left on the market is Kevin Zeitler, who slipped during his lone season in Tennessee. Zeitler’s still a competent interior lineman, but he’s 36 years old and has spent his career at right guard.”