Buffalo Bills Training Camp Spotlight: Offensive Line

Injuries and illnesses have prevented the starting group from operating together since the start of camp.

By all accounts, the Buffalo Bills have a pretty dang good offensive line. It's just that you'd never know it because they haven't been able to have everyone in the unit functioning at the same time since training camp began.

Why?

Well, starting left tackle Dion Dawkins opened camp on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and hasn't practiced once; starting guard Jon Feliciano has missed time with a non-COVID illness; and key reserves Tommy Doyle (non-COVID illness) and Forrest Lamp (calf) also haven't been available recently.

All of this means that even if Dawkins is cleared for a return before their preseason opener at Detroit Friday night, it's highly unlikely he will play, which casts serious doubt on whether the Bills will even use quarterback Josh Allen.

But the good news is that there has been nothing that theatens anyone in the group for the long term.

Dion Dawkins back out here for 2nd straight day. Starting to work way back as he remains on COVID list. #BillsCamp pic.twitter.com/D43IoTWcsS

— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) August 10, 2021

That's why the Bills feel reasonably confident in this group, which not only returns all its starters from a year ago but was bolstered considerably in the offseason by the additions of veteran free agents Lamp, Bobby Hart, Jamil Douglas and Caleb Benenoch and rookie draft picks Doyle and Spencer Brown.

Hart and Benenoch have combined to start 88 games. Doyle and Brown both stand 6-foot-8 with the long wingspans the Bills prefer in their tackles and with no danger of the 6-5 Allen not being able to see over them.

That Pro Football Focus ranks the Bills' offensive line just 14th in the NFL entering the 2021 season is of little concern to this team. It believes that when the line is at full strength, there's no stopping this juggernaut offense.

And despite the surprisingly low ranking, PFF acknowledges the Bills are strong up front.

An excerpt from its report:

The tackle tandem of Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams is one of the league’s best; they finished 14th and 22nd, respectively, in overall grade last season. Dawkins has been incredibly consistent in his four NFL seasons, especially in pass protection, where he’s graded between 76.0 and 79.2 every year.

Williams returns via free agency after playing well on a shrewd one-year deal. He’s bounced around the offensive line during his six-year career, but his two best seasons came in 2017 and 2020 — both of which he played right tackle from start to finish.

...  Once again, the Bills have a solid offensive line unit and they continue to attack the position with volume. Their depth is strong, which should help them handle any injuries that pop up throughout the season.

Nevertheless, the offensive line is not all rainbows and unicorns. Ford has struggled at times during this camp. So has Feliciano and Williams.

"I think there was more outside the building concerned about it than in here."

Mitch Morse touches on the #Bills run game and approach heading into 2021.

"To help our pass attack we have to run the ball better." pic.twitter.com/3J113tG51Z

— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) August 2, 2021

Furthermore, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has made it clear that the issue of the line's run-blocking ability, which wasn't up to standards last season, will not be fixed by simply running the ball more. That would be the easiest fix, because linemen need run-blocking reps just as much as backs need carries to develop optimum rhythm.

But the Bills just handed Allen a $258 million contract extension. So they plan to continue throwing the ball a lot more than they run.

What it means is that the offensive linemen are going to have to find other ways to improve their performance in the running game, and it's unclear if they have found the solutions.

So keep an eye on this group, particularly in the preseason games, which will go a long way toward determining whether the group they have assembled is worthy or whether they're going to have to make some adjustments.

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. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.