From one AFC East team to another, the Buffalo Bills beefed up their offensive line by signing former New England Patriot LaAdrian Waddle to a one-year deal. The Patriots used Waddle, a tackle, as a spot starter during his three-plus seasons in New England. He appeared in 28 games with seven starts over the past two seasons.
Waddle also confirmed the signing by retweeting the Bills' official announcement on Twitter adding “#BillsMafia.” He began his career as an undrafted rookie with the Lions, starting 24 games from 2013-15 with Detroit.
Buffalo is looking to protect second-year quarterback Josh Allen, who they traded up to the seventh pick last year to select. Tampa Bay sent Buffalo their first rounder and a seventh round pick, in exchange for Buffalo's 12th overall pick and two second rounders.
Last season, Allen was hit 101 times and sacked 41 times, which was good for the 12th and 14th most respectively. Pro Football Focus ranked them even lower, however, at 26.
“Very similar to the Jets, there wasn’t much to get excited about with the offensive line in the preseason and their end of year ranking reflects that,” wrote Mike Renner of PFF. “If there was one silver lining, it’s that rookie guard Wyatt Teller only allowed eight pressures in his eight games this year.”
Allen was drafted by Buffalo in large part due to his massive arm, however, most of his highlights this season came when he used his legs. If the Bills are able to give Allen a bit more time in his second season, he might take the leap into the prospect that captivated the franchise.
This move may have larger than intended effects on the Patriots' line, as the team just lost starting tackle Trent Brown to the Oakland Raiders on a massive deal. 2018 first round pick Isaiah Wynn is expected to takeover as the starting left tackle for the Patriots in 2019, however, the Georgia product is coming off a rookie season in which he didn't play a single game due to a torn Achilles.
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