The Buffalo Bills added some competition along the offensive line during the 2018 NFL free agency period. Whether that competition qualifies as strong or not depends on one’s perspective, but the team was able to add two experienced veterans to the mix.
In our latest look at the Bills’ roster, we profile an offensive tackle who is perhaps best known for a fumble recovery that will live in infamy.
Name: Marshall Newhouse
Number: 71
Position: T
Height/Weight: 6’4” 330 lbs.
Age: 29
Experience: 8
College: TCU
Draft: Selected in the fifth round (169th overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Newhouse signed a one-year contract with Buffalo this offseason after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders. He will carry a $1.75 million cap hit this season.
2017 Recap: Newhouse performed poorly in his new home last year, allowing 8 sacks and committing 4 penalties as the starting right tackle for the Raiders. He started all 14 games in which he played.
Positional outlook: The Bills seem fine with Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills as the starting tackles. Half of that equation performed well in 2017, while the other half has been mediocre at best during his Bills’ tenure. The team also has Conor McDermott, Ike Boettger, Gerhard de Beer, Josh James, Mo Porter, and De’Ondre Wesley on the roster at the tackle position.
2018 Offseason: Newhouse is doing everything he can to market himself to the coaching staff, voluntarily lining up at both tackle positions and both guard positions during OTAs. This is a brilliant move on his part, as having the ability to play multiple offensive line positions gives a coaching staff a tremendous amount of flexibility when making the roster on game day. On top of that, he is a great Twitter follow.
2018 season outlook: Newhouse is nearly a sure bet to make the opening day roster. If Jordan Mills struggles, it’s possible that he pushes for time as the right tackle; however, it’s more likely that Newhouse is a backup lineman on game days who can fill in at four of the five positions on the line. When a team can add someone with Newhouse’s experience (70 starts since 2011), it’s never a bad move, regardless of whether that player ends up a starter or not. Buffalo may be making the best decision in keeping him on as a versatile backup rather than a starting piece in 2018.