91 players in 91 days: Tackle Victor Salako

At present, the Buffalo Bills have 88 players on their roster. Each man on that list has a story, and each story is slightly different. Some of those stories have a pretty straight-forward narrative, while others have as many twists and turns as an Agatha Christie novel.

Imagine going to college to play football. Perhaps some of you reading this were talented enough to do so. Now, imagine being talented enough to play at the Division I level. Now, imagine being talented enough to start at the Division I level. Now, imagine that the team you start for folded heading into your junior season. Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you.

In today’s installment of our “91 players in 91 days” series, we profile a big left tackle who has bounced around an awful lot over the last five years.

Name: Victor Salako
Number: 62
Position: OT
Height/Weight: 6’6”, 322 lbs.
Age: 26 (27 on 11/4/2020)
Experience/Draft: 1; signed with Philadelphia Eagles as UDFA following 2017 NFL Draft
College: Oklahoma State (transferred after UAB folded following 2014 season)
Acquired: Signed to practice squad on 10/30/19

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Salako’s contract is a two-year deal worth $1,394,500 overall. Just $4,500 of that is guaranteed. Salako carries a cap hit of $612,250 for the 2020 season.

2019 Recap: Salako spent the 2019 offseason and preseason with the New York Giants. He was waived with an injury designation at the end of the preseason, but he went unclaimed. He reverted to injured reserve on September 6 as a result. Salako was outright released on September 11. Buffalo signed him to the practice squad on October 30, where he remained for the rest of the season.

Positional outlook: Salako joins a talented, crowded field at offensive tackle. The Bills return their triumvirate of starters from last year, with left tackle Dion Dawkins joined by right tackles Cody Ford and Ty Nsekhe. The team also signed free agent Daryl Williams and undrafted free agents Trey Adams and Brandon Walton. Versatile backup Ryan Bates returns, as does Garrett McGhin.

2020 Offseason: Nothing new to report.

2020 Season outlook: Of the less “name-brand” players along the offensive line, Salako may have the longest shot of them all. He doesn’t have the pre-injury pedigree of someone like Adams, nor does he have the athleticism of someone like Walton. Those two are going to have a tough time making the roster as it is given the veteran talent Buffalo has along the offensive line. Salako may even have a tough time sticking on the practice squad if the league keeps the same rules in place even with the pandemic. Salako is more camp body than serious roster challenger at this point.