The little-used practice squad player looks to make a positive impression in camp
The Buffalo Bills have made protecting quarterback Josh Allen a priority. The team continuously brings in offensive linemen to fill out the back end of the rotation, ensuring that if a top-end player goes down with an injury, the team has depth to replace that player. While the team hasn’t been shy about reshuffling the starting group, either, it’s been the work around the fringes that continues to impress.
With any roster, the different levels along the depth chart start to materialize fairly early in any process. With a roster as talented as Buffalo’s, that distinction is even clearer. In today’s installment of “90 players in 90 days, we profile one of those depth pieces along the offensive line.
Name: Jacob Capra
Number: 66
Position: G
Height/Weight: 6’5” 300 lbs
Age: 23 (24 on 11/2/2022)
Experience/Draft: 1; signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft
College: San Diego State
Acquired: Signed with Buffalo’s practice squad on 11/5/2021
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Capra signed a two-year deal this offseason. It’s a reserve/futures deal that totals $1.575 million. For the 2022 season, Capra carries a cap hit of $705,000 if he makes the 53-man roster. None of the money on the contract is guaranteed.
2021 Recap: Capra spent the offseason, training camp, and preseason with the Packers, but he did not make the 53-man roster. He signed to the Packers’ practice squad, but he was released again on September 21. He signed with Buffalo’s practice squad in November, and he was elevated to the active roster for Buffalo’s Week 15 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He did not play in the game, and he reverted back to the practice squad afterward. He did not play in a regular-season game as a rookie.
Positional outlook: Capra is fighting a battle with a lot of interior offensive linemen, many of whom are more versatile than he is. Greg Mancz, Cody Ford, Ike Boettger, Rodger Saffold, Ryan Bates, and David Quessenberry are all listed as guards (or guards/other positions). Tommy Doyle, listed as a tackle, took some reps at guard during voluntary OTAs.
2022 Offseason: Capra is healthy and has attended OTAs.
2022 Season outlook: Barring injury or an incredible jump in performance, Capra is fighting for his spot on the practice squad at the end of the preseason. I’d place all of the players at his positional group above him, and with the team bringing in players like Doyle who aren’t listed at guard, it doesn’t bode well for Capra’s chances at a roster spot. He’s likely to be released this summer, though it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to re-sign with the practice squad early in September.
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