The second-year man will try to break camp with the team this year
The Buffalo Bills have added plenty of offensive line depth over the last few seasons. While in previous years the team seemed to focus more on the tackles, this offseason, Buffalo has focused on bolstering the interior offensive line group.
General Manager Brandon Beane often flips a veteran offensive lineman or two for late-round draft picks towards the end of the preseason. Looking at Buffalo’s roster, there are certainly some candidates to be dealt, especially if the younger players along the line prove their mettle this summer.
In today’s edition of “90 players in 90 days,” we profile one of those young players looking to show he belongs in the reserve ranks for 2023 and beyond.
Name: Alec Anderson
Number: 70
Position: T
Height/Weight: 6’5”, 305 pounds
Age: 23 (24 on 10/3/2023)
Experience/Draft: 1; signed with Buffalo following the 2022 NFL Draft
College: UCLA
Acquired: UDFA signing
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Anderson signed his reserve/futures contract with the Bills at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season. That two-year contract is worth a total of $1.665 million, of which $8,500 is guaranteed. For the 2023 season, Anderson carries a cap hit of $754,250 if he makes the 53-man roster, and Buffalo is on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $8,500 if he is released.
2022 Recap: Anderson spent the entire year on Buffalo’s practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster on January 2, but he didn’t appear in the game that week. During the preseason, he played both tackle and guard, though the team lists him as a tackle.
Positional outlook: Anderson is one of a host of tackles on the active roster vying for space, joining Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Tommy Doyle, David Quessenberry, Brandon Shell, Richard Gouraige, and Ryan Van Demark.
2023 Offseason: Anderson is healthy and has been participating in offseason activities to date.
2023 Season outlook: Though Anderson has some versatility and athleticism, he isn’t a serious contender to make the 53-man roster. Especially after the acquisition of Shell, the offensive tackle group seems much more settled. Anderson could see plenty of playing time in preseason games, but he’s likely auditioning for a spot on someone else’s roster or on the Bills’ practice squad for 2023.