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The Bills could look to trade offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, left, as they finalize their 53-man roster, one NFL writer suggested.
The start of the NFL season is almost here, which means teams are working fast to finalize their rosters. Some are in better shape than others, but shrewd front offices know there’s always changes to be made.
Look no further than the Buffalo Bills.
While the Bills are coming off another highly successful season, which consisted of 13 wins, a division title and a trip to the AFC Championship game, general manager Brandon Beane is busy trying to improve along the margins. As they try to field the best roster possible while also preserving valuable cap space, several possibilities are on the table, including trades.
With that in mind, Joe Buscaglia of the Athletic suggested one move that the Bills may make ahead of the final roster cutdowns.
Who Could the Bills Look to Trade?
The Bills are deep up front, but they can only keep so many offensive linemen to start the year. Buscaglia predicted they will carry nine on the initial 53-man roster. Deciding on which nine is where it gets complicated.
As such, Buscaglia believes the Bills could look to trade someone like Ryan Van Demark to give themselves some flexibility at other positions. The third-year tackle is competing with rookie Chase Lundt for one of the final spots.
“Keeping both will be difficult, especially with some stress on the roster to keep more players elsewhere,” Buscaglia wrote. “If the Bills were to only keep five receivers … that could pave the way for Van Demark to stick. However, if they only keep nine offensive linemen, Lundt has played well enough — including how he looked at left tackle in the preseason finale — to make the Bills want to keep the rookie sixth-round pick away from waivers.”
What Would the Proposed Bills’ Trade Look Like?
Offensive linemen are tough to find, especially those with experience like Van Demark. As such, Buscaglia said the Bills should be able to get a Day 3 pick in a trade.
Buscaglia’s proposed deal has Buffalo shipping Van Demark to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
“For all his pre-cutdown day deals,” Buscaglia noted, “Beane has flipped a depth offensive lineman more than any other position.”
Why Would the Falcons Be Interested?
The 6-foot-6, 307-pound Van Demark has appeared in 26 games, including two starts, since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of UConn in 2022.
Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Van Demark as the 104th-best tackle out of 140 eligible players with a 53.3 grade.
At first glance, it is far from inspiring, but Van Demark also did not allow a single sack across 199 snaps, per PFF.
Van Demark is on a relatively cheap contract, and the Falcons will need capable linemen to help protect quarterback Michael Penix Jr.