Buffalo Bills taking a look at free agent centre Russell Bodine

The Buffalo Bills need some help with their offensive line depth this offseason and it appears they have their eyes set on one veteran free agent.

According to NFL insider Ian Rappoport, former Cincinnati Bengals centre Russell Bodine is visiting with the Buffalo Bills this week.

Bodine’s visit is a necessity the Bills didn’t expect to have. However, this was before the shock announcement that long-time starter Eric Wood was forced to retire after a career-ending neck injury following at the end of the 2017 season.

Ryan Groy is expected to take over from the nine-year veteran, sliding across from his natural guard position.

But Groy has little starting experience in the NFL, with just 11 games to his name since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

Eight of those starts came with the Bills, where he has played at centre in relief of Wood, making his transition to the starter a logical move.

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However, Groy has never had this much responsibility. Adding a player such as Bodine could provide some extra depth and could even be a short-term option as a starter, given his experience.

Still just 25 years old, Bodine has started and played in every game for the Bengals since being drafted in the fourth round (111th overall) in 2014.

The 6-foot-3, 310 lbs player was ranked the 25th-best centre in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus, not an ideal statistic for the free agent to have.

But at present, the Bills need to fill a large hole that will have a direct impact on the team’s success next season.

The team will have a new starting QB in 2018, be it A.J. McCarron or a rookie drafted in April, and the centre position will need to be reliable to help the transition.

It wouldn’t hurt the team to add an experienced body, pushing Groy to be at his very best and potentially claim the starting position out-right.

If Groy can’t perform at the desired level, Bodine could step in and be an influential, experienced player at the line of scrimmage, who can patch up the hole until GM Brandon Beane can seek out a longer-term option down the road.

Next: Is Kenny Vaccaro worth a look for the Bills?

Buffalo Bills fan, what do you think about the team’s reported interest in Bodine? Do you believe Groy deserves a shot at the starting role, or should the team sign Bodine? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!