Buffalo Bills: Officially the end of an era in Western New York
By Paul Taylor
The Eric Wood era has officially come to an end in Western New York, after the Buffalo Bills agreed an injury settlement with the one-time Pro Bowler and released him.
It doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel real. Regardless, it became official on Thursday; Eric Wood has been released by the Buffalo Bills.
The timing of the release is significant, as it means all of Wood’s unpaid bonus money will count against the salary cap for the 2018 season. In total, his cap hit will be just under $10.4 million.
The 2015 Pro Bowler was first made aware of his career-ending neck injury, after undergoing an MRI as part of his exit physical on the season. The timing couldn’t have been much worse, coming just ahead of his first ever playoff game.
The genesis of the injury was back in Week 5 of the 2017 campaign, when Wood suffered the first ‘stinger’ of his playing career, followed by another one during his next game. And while an X-ray on his neck revealed no serious damage at the time, the double stinger laid the foundation for what was to come.
In a bizarre turn of events, the 32-year-old’s retirement press conference in January did not go as planned. As reported by Matthew Fairburn of Newyorkupstate.com, he arrived nearly an hour late, after concerns about the Bills’ ability to go after his bonus money.
However, the issue has now been resolved, and the Bills attempt to move on. It will be tough, as Wood was one of the longest-serving players on the team with nine seasons of service, behind just Kyle Williams.
It doesn’t help that the Bills’ offensive line has now been severely weakened. Apart from Wood, they have also lost Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito since the end of the 2017 season.
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In respect of the center position specifically, it figures to come down to a battle between Russell Bodine and Ryan Groy. The smart money is on Bodine, who started every game during his four seasons in Cincinnati and helped the Bengals to two playoff appearances.
No matter who gets the nod at center, however, will have big shoes to fill. Pure and simple, it is going to be a step down from the player who has manned the middle of the offensive line for nearly a decade in Western New York.
There are lots of words to describe Wood, including consistent, underrated, hard-working, cerebral and leader, but durable is arguably the most apt. Right until the very end, he fought through the pain and even played against Jacksonville in the Wild Card round, despite already knowing his career was effectively over.
In total, the 2009 first round draft pick started all 120 games he played in. Enjoy your retirement sir, it is thoroughly deserved.
Next: Seven down and one to go for the Bills
What is your main memory from Wood’s time with the Buffalo Bills? Who do you see taking over as the starting center for the 2018 season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.