The Bills are heading into 2026 with something they haven’t had in a while: a real fight for a starting job on the offensive line. Four of Buffalo’s five starters from the group that opened 2024 and stayed together through 2025 are back. The one exception is left guard David Edwards, who left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
That opens the door for Alec Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound center/guard who has quietly become one of the more useful pieces on the roster. Anderson, now 26 and turning 27 on 10/3/2026, came to Buffalo as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA and signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million this offseason.
If he makes the 53-man roster, that’s his cap number. If the Bills move on, they’d be on the hook for a $1.8 million dead cap charge.
Anderson’s 2025 season showed exactly why Buffalo values him. He was hurt in the preseason, but once the games started counting, he was available for all 17 regular-season contests and both playoff games.
He logged two starts, including a big one in Buffalo’s 26-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week Thirteen, when he filled in at right tackle for Spencer Brown and helped the Bills roll up 249 rushing yards. He also started at left guard in the 35-8 regular-season finale against the New York Jets.
Then, in the Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos, Anderson stepped in at center after Connor McGovern left to be evaluated for a head injury.
That kind of flexibility is the reason Anderson is still very much in the mix. He’s one of four players listed at center/guard on the roster, alongside Austin Corbett, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, and Connor McGovern. Buffalo also has Lloyd Cushenberry III at center, O’Cyrus Torrence, Ar’Cyrus Reed-Adams, Bruno Fina, De’Metrius Weatherspoon, and Nick Broeker at guard, plus Tylan Grable and Jude Bowry listed at tackle/guard.
Anderson has been healthy during the 2026 offseason and has taken part in workouts so far. Short of something unexpected, he’s going to be on the roster. The real question is where he fits.
He has a legitimate shot to win the left guard job, and there’s a strong case that he could end up taking it. At the same time, the competition is crowded enough that he could also lose out and settle back into a reserve role. His old sixth-lineman/third-tight-end spot from 2024 has already been taken over by Jackson Hawes, so if Anderson doesn’t grab a starting job, his value would again come from special teams work and emergency duty at several spots across the line.
Buffalo could also decide that someone like Corbett is the starter at left guard while Anderson becomes the first lineman off the bench, especially if the team sees them as close and leans on Anderson’s versatility. Last season, he showed he could handle three different positions. But if Anderson proves he’s the best answer at left guard, that settles it.
Either way, this is the offensive battle worth watching this summer. Anderson has earned the chance, and he’s got a real path to winning it.
In Other News...
DJ Moore Is Giving Bills Fans Real Hope At WR1 Again
The Bills paid a steep price to bring in DJ Moore, sending a second-round pick to Chicago, but the move was made with a clear purpose: give Josh Allen a receiver who can settle into the kind of featured role Buffalo has been missing. Moores reunion with offensive coordinator Joe Brady only adds to the intrigue, and early offseason work has already started to show why the front office was willing to make the deal.
During OTAs, Sal Capaccio highlighted Moores versatility as the trait that stood out most, noting how smoothly he can handle the full job description of an NFL receiver. For a Bills offense that has been searching for a reliable top option, that kind of all-around skill set is exactly what keeps the optimism around Moore from feeling like wishful thinking. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Beane Faces A Bills Decision Fans Wont All Agree On
The Bills already made a major move to help Josh Allen by bringing in DJ Moore, and that alone changed the conversation around Buffalos receiver room. With Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Dalton Kincaid, Joshua Palmer and Skyler Bell also in the mix, the front office has reason to believe the passing game has enough pieces to keep growing without forcing another addition before camp.
Brandon Beane still has a choice to make, though, and it may not be the one fans are debating most. Buffalo could decide its next move belongs on defense, where an edge rusher or veteran linebacker would fit a roster that is still being shaped for Week 1, while the team also waits to see whether Coleman and Kincaid can take the kind of steps that would make another receiver feel more like a luxury than a need. [Read more 🡒]