Ryan Van Demark's offer sheet with the Vikings could shift Buffalo's offensive line. Will the Bills match, or is a new tackle en route to Minnesota?
The Buffalo Bills could be losing one of their depth offensive linemen.
On Tuesday night, multiple reports surfaced to claim that restricted free agent (RFA) tackle Ryan Van Demark has signed an offer sheet with the Minnesota Vikings.
At the start of the league year, Buffalo tendered Van Demark with an "original round" designation that comes with a price tag of $3.52 million. Because of the type of tender, the Bills can either match the offer from Minnesota, or he'll join the Vikings.
Should he leave, the Vikings won't owe Buffalo any compensation due to Van Demark being an undrafted free agent.
After signing with the Colts out of UConn in 2022, the 6'7", 307-pound Van Demark joined the Bills' practice squad after being part of the final round of cuts in Indianapolis. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad before making the 53-man roster out of camp in 2023.
Upon making the team, Van Demark became a staple of the offensive line rotation.
That season, he appeared in 12 games before increasing that to 14 with two starts in 2024. Last season, Van Demark appeared in all 17 games and started four.
In total, he's played 558 offensive snaps over three seasons with Buffalo, splitting time at both right and left tackle. On special teams, he played 169 snaps.
Van Demark's signing likely signals a hope for more playing time moving forward. With the Bills, he's firmly behind both Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. However, in Minnesota, they've had injury concerns on the line, making it possible that he sees more time on the field.
Should he leave for Minnesota, the Bills are likely to look to add more depth to the line for competition alongside players like Chase Lundt, Travis Clayton, and Tylan Grable.
As of writing, the offer sheet signing hasn't been announced by the Vikings. Nor have the Bills confirmed their intentions. Though with five days to make a decision, Buffalo is likely to take as much time as possible before deciding.
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