By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills made a lot of additions to their offensive line this offseason, highlighted by free agent center Mitch Morse and rookie second-round pick Cody Ford.
But it’s a player that was already on the team that landed on Pro Football Focus’ list of the NFL’s top pass blockers recently.
Maybe don’t count out guard Vlad Ducasse. The football analytics outlet tabbed him as the seventh-best pass blocker on their list of the league’s best “pure pass blockers.”
But there’s a reason many are down on Ducasse despite his pass-blocking prowess and PFF explains that:
Ducasse is entering the final year of a three-year, $3.5 million contract he signed with Buffalo back in the 2017 offseason. Despite his major run-blocking issues (38.5 run-blocking grade in 2018 – last among guards), he’s held his own in pass protection. The veteran lineman ranked 18th at his position with a 79.0 pass-blocking grade in 2018, and over the past three seasons, his 97.5 pass-blocking efficiency is tied for 27th among guards.
In pure pass sets last season, Ducasse finished tied for seventh with an 81.8 grade. Further, he allowed only three pressures on 114 pass-blocking snaps for a 2.6% pressure rate — fifth among all offensive linemen and first at the guard position.
While Ducasse can block a bull-rush with the best of them, getting low and driving into run blocks posed a challenge for him last season. But he wasn’t alone. As a unit, PFF ranked Buffalo’s offensive line as the second-worst run-blocking unit in the NFL for most of the 2018 season.
That also could help explain the poor season from running back LeSean McCoy, but just in case, the Bills added rookie Devin Singletary and veterans Frank Gore and TJ Yeldon in their backfield too, just in case.
Due to the high level of competition, it doesn’t appear Ducasse will have an easy road to the Bills’ final 53-man roster, however, it’s easy to see where he needs to improve in order to make his way there.
Last season Ducasse started nine games for the Bills after starting 12 in 2017, taking John Miller’s spot in the lineup. Eventually Ducasse was replaced by rookie Wyatt Teller last season and he spent time as a healthy scratch.