will the Bills match the Rams offer to Groy? Turns out…yes (updated 3/16)

Rams Sign Bills C Ryan Groy To Offer Sheet

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/03/rams-sign-bills-c-ryan-groy-to-offer-sheet

The Rams made a move late tonight to potentially add a starting center, signing Bills RFA Ryan Groy to an offer sheet, Mike Rodak and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com report. It’s a two-year offer sheet, per Rodak and Caplan.

The Bills gave Groy and original-round tender and would not be entitled to draft compensation if they elect not to match since Groy was undrafted. Buffalo has five days to match the offer sheet. Groy was drawing interest as an RFA last week from teams who believe he could start at center or guard for them.

Groy would be expected to become the Rams’ starting center, a status he does not presently occupy with the Bills. Currently, the Rams house fourth-year player Demetrius Rhaney as their only pure center.

Eric Wood is the Bills’ starting center, although after a season-ending injury in November, Wood ceded his starting spot to Groy for the Bills’ final seven games last season. He’d previously started just three in his three-year career. Wood, though, is entering a contract year and will turn 31 on Saturday. Groy will turn 27 in September.

The Bills saw an RFA decision last year come back to bite them in allowing Chris Hogan to sign with the Patriots. Groy did grade out better than Wood in the opinion of Pro Football Focus last season, but Wood has started 104 games for the Bills since 2009 and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. So, it will be interesting to see how the Bills proceed here since Groy, too, is entering a contract year.

JackPMiller wrote:

we signed him to a two year deal, but how much is the deal? $2 million per year. The Bills may resign him.

zn wrote:

Depends on whether Buffalo wants to give 3.5 in guaranteed money to a back-up while they also have a total of 21 UFAs. I don’t know the Bills situation very well but I assume they want to keep some of those UFAs.

More on this:

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http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/3/14/14920656/buffalo-bills-center-ryan-groy-offer-sheet-los-angeles-rams

It’s hard to see the Bills matching this offer. While it’s fair market value for Groy (probably a bit on the lower side), he doesn’t really have a spot in Buffalo to earn that money unless someone ends up on injured reserve again. Given the needs that remain at other positions, notably wide receiver and defensive back, it’s hard to justify the team sinking starter money into a backup position.

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RockRam & LMU93 wrote:

They are already paying over $7 mil to a starter that would cost them $4.3 mil in dead money to release.

Can the Bills really afford to have $11 mil dedicated to Center? That will be the question and I suspect the Rams think the answer is no or they wouldn’t have bothered.

When you have a good starting Center under contract that would hurt you to let him go, you can’t keep the other guy unless perhaps you decided to play him as a starting Guard.

Plus (not unlike the Rams) they can consider drafting a backup center in April and end up paying him 1/4 that price the next two years.

Rams sign free-agent center Ryan Groy to two-year offer sheet

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-groy-free-agency-nfl-20170314-story.html%5DLA Times

The signing of free-agent left tackle Andrew Whitworth last week gave the Rams a fix to one part of an offensive line that was a major liability in 2016.

They also are taking steps to shore up the middle.

The release of center Tim Barnes last week cleared the way for the Rams to seek an alternative.

The Rams have signed restricted free agent center Ryan Groy to a two-year offer sheet. The Buffalo Bills, for whom Groy has played the last two seasons, have five days to match the offer, which reportedly includes $3.5 million in guaranteed money.

Groy, 26, started seven games for the Bills last season. Buffalo tendered him as an original-round selection, so the Bills would not receive any compensation if he signs with the Rams.

Groy, 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, played in college at Wisconsin and originally signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2014 and the Bills’ offensive line coach the last two seasons.