The Athenaeum Forum

weeks White Kyle Williams Jerseys , but they have had good luck when it comes to staying healthy.On the first workday in advance of a key Week 16 home game against the Bills, the injury report contains only one name. Linebacker Brandon King was limited in practice on Wednesday with a knee injury.No other names appear on the injury report, which is sort of amazing given that no one is really 100 percent after 14 games. But that’s great news for the Patriots, who are being written off by many but who have one thing that every other AFC contender doesn’t: Extensive playoff appearance.The Patriots have been to three of the last four Super Bowls, and quarterback Tom Brady has 37 career postseason starts, more than two full seasons of extra games. The Patriots, despite any potential flaws on the roster, are far less likely to be freaked out by the single-elimination nature of their January games. That, combined with the fact that so many have written them off already, could make them very dangerous. The Buffalo Bills have holes to fill all over their offensive line. Left tackle Dion Dawkins and center Russell Bodine were sub-par in 2018 while rookie Wyatt Teller was underwhelming. The bigger problem comes at right guard and right tackle, where John Miller and Jordan Mills are both free agents.Miller has a strange journey so far in his NFL career. He started 28 games over his first two NFL seasons, emerging from the 2015 NFL Draft to become the opening-day starter. Then he was relegated to the bench during his third season when Sean McDermott became the Bills head coach. Under offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, Miller’s skill set fell out of favor. After Dennison was fired, he was re-inserted into the starting lineup under coordinator Brian Daboll.So where exactly does he stand heading into free agency? Should he be considered a starter? A depth player?Comparable contractsMichael SchofieldLos Angeles ChargersSigned a two-year, $5 million contract in 2018Schofield didn’t start his first game until his second season, and began his career at tackle.Then he flipped inside to guard during his third season. He was waived by the Denver Broncos prior to his fourth season, but landed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He started five games at tackle in 2017 before they re-signed him on his current two-year deal to be their right guard.Like Miller, he fell out of favor for a while and dealt with setbacks. He’s a borderline starter/reserve player LeSean McCoy Jerseys 2019 , or at least he was when he signed, and he was about the same age as Miller. He has the ability to swing out to tackle, though, so that adds some value.Joe LooneyDallas CowboysSigned a two-year, $2.1 million contract in 2018Following his rookie contract, Looney signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a depth option on their offensive line, starting just three games in two seasons. He re-signed in Dallas following the 2017 season to backup money but ended up being their starting center in 2018. He had fewer career starts than Miller when he signed his current deal.Billy TurnerDenver BroncosSigned a one-year, $2 million contract in 2018Turner started 14 games for the Miami Dolphins in 2015 and 2016 before being released and claimed by the Denver Broncos. He played in just one game for them in 2017 before re-signing. He started 11 games in 2018 at guard and tackle, filling in after injuries. He is what Mile High Report called a “serviceable guard.”Contract ProjectionIf I’m the Bills, I offer Miller Vlad Ducasse money because I’m probably only keeping one of them around. Ducasse is set to make $2 million in 2019, the final year of his contract. That number is mostly in line with the other contracts listed above, which value marginal starting guards at just over $2 million per season.Two years, $4.8 million including $500,000 signing bonus2019Pro-rated signing bonus: $250,000Salary: $2 millionCap hit: $2.25 million2020Pro-rated signing bonus: $250,000Salary: $2.3 millionCap hit: $2.55 million