Memo to Bears: Former Bills left guard Quinton Spain is on the market
The Buffalo Bills have released a 29-year-old with four-plus seasons of experience starting at left guard in the NFL. The Bears happen to have a need at left guard.
The Bills announced they were releasing Quinton Spain on Wednesday, just months after signing him to a three-year contract extension. Spain started all 16 games at left guard in 2019 for the Bills and started in Weeks 1 and 2 this season.
The sixth-year veteran went undrafted out of West Virginia in 2015 and spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans before joining Buffalo last season.
Meanwhile in Chicago, the Bears placed left guard James Daniels on injured reserve last week with a pectoral injury. Rashaad Coward slid into Daniels' starting spot, but has little experience at the position and has primarily played on the right side of the offensive line.
As noted in this week's Bear Down, Nerd Up stat breakdown, Bears running back David Montgomery has had little success running off-tackle to the left side in the past four games. That was even before the Daniels injury, which only makes matters worse.
The Bears are in desperate need of some fixes on the offensive line. Does Spain fit that bill?
First off, his breakup with the Bills is strange and leaves some unanswered questions. The Bills signed him to a three-year, $15 million extension in the offseason. He was clearly in their long-term plans. Four weeks ago, he was a starter.
And now, he's gone.
Nobody outside the Bills facility really knows what happened. The Bills must eat $1 million of dead cap space in 2021 in order to release him.
Buffalo lost left guard Cody Ford to an injury last week against Kansas City. So the team is in need of a left guard. But it won't be Spain.
Spain tweeted his thanks to the Bills organization and Bills fans. He sent a second tweet that said, “only if they knew the real reason but I'm going to leave it at that.”
The second tweet was later deleted.
Even with the curious end in Buffalo, Spain will find a new home. NFL teams always need linemen, especially linemen with starting experience. He will have suitors.
It might make sense for the Bears, especially if they could get him on a one-year deal. Spain was set to make $5 million per year over his three-year contract with the Bills. According to Spotrac.com, the Bears are sitting at about $10 million of open cap space for 2020.
If Spain wants a guarantee beyond 2020, maybe the Bears think twice. The fact is, they have issues on the offensive line and a veteran starter is available. It makes all too much sense for the Bears to pursue Spain.