The marriage between Cyrus Kouandjio and the Buffalo Bills is over.
Per a report from Chris Brown of Bills Insider, the team decided to cut Kouandjio after three seasons to make space for wide receiver, Rod Streater. With the Bills having a new head coach in Sean McDermott, whom was previously the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator, the move he made might be the first step in changing the culture of a program and bringing in quality players that will help the Bills reach new heights.
The former All-American at Alabama finished his season in crimson and white as one of the nation’s best offensive tackles in 2013 before foregoing his senior year to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. Prior to being a second-round pick, Kouandjio earned first team All-SEC and consensus All-American honors in 2013 — after helping ex-Tide quarterback AJ McCarron have a 3,000-yard season (3,063) and opening lanes for running back T.J. Yeldon to total 1,235 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns on 207 carries. He cleared the way for four 1,000-yard rushers and was a critical member on two BCS national championship teams in 2011 and 2012.
The 6-foot-7, 322-pounder played in 25 NFL games, including seven starts with the Bills. Kouandjio started in five of 12 regular season games in 2016, as the team fell short of a playoff berth at 7-9. With offseason acquisitions going on, the mammoth from Cameroon in Central Africa shouldn’t have an issue finding a new home since their are teams in search of upgrading their offensive line.
Michael Cannady is a contributor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at: @mike_can21.
