The Bills retained the right of first refusal for a pair of offensive linemen that made significant contributions in the 2011 season. Restricted free agents Chad Rinehart and Kraig Urbik were both extended qualifying tender offers by the club.
By presenting those offers to the two guards the Bills now have the right to match any offer sheet either player may receive from another NFL club within a week of the offer being made or receive compensation from that other team.
Per team policy the Bills do not divulge the level at which they tender restricted free agents.
All compensation for restricted free agents comes in the form of draft picks. If both players were tendered at the low level, compensation from another NFL club would be equivalent to the round in which the signed player was drafted. Both Rinehart and Urbik were third-round draft choices.
The middle tender carries a second-round pick in compensation, while the top tender would bring a first-round pick in return were a restricted free agent to be signed to an offer sheet by another team.
Rinehart appeared in all 16 games in 2011 making 12 starts logging time at right and left guard. Urbik earned the starting right guard position coming out of training camp and made 13 starts last season. Five of those starts came at center in relief of Eric Wood, who was lost for the year with a torn ACL.
