What does guard Connor McGovern bring to Bills offense? -

It was announced today that the Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with 25-year-old guard Connor McGovern on a $23 million deal over three years.

A three-year veteran out of Penn State, McGovern started 29 games over the past three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and 15 of 17 in 2022.

Bills new FA guard pickup, Connor McGovern’s PFF grades and rankings since in the league:

2022: 53.5/64th of 77
2021: 67.8/35th of 82
2020: 61.7/47th of 80

At $23 million over 3 years, he’ll presumably be the Bills new starting guard.#BillsMafia
— Put Steve Tasker in the Hall of Fame (@HOFSteveTasker) March 13, 2023

PFF gave McGovern a 53.5 grade in 2022 which ranked him 64^th of 77 eligible guards. However, his pass block grade of 76.6 ranked 13th. McGovern can play any interior line position, including center, and will presumably start at guard opposite Ryan Bates.

Last year’s starting left guard Rodger Saffold will become a free agent when the league year begins on Wednesday.

This signing means the Bills are banking on McGovern’s best playing days being in front of him. And, at 25 years old, they should be. Buffalo will get a solid starting lineman who specializes in pass protection, but at the same time, he has shown the flexibility to pull and be a factor in the run game. The Cowboys even lined him up in the backfield to help clear space for Zeke Elliot and Tony Pollard on the ground:

A look at the #Bills new guard#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ieCNyzdGLs
— Dave Myers BIB (@DaveMyersBIB) March 13, 2023

One of the priorities for the Bills this offseason was to give Josh Allen more protection in front of him. On the first day of legal tampering, they have already made a solid addition to the offensive line and I expect that they are not finished on that front.