The Buffalo Bills have long had the makings of a stout offensive line; flanked by a multi-time Pro Bowler in Dion Dawkins, the team has long had talent across the unit, but it never consistently gelled in a way that bred consistent success. This changed in the 2023 season, as the unit—in its second year under renowned offensive line coach Aaron Kromer—was stout in both pass and run protection; the team finished sixth in the NFL in pass-block win rate and seventh in run-block win rate, per ESPN, with running back James Cook becoming the first Buffalo running back since the 2017 NFL season to usurp 1,000 rushing yards in a single season (1,122).
The Bills made alterations to their line in the 2024 offseason, releasing stalwart center Mitch Morse to free up financial flexibility. The team plans to fill the void left by the 32-year-old by sliding Connor McGovern (who started 17 games for Buffalo at left guard last season) over to center, a transition that the versatile lineman is relishing. The left guard spot will be manned by either David Edwards, a Super Bowl winner who spent the 2023 season as a depth lineman in Buffalo, or La’el Collins, a free agent signing who is coming off significant ACL and MCL injuries; Edwards is the early favorite to win the job.
Regardless of how the line ultimately shakes out, the unit figures to be stout yet again in the 2024 season given the general continuity and presence of Kromer. This idea has been reflected in Pro Football Focus’ recent NFL offensive line rankings; writer Zoltan Buday identified Buffalo’s unit as the league’s eighth-best, offering confidence in the team’s post-Morse succession plans.
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“Right tackle Spencer Brown went from being the 73rd-ranked offensive tackle in PFF overall grade to the 32nd-best mark in 2023, taking this offensive line to a new level,” Buday wrote. “We have yet to see how well the interior can hold up after center Mitch Morse‘s departure, though. The Bills will move Connor McGovern from guard to center and introduce David Edwards, who played mostly as a sixth offensive lineman in 2023, into the starting lineup.”
PFF ranks Buffalo’s offensive line as the fifth-strongest in the AFC and second-strongest in the AFC East (behind the New York Jets, who slot in at fifth overall).
Though coming off an already strong season, there’s reason to believe that the Bills’ line could be even better in the 2024 campaign than it was in 2023. Morse is a notable omission, but McGovern seems a more than suitable replacement, even describing center as his “natural position.” Brown is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a pending unrestricted free agent—this generally prompts strong play out of professional athletes. Dawkins is a three-time Pro Bowler while O’Cyrus Torrence, who flashed as a rookie, figures to further improve in his sophomore campaign; the biggest question mark is at left guard, where Buffalo has a bevy of solid options should the Edwards plan prove unsuitable.
Eighth seems a generally sound ranking for the Bills’ offensive line at this juncture, but don’t be surprised if the team is ranked higher on future renditions of the list.
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