Bills star hit with brutal news that could mean his time in Buffalo has come to an abrupt end, creating another issue to solve
Not the news we were expecting to hear.
The Buffalo Bills have the difficult task of assembling their roster with not a ton of cap space currently available to them. They have a host of upcoming free agents who are about to be able to test the waters and get new deals for themselves, perhaps with other teams.
The NFL free agency period is set to kick off, but before we can get to the festivities, there has been some bad news from One Bills Drive. One of the most important pieces protecting quarterback Josh Allen will most likely be looking for a new home after the explosive report has surfaced.
Center Connor McGovern has reportedly not even heard from the organization regarding a new contract, leaving him to believe that his playing days in Buffalo have come to an end. A rather surprising turn of events, considering how important culture is at One Bills Drive. It’s rather a slap in the face type of feeling for the player — but business is business, I guess.
McGovern told The Athletic that he and his agent haven’t heard from general manager Brandon Beane since postseason interviews in Orchard Park after the divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.
“They haven’t contacted me once,” McGovern said, “In my gut, that says it’s over and done.”
McGovern wants to return to Buffalo, but the cap situation doesn’t make things easy
Buffalo is currently in a difficult cap situation, sitting at around the bottom of the league according to Over The Cap, and McGovern is going to warrant a decent payday. He’s considered the second-best free agent at the position, with his value increasing even more after the sudden retirement of Chicago Bears center Drew Dalman. McGovern is a Swiss-Army knife who can play both the guard and center position at a high clip, which is more than a little coveted across teams in the NFL.
“It is a business,” McGovern said. “I’m never going to take it personally. I want to be back in Buffalo, and I know they want me back. But sometimes you’ve got to look in the mirror and be realistic.”
Realistically speaking, Buffalo was never going to be able to keep both him and David Edwards, who is another free agent offensive lineman for the team. Spotrac estimates, as The Athletic reported, that McGovern’s average annual market value is sitting at around $16.3 million, and Edwards’ falls just higher at around $19.9 million. McGovern wants to be back in Buffalo; the money just needs to make sense, and at this point, it just doesn’t.
“Do I need all the money in the world?” McGovern asked. “No, but there’s a respect factor involved, too. There’s a certain number in my head that I would have no problem accepting, and then I don’t need to go to free agency. If they come to the number that me and my wife are comfortable with, I would gladly say yes and not talk to anyone else.”
At the end of the day, this is the reality of the NFL when the salary cap starts squeezing teams from every direction. The Bills have built a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl, but tough decisions were always going to come with that territory.
McGovern has made it clear that he would welcome and cherish a return to Buffalo if the numbers make sense. The problem is that with the current cap situation and multiple needs across the roster, the front office may simply be forced to prioritize elsewhere.
Free agency will ultimately tell the story. If another team is willing to meet McGovern’s price tag, the Bills could very well be looking for a new center in front of Josh Allen next season, and replacing a player like that is far easier said than done.
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