Bills set their eyes on the future with stunning roster decision immediately impacting Josh Allen ahead of free agency
Bills Mafia has to be thrilled with the decision.
The Buffalo Bills are keeping center Connor McGovern, a surprising move that came out of left field ahead of the NFL’s free agency period.
It had previously been reported that McGovern and the Bills hadn’t communicated since the exit interviews after the loss to the Denver Broncos, making it seem like he may not be with the organization much longer. This move changes that all, locking up an important protection piece for quarterback Josh Allen for the foreseeable future. A huge win for Buffalo.
Contract details reveal a huge win for Buffalo signing C Connor McGovern
General manager Brandon Beane secured a massive win once the contract details had emerged, at least the initial information. It was reported that McGovern’s value heading into free agency would be around $16 million.
Instead, it came out to $13 million with $32 million guaranteed in the four-year deal.
McGovern was one of the most coveted free agents heading into the period beginning, and for good reason. He had zero sacks allowed in 2025 and 2026, along with being ninth in pass block efficiency. With that, he was PFF’s 15th-highest graded center and was the sixth-ranked pass blocker.
Buffalo freed up some cap space ahead of the McGovern decision
Buffalo had a busy Saturday, kicking things off by restructuring defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s contract. The move converted $12.82 million of his 2026 salary to a signing bonus, with his new salary being $1.3 million.
The salary cap figure was $13.66 million while adding a 2029 and 2030 voidable years for salary cap purposes. In all, Buffalo saved over $12 million by converting the salary and adding the void years.
With four releases, the Bills have freed up $22.4 million in cap space. If you include Spencer Browns’ restructure, the team is up to around $32.8 million in freed cap space. Still, Buffalo finds itself at the bottom of the league according to Over The Cap, with negative $12.9 million. Still work to be done.
More moves will likely come as Beane continues to reshape the roster ahead of free agency. But locking up McGovern before it could eeven began was a crucial first step.
Continuity along the offensive line matters, especially when you’re protecting a franchise quarterback like Allen. McGovern proved he could anchor the middle of the line, and keeping that stability in place gives Buffalo one less major question mark heading into a pivotal offseason.
For a team trying to maximize Allen’s Super Bowl window, keeping one of his most reliable protectors in the building is a win the Bills couldn’t afford to miss.
Grading the decision: A
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