While the Buffalo Bills offensive line was already in trouble after Brandon Shell‘s unexpected retirement and Tommy Doyle’s season-ending knee injury, things appear to be getting worse.
Former Dallas Cowboys guard Connor McGovern, whom the Bills signed to a three-year, $23 million contract in March, exited practice early on Monday, August 23. WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio posted, “McGovern was down briefly early in practice. Trainers looked at and worked on his right knee for a while. Eventually had a long sleeve put on his leg. Did not return to practice, but never left the field.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, August 24, Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t have great news regarding the 25-year-old left guard. After announcing that McGovern wouldn’t be practicing today, he was asked how long the projected starter would be out.
New Bills OL Connor McGovern
“We’ll see how it goes,” McDermott replied. “Right now, it’s too early to tell just how he’s going to come back from it. But we’ll see how he does.”
While McGovern initially told The Buffalo News afterward he was not concerned about the injury, he hurt his knee after banging into a teammate during 11-on-11 drills, McDermott’s response didn’t inspire confidence.
With a return date still undetermined for the Bills’ biggest offseason acquisition, it seems unlikely McGovern will play in the Bills’ final preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, August 26. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to for the season-opener against the New York Jets on September 11.
Connor McGovern Loves the Style of Coaching in Buffalo
Connor McGovern at left guard battling vs Cam Heyward. Was a fun 1-on-1 to watch throughout this game. McGovern uses an aggressive set on this one & establishes first touch, then displays good hand usage & footwork
While learning an entirely new offensive scheme is no easy feat, McGovern has no regrets about signing with the Bills. While Buffalo is a “complete 180 (degrees from Dallas),” McGovern told The Buffalo News, “it’s been the best (coaching) I’ve had in my career from college all the way up. (Offensive line coach Aaaron Kromer) gets into the small, little details, and I’ve never really had somebody pick things apart.”
“It’s not, ‘Hey, just block your guy.’ It’s, ‘Get your punch (block) up a couple inches to the V-neck of the jersey.’ Just those little things.” In 16 snaps against the Steelers, McGovern was only responsible for one penalty, a false start. The teams as a whole committed 13 penalties.
“I knew if I put the work in, I could go out and do whatever I needed to,” McGovern continued. “It was just a nice change of pace and just how he coaches, I understand it. And he’s not just going to yell at you just to yell at you. He’s trying to coach you to get you better.”
Who Will Get the Start at Left Guard if Connor McGovern Misses Time?
GettyRams guard David Edwards #73 during the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022.
Thankfully, the Bills’ depth at left guard is more promising than what they have at offensive tackle, as they also signed former Los Angeles Rams guard David Edwards this offseason.
The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder entered free agency for the first time since he was drafted by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and while he was their starting left guard when Los Angeles won Super Bowl LVI, injuries greatly halted his production last season.
These are two notable blocks from David Edwards on Buckner. Jump set + independent hands in 1v1 pass pro then the backside hand in the run game to displace him. Whew.
Edwards appeared in just four games during the 2022 NFL season after suffering a concussion in Week 4, and another in Week 5 that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. However, his production in those games was a far cry from his performance level in 2021.
Edwards allowed 10 pressures, three sacks, and one penalty in those four matchups, per USA Today‘s Cameron DaSilva. While he earned a solid 75.6 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, his 27.8 pass-blocking grade is a huge red flag.
The Bills also drafted Nick Broeker in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, who spent two years as the starting left tackle at Ole Miss before switching to left guard his senior year, during which he didn’t allow one sack. Last season, he was named first-team ALL-SEC and won the 2022 Kent Hull Trophy for the best offensive line in the stats of Mississippi.
Ike Boettger, who took 618 snaps at left guard during the 2021 NFL season, could also be an option, as is the versatile Ryan Bates, who took 214 snaps at left guard that year. With rookie O’Cyrus Torrence looking to steal his job as the starting right guard, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Bates took some snaps at left guard.
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Bills Coach Delivers Bad News on $23 Million Starter’s Injury