Getty Connor McGovern celebrates with Dak Prescott after a play in a Dallas Cowboys game.
Connor McGovern was seen as one of the biggest offseason pickups for the Buffalo Bills, and he comes to the team with some great references.
The guard spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys before hitting free agency and joining the Bills in March. Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy shared some big praise for the 25-year-old, saying he has a bright future in the NFL.
“I think he’s definitely on the rise,” McCarthy told the Buffalo News.
Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News noted that McGovern is the only expected starter to come out of the Bills’ free agency class this season, and McCarthy shared some insight on the versatile lineman the Bills will be getting.
Connor McGovern’s Unique Role in Dallas
McGovern was a jack of all trades in Dallas, playing on both sides of the line and even occasionally lining up in the backfield as a fullback and tight end.
“Very versatile,” McCarthy said. “He probably got tired of me telling him how much I liked playing him at fullback.”
McGovern was drafted by the Cowboys one year before McCarthy in 2020, but was sidelined for his entire rookie season with a pectoral injury. McGovern was also limited last season by injuries to his ankle and elbow, though played through the pain to start 16 games in the regular season and playoffs.
McCarthy was still high on his former guard, saying he expects him to continue to improve as he moves beyond the injury troubles.
“Really, Connor’s challenge were his injuries early in his career,” McCarthy said. “His best football is in front of him.”
“He did a great job for us last year and particularly played well in the playoff games,” McCarthy added. “I’m a big fan of Connor. Buffalo’s got a really good one.”
McGovern is seen as a replacement for veteran guard Rodger Saffold, an acquisition last year who started all 16 games and earned a Pro Bowl nod last season but left in free agency without a new deal from the Bills.
Bills Earn Mixed Reviews for Connor McGovern Signing
Not everyone is as high on McGovern as his former coach. The analysis outlet Pro Football Network took aim at the 3-year, $23-million contract that McGovern earned from the Bills, calling it one of the worst deals in this year’s free-agency class.
PFF wrote that the Bills would have been better off signing the other NFL lineman who shares the name Connor McGovern, the New York Jets center who has a stronger rating as a run blocker and a cheaper contract.
#Bills’ signing of Connor McGovern named among worst free agency decisions in NFL:
“But the Connor McGovern that played for the Cowboys has not been quite as successful,” the outlet noted. “McGovern was a capable pass blocker last year and played that role at an above-replacement level, but he has always been an enormous liability as a run blocker. Not only that, his success as a pass protector was largely limited to one season, allowing defenders to quickly win off the snap and forcing the quarterback to scramble or get rid of the ball quickly.”