Bills prepared to lose at least one starting offensive lineman this offseason
Two of of the Bills' three starters on the offensive line, left guard David Edwards and center Connor McGovern, will be able to sign elsewhere as soon as March 11 at 4 p.m. O'Cyrus Torrence, their right guard, is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason.
Each assistant coach hired by Joe Brady to work on the Buffalo Bills' offense will help maintain continuity and assist him in balancing play-calling with his role as a CEO.
Pete Carmichael, one of Brady's mentors during the Bills coach's season with the New Orleans Saints, left Denver to become Buffalo's offensive coordinator. He has more than two decades of NFL experience and assisted Sean Payton in the same capacity for nearly 15 years. Brady needed someone with the right personality and acumen to lead meetings while he bounces around One Bills Drive to oversee the rest of the game plan.
Bills center Connor McGovern has started 49 regular-season game since arriving in Buffalo in 2023.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Brady's vision for the Bills' offense in 2026 cannot be possible, however, unless the offensive line thrives under its new coach. Pat Meyer, a longtime teacher of the position, agreed to join Buffalo's staff as soon as Brady accepted the job. Aaron Kromer, the team's beloved offensive line guru, retired. Who better to replace Kromer than someone who adopted his philosophies during their time together with the Bills in 2015 and 2016? Meyer was the offensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers when Brady was their offensive coordinator from 2020 until he was fired during the 2021 season.
"Pat knows how I think," Brady told retired Bills center Eric Wood during the Centered on Buffalo podcast. "I know how Pat thinks and that's so critical. ... Obviously, you don't want to lose Aaron Kromer, but when Pat Meyer was available, as soon as I got the call, (I called Pat)."
Meyer's hiring answers a significant question about the Bills' offense, but a few others remain as general manager and president of football operations Brandon Beane continues to prepare for free agency and the draft.
Two of their three starters on the offensive line, left guard David Edwards and center Connor McGovern, will be able to sign elsewhere as soon as March 11 at 4 p.m. O'Cyrus Torrence, their right guard, is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason. The 2023 second-round draft pick has one year remaining on his rookie deal, and he's appeared in all 51 regular-season games since he joined the Bills. Pro Football Focus has credited Torrence with just six sacks allowed in 2,118 career snaps.
There's depth behind those three linemen, especially McGovern and David Edwards. Alec Anderson and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger are options to start next season at left guard and center, respectively. Anderson can play both positions, invaluable versatility that he developed under Kromer's tutelage. But can the Bills count on two unknowns entering another pressure-packed season with Super Bowl expectations?
Continuity will help with the transition. There will be tweaks to Brady's offense, and he'll prioritize more downfield passing now that he's in charge. Brady, the Bills' play-caller since November 2023, reminded reporters during his introductory press conference last week that he learned under Payton. There were exceptional running backs during Payton's time with the Saints, but they were an aggressive team that was not afraid to take shots downfield with quarterback Drew Brees.
With Carmichael as the Saints' offensive coordinator from 2009 through 2023 – Payton was the play-caller for all but three of those seasons – New Orleans led the NFL in points per game, touchdowns per game, third-down percentage and first downs. In 2025, Payton's quarterback in Denver, Bo Nix, led the league in pass attempts. But the philosophy and foundation of the Bills' offense will not change. They're going to continue to run the ball to complement their remarkable quarterback, Josh Allen. They'll go as far as their offensive line takes them, and Beane is aware how important it will be to find capable replacements if Edwards and McGovern walk as free agents. The Bills had the same starting five on the line in each of the past two seasons.
Spotrac projects Edwards and McGovern to sign three-year contracts with total values of $59.742 million and $48.82 million, respectively.
"We’ve been fortunate to run the same group back a couple of years and you’re looking at it like, ‘Gosh, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able trot out the same five next year that we did,’ but we do have some guys that we believe in," Beane admitted." Some of the guys you’re talking about have earned the right to go to free agency, but we’ll keep the dialogue going. I’d love to trot out the same five next year. You never say never and we’ll just take it one day at a time. If not, we’ll make sure we fill those holes the way we did before because winning up front does not change."
The Bills will not simply count on Anderson and Pran-Granger as ready-made replacements. Veteran competition will be added through free agency. It's not the first time Beane had to lean on his pro scouts to fill holes at the position.
In 2023, Buffalo gave McGovern a three-year, $23 million contract. He played left guard during his first season before he replaced Mitch Morse as the center. McGovern, excluding Week 18, has started every Bills game during his time in Buffalo. During the same free-agency period, the Bills gave Edwards a one-year, $1.7 million contract. He was their sixth offensive lineman in 2023 before he became their starting left guard.
The NFL has yet to finalize its salary-cap ceiling for the 2026 season. Based on a projection of $303.45 million, Spotrac estimates that Buffalo is $9.88 million over the cap. Beane already has a plan for which levers to pull to create space – there are more needs on defense than offense, especially with a new scheme – but the Bills will have to be budget-conscious as they try to maintain a strong infrastructure around their two star players.
According to ESPN Analytics, the Bills ranked fourth and first, respectively, in pass-block and run-block win rate. Though Allen got sacked a career-high 40 times, Buffalo was third in yards before contact per rushing attempt. Bills running back James Cook led the NFL with 1,621 yards in 2025. The offense scored 57 points in two playoff games and averaged 28.3 points during the regular season, tied for fourth most. The offensive line is arguably the deepest position on Buffalo's depth chart.
Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins and right tackle Spencer Brown are among the most athletic players at their respective positions. Their primary backups are Ryan Van Demark and Tylan Grable. It's difficult to evaluate Grable because he missed most of the 2025 season with a concussion that occurred during the preseason, but Van Demark was solid in relief. Anderson also filled in at right tackle when Brown could not play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 30. The Bills also have Chase Lundt, who did not appear in a game during his rookie season.
Beane's pro scouts have pored through video and analytics to identify possible fits. He'll evaluate the list of players, then consult with the coaching staff, including Meyer, to hear their recommendations. It will help everyone involved that Meyer's preferences will be like Kromer's because the two view the position the same way.
"We have to find answers in case we lose them, because these guys, you have to assume, when you get this close, you may lose them," said Beane. "So, all it takes is one team to wow them with a number that you just can't compete with. But I'm still hopeful that maybe we can get one back. ... I believe in our staff that we can find some people, you know, the way we found those guys on the lower end of the salary."