Buffalo Bills position preview: Is O'Cyrus Torrence a candidate for an extension?
Depth on the interior is a question mark for the Bills. They didn't draft a guard or center on Day 3. Their starters are formidable, however, and, paired with their bookend tackles, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, Buffalo has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Editor’s note: This is the seventh story in a series previewing the Bills’ position groups as training camp looms. Today is interior offensive linemen.
Bills right guard O’Cyrus Torrence has started 33 regular-season games since he was drafted out of Florida.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Since becoming the Bills general manager in 2017, Brandon Beane has shown his players that they will be rewarded if they develop into significant contributors in the franchise’s quest to win a Super Bowl.
This offseason alone, the Bills signed linebacker Terrel Bernard, edge rusher Greg Rousseau and wide receiver Khalil Shakir. Josh Allen, the MVP quarterback, received a new six-year contract with $250 million guaranteed.
Could their starting right guard be the next in line for a raise in 2026?
O’Cyrus Torrence is only two years into his four-year rookie contract, but he’s been a starter since the Bills selected the former Florida Gators lineman in the second round of the 2023 draft. He hasn’t missed a game during that span, logging 38 starts between the regular season and playoffs. Bills center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are also one season away from free agency, but the team may prioritize Torrence given his age and pedigree.
As a rookie, Torrence played 100% of the Bills’ offensive snaps in the regular season, and he would have done the same in 2024 if coach Sean McDermott didn’t rest most of his starters in a Week 18 loss to the New England Patriots.
Among guards who played at least 50% of their team’s snaps, Torrence was one of five to not allow a sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. His teammate, Edwards, also kept Allen clean while he threw for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns.
The interior of this offensive line was pivotal in the Bills’ run game, which ranked ninth in yards per game. Their 359.1 yards per game was the 11th-best mark. They were No. 2 in the NFL in rushing success when they faced a “stacked box,” according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The box was stacked for the Bills the third-highest rate of run plays, 27.3%.
Depth on the interior is a question mark for the Bills. They didn’t draft a guard or center on Day 3. Their starters are formidable, however, and, paired with their bookend tackles, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, Buffalo has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Torrence’s continued development will be among the storylines to watch in 2025.
On the roster: 9
Torrence, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, Alec Anderson, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Kendrick Green, Mike Edwards, Rush Reimer and Jacob Bayer.How many make the 53?
Five: Torrence, McGovern, Anderson, Van Pran-Granger and David Edwards, with Mike Edwards and Reimer on the practice squad.Most impactful offseason move
There were no meaningful additions, as Beane did not select an interior offensive lineman in the draft. Green was their only notable signing, and he hasn’t started more than three games in a season since he was a rookie with the Steelers in 2021. The Bills are one of 10 teams expected to have five returning starters on the offensive line, continuity that positions this offense to be among the NFL’s best entering a season in which they are a Super Bowl contender.Biggest question to answer in camp
Is there adequate depth behind Torrence, McGovern and David Edwards? Anderson can play each of those positions, and he’s the most experienced backup. The Bills used Anderson in 2024 as the sixth lineman in their “jumbo” package, which was David Edwards’ assignment in 2023.The Bills should develop a young interior offensive lineman on the practice squad, whether it’s Reimer, Bayer, Mike Edwards or someone who’s not currently on the roster. Bayer, an undrafted free agent, has experience and potential, but he, like Van Pran-Granger, was strictly a center in college. Edwards played left tackle at Campbell University before he spent last season on Buffalo’s practice squad.
