Unexpected position battle named Bills ‘most important’ in 2024 training camp

The Buffalo Bills created a hole in the middle of their offensive line in the 2024 NFL offseason by releasing stalwart starter Mitch Morse, who has expertly anchored the team’s line since the 2019 campaign. circumvented the $8.5 million the veteran was owed for the 2024 season by releasing him, but, in doing so, created a question mark: Who will start for the team at center?

The team’s immediate plan was to slide Connor McGovern, who started 17 games for Buffalo at left guard last season, a few yards to his right. The 26-year-old has played center in the past, logging more than 900 snaps at the position at Penn State and another 100 during his four years with the Dallas Cowboys. McGovern still appears to be Buffalo’s solution at center, as he and quarterback Josh Allen have developed a rapport throughout OTA practices this spring.

However, an outlet doesn’t necessarily buy McGovern’s perceived security on-site. In a recent article detailing the biggest battle of every NFL team’s 2024 training camp, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine discussed the Bills’ potential competition at center, predicting that 2024 fifth-round pick Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, will make McGovern’s life difficult.

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“If Van Pran can prove himself to be a good starter during OTAs, training camp and the preseason, it could allow the Bills to keep McGovern at left guard,” Ballentine wrote. “This would allow David Edwards to be the inside swing option, while La’el Collins would be the swing tackle.

“Van Pran has already played a lot of football, starting 43 games at center for the Georgia Bulldogs. Given the new receiver room, protecting Josh Allen will be more important than ever for the Bills. If Van Pran could compete to become a starter, it would provide a huge boost to the offense.

Ballentine’s logic is sound; Offensive lines usually thrive on continuity, and Buffalo’s current plan — moving McGovern to center and inserting David Edwards to replace him — would see two positions changed from last season. Van Pran-Granger starting immediately at center would allow the Bills to keep McGovern at left guard (a position he thrived at last season), ensuring maximum continuity.

And Van Pran-Granger, as Ballentine notes, has plenty of starting experience, anchoring a Georgia offensive line that was consistently considered one of the best in the country throughout his college career. He won two national championships throughout his time in Athens, earning All-SEC honors in the 2023 season in addition to finishing as a finalist for the Dave Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.

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It may be a little difficult to expect an offensive lineman selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft to step in and start right away, but the fact that Van Pran-Granger could do so would open up a multitude of options for Buffalo’s offense. Regardless, the 22-year-old projects as a potential long-term piece for the Bills; Offensive coordinator Joe Brady spoke about the lineman during last month’s OTAs, praising both his character and his abilities.

“Take away the football element, just the person and the personality,” Brady said. “When you play at a school like that and you’re a three-time captain… that doesn’t happen. You know the type of person you’re hiring, the type of work ethic, the type of preparation. You get a football player and you do the right things.

“Then you put him on the football field, he played against the best of the best for three years and didn’t flinch. Having the ability to be athletic enough to be able to do everything we’re looking for in our center, be strong and give the quarterback a nice pocket. We didn’t think he would be there at that time, and we were happy that he was.