Bills training camp questions: In a tough competition, who will win the right guard guard job?
This is the fourth in a 10-part series previewing Buffalo Bills training camp.
There has been a revolving door at One Bills Drive at the guard position for several years because coach Sean McDermott has not been able to find a twosome that can produce at a consistent level.
Think of all the players who have started at those positions in the last few years: Rodger Saffold, Ryan Bates, Quinton Spain, Jon Feliciano, Brian Winters, Ike Boettger, Cody Ford, Daryl Williams, Vlad Ducasse, John Miller and Richie Incognito, to name the most prominent since 2017. With the exception of Incognito, that’s a whole lot of mediocrity.
McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have lived with this and are probably tired of it because heading into this past offseason it was clear they were seeking answers. Whether they have found them in free agent signings Connor McGovern and David Edwards, and second-round draft pick O’Cyrus Torrence, is what we’re about to find out.
Last year, Saffold and Bates were graded poorly by Pro Football Focus, and whether you believe in PFF or not, it was clear to see that there were problems in the interior that center Mitch Morse tried to fix, but couldn’t always do so.
And in the AFC East, with stud tackles like Quinnen Williams of the Jets, Christian Wilkins of the Dolphins and Christian Barmore of the Patriots, getting better guard play is a must.
McGovern comes from the Cowboys where he graded out as a very good pass blocker but not a very good run blocker. Edwards has been a solid veteran with 45 career starts in four seasons with the Rams where he overlapped with current Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. And Torrence, who lasted until the 59th overall pick, was one of the highest-rated guard prospects in the 2023 draft who some analysts thought would go in the first round.
There’s nothing too sexy about an offensive line training camp battle and quite frankly, to the reporter or fan at practice it’s very difficult to truly know how each is performing with no knowledge of the responsibility on a given play.
However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be one of the most interesting, not to mention important, facets that needs to be figured out.
“It’s going to be a competition between now and when we start the season at guard,” Beane said. “We got some guys again between (Torrence), Ryan Bates, we signed McGovern, David Edwards played a lot, Ike Boettger is back. We like our depth there and we’ve made no promises to anybody; it’s gonna be the best man wins.”
It’s quite possible that McGovern and Bates emerge as the starters - remember, the Bills invested in Bates last year when they matched the Bears’ restricted free agent tender. But the Bills didn’t pick Torrence in the second round to keep him glued to the bench.
He played at both Louisiana-Lafayette and last year at Florida in the rugged SEC, Torrence never allowed a sack in 1,501 career pass blocking snaps, a statistic that seems almost impossible. And at 347 pounds, he should have some road grading ability in the run game.
Other questions to be answered during Buffalo Bills training camp 2023
Be sure to return to democratandchronicle.com for daily updates throughout the Buffalo Bills training camp. You can also sign up for Bills Blast, Sal Maiorana's newsletter which will follow the Bills action all season long. Here are stories previewing some of the other questions that need to be answered during camp:
Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana and on Threads @salmaiorana1.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills training camp questions: Who will win the battle at right guard?
