As the Los Angeles Chargers turn the corner towards the final push of their season, it has become clear that, barring a miraculous turnaround, major structural changes will need to be undergone this offseason for the team's offensive line.
Foremost on the list must be the replacement of struggling center Bradley Bozeman, and, as the offseason slowly begins to come into focus, it appears as though the perfect free agent target might be emerging for the Chargers: Connor McGovern of the Buffalo Bills.
While Bozeman has been far and away the worst center in the league according to Pro Football Focus, McGovern has been significantly better, ranking 12th in overall grade and ninth in pass blocking.
Without a doubt, Los Angeles must make serious changes to the interior of their offensive line this offseason, and they very well could start here.
Bradley Bozeman needs to go, and the Bills' cap situation could provide the perfect replacement
While the injuries to Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater were uncontrollable, the downfall of the Chargers' offensive line is, at least partially, of the organization's own making. Almost every signing or move they have made to help bolster the line in the past two years, including Bozeman, Andre James, Mekhi Becton and Austin Deculus, has played out disastrously.
If they want to maximize the MVP-caliber play of Justin Herbert while they can, it begins with providing him with the protection that he needs to create explosive plays and the space that the team needs to be able to lean on its run game reliably.
McGovern, therefore, could represent a golden opportunity for the Chargers to take a step in the right direction.
He is in his final year of the three-year, $22 million contract that he signed with Buffalo, and it appears as though he should command a contract somewhere in the $14-16 million annual value range when he becomes a free agent.
As it stands, the Bills are only projected to have about $8.7 million in cap space this offseason, making it a tall task for them to bring back their starting center. The Chargers, meanwhile, are projected to have just north of $112 million.
While there a number of pending free agents they will likely look to bring back, the discrepancy is evident.
Moreover, Bozeman, if he were cut or traded before the start of next season, would only represent about $1 million of dead cap on the team's books.
Therefore, although there will likely be a number of teams interested in pursuing McGovern's services as the premier center available on the market, the Chargers have both the flexibility to pull it off and the glaring need to address, rendering this as their ideal offseason move before the market even opens.