The Los Angeles Rams are going to have to be selective in free agency this year, having approximately $14.8 million in projected cap space. They probably won’t be able to pursue top offensive linemen such as Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney, if they hit the market, nor the top pass rushers and linebackers.
But if they’re looking for affordable help at center, Pro Football Focus suggests Broncos lineman Connor McGovern. PFF laid out one free agent each team must pursue this offseason and the pick for Los Angeles was McGovern.
At only 26 years old, McGovern is just entering his prime after spending four years with the Broncos – two as a full-time starter. He originally began his tenure with Denver as a guard but switched to center in 2018 and stayed there in 2019.
He didn’t commit a single penalty last season and allowed just one sack, a huge improvement over his six-penalty, two-sack-allowed campaign in 2018.
If you had to sum up the disappointment of the Rams’ 2019 season in two words, those words would likely be “offensive line.” The performance of certain players fell off a cliff, and injuries kept the Rams from being able to have any sort of continuity on the line. The center position was an almost even split between Austin Blythe and Brian Allen, but neither player was able to crack an overall grade of 60.0. The first three seasons of McGovern’s career certainly weren’t anything to write home about, as he picked up overall grades of 49.2 in 2017 and 58.3 in 2018 after missing his rookie season, but the full season at center last year under Mike Munchak brought positive results and an overall grade of 71.9. He could be one solution to getting that group back on track in 2020.
Brian Allen is penciled in as the Rams’ starting center right now, but he’s coming off a knee injury and may not be ready until training camp. Austin Blythe took over for Allen after he was injured last season, but he’s a free agent and is expected to test the market.
At the very least, McGovern would provide some experience at center and would likely be an upgrade over Allen, too. He’s someone the Rams should keep an eye on as the start of free agency nears, assuming they’re not set on Allen starting again in 2020.
[vertical-gallery id=629214]