The Bills revamped their offensive line when free agency started a year ago and the center piece of that was a massive deal signed by center Mitch Morse.
Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has always said and put his money where his mouth is in regard to the center position. He wants a high-value guy there and even before Morse, Beane made sure to ink Eric Wood to an extension. But Bleacher Report doesn’t see it that way.
Recently pegging every NFL team’s most overpaid player, Morse got that designation from B/R. Here’s why:
Current Deal: Four years, $44.5 million ($26.2 million guaranteed)
The Buffalo Bills made Mitch Morse the highest-paid center in NFL history on an annual basis last season. He has since been surpassed by the Las Vegas Raiders’ Rodney Hudson, but he also serves as the highest-paid player on the Bills roster.
Granted, quarterback Josh Allen is still under a rookie deal, but one still has to question the investment.
Morse is a quality pivot. He helped solidify the Bills’ offensive front after it was arguably the worst unit in the league during the 2018 campaign, and he started every game last season.
Even so, he’s paid like an elite center, which he’s not. Morse is a solid pass protector but average at the point of attack. An argument can be made for multiple centers—like Hudson, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce, Atlanta Falcons’ Alex Mack and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ryan Jensen—as better performers. The Bills had to make a significant investment in the position, but the organization went overboard.
While it’s hard to find hard numbers that backup offensive line play, Pro Football Focus’ analytics do mirror what Bleacher Report thinks about Morse. Morse was graded their 18th best center in the NFL last season, not exactly the output you’d like from the top-paid center in the league.
But with the Bills’ revamping in mind, Morse could certainly improve in 2020. One thing that’s big for an offensive line is continuity. The group had just played together for the first time last season, with only Dion Dawkins entering the 2019 year as a returning starter on Buffalo’s offensive line. This upcoming year, the Bills should have four returning starters in Dawkins, Morse, Cody Ford and Jon Feliciano. Quinton Spain could depart via free agency, but by comparison, this group will have much more chemistry and togetherness this season. Buffalo’s offensive line play was better in 2019, but could take another step in 2020.
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