Giants Make Major Move To Bolster Offensive Line For 2024
By 813 Staff
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the offseason with a clear, if difficult, priority: keep the core of their offensive line intact. They watched veteran guard Ali Marpet retire, then saw center Ryan Jensen follow him out the door a year later. The front office has been quietly working for weeks to ensure the next domino didn’t fall, and now, a crucial piece is set to stay put. League sources confirm to the 813 Morning Brief that the Bucs are finalizing a contract to bring back starting center Connor McGovern, a move first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet). This isn’t just another transaction; it’s a stabilizing force for an entire offense.
For a team navigating a significant transition at quarterback, whether it’s Kyle Trask or a new face under center, continuity in the middle of the line is non-negotiable. McGovern, who joined Tampa Bay last season on a one-year prove-it deal, stepped into the sizable void left by Jensen and started all seventeen games. His performance was solid and, more importantly, steady—a quality the coaching staff values immensely. Those close to the situation say Head Coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Liam Coen were vocal internally about the need to retain McGovern, viewing him as the reliable anchor for their interior protection schemes and run game concepts.
The financial details are still being finalized, but the expectation is a multi-year agreement that provides the Bucs with cost certainty at a vital position while rewarding a player who bet on himself and won. This move also signals the team’s broader strategy. With left tackle Tristan Wirfs already locked up long-term, securing McGovern allows the front office to focus its resources and draft capital on other pressing needs, most notably the guard spots and the defensive front seven. It’s a calculated checkmark on a lengthy to-do list.
What happens next is all about the ripple effects. With McGovern presumably locked in, the Bucs can now fully turn their attention to the market for guards and assess whether they can afford to bring back Robert Hainsey, who provided valuable depth at center and guard. The draft board also looks slightly different, as the urgency to select a center early has diminished. The real impact will be felt in the offensive meeting rooms and on the practice field come OTAs, where a familiar voice will be making the protection calls for a quarterback who will desperately need that consistency. For a franchise in flux, keeping Connor McGovern is a small but definitive step toward maintaining a standard.
