Replacement: Lloyd Cushenberry or Patrick Morris
Another player the Broncos didn’t make a great effort to re-sign this offseason was Connor McGovern, who then accepted a three-year, $27 million deal from the New York Jets. He is in line to be the team’s starting center there.
That is the position he used to hold in Denver and while that center-quarterback combination is important to keep intact, the team has capable replacements.
The Broncos used a third-round pick to obtain Lloyd Cushenberry, the guy who played center at LSU last season with Joe Burrow. The Broncos have lost their last two starting centers to free agency but Cushenberry is the kind of player who could be in that role for the next decade.
If he is not ready to go in Week 1, the team has a lot of confidence in Patrick Morris, a player who has gained a lot by working with Mike Munchak in each of his two NFL stops.
McGovern started in 31 games over the last two seasons and became a solid piece of the offensive line. But in today’s NFL, you can’t keep everyone and the Broncos felt they could get better at the position without bringing him back.
Aside from Cushenberry and Morris, the Broncos also have free-agent signing Graham Glasgow, who could also chip in at center if needed.