One Player Who Won't Be on Buffalo Bills' Roster by Week 1

The selection made sense at the time when the Buffalo Bills had question marks at the center position.

By releasing the aging Mitch Morse as a salary cap casualty after the 2023 season, the Bills committed to starting a new center for the first time since 2019.

Tabbing left guard Connor McGovern to move to center full time, Buffalo used a 2024 fifth-round draft pick to select Georgia's Sedrick Van Pran-Granger as the presumed backup plan.

Two years later, however, Van Pran-Granger seemingly has less of an opportunity to see the field than he did as a rookie.

Sedrick Van Pran on special teams — Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Bills place kicker Matt Prater (15) celebrates with Buffalo Bills center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (62) after kicking a field goal during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Not only did the Bills recently secure McGovern's services through 2028, they also added veteran free agent Lloyd Cushenberry, who has 80 career starts and an endorsement from head coach Joe Brady.

Currently, it appears as if Van Pran-Granger, who has totaled only 217 offensive snaps over his first two seasons, is destined for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. With the versatile Alec Anderson also available to snap in emergency situations, there's a low likelihood that the Bills will dedicate three 53-man roster spots to full-time centers.

Writing on wall for Van Pran-Granger

While the Bills' interest in Cushenberry may not be a direct indictment of Van Pran-Granger, it certainly isn't an endorsement.

Speaking at the league meetings in Phoenix this week, head coach Joe Brady alluded to the idea of Cushenberry, not Van-Pran Granger, replacing McGovern had the starter left in free agency.

"Lloyds a starting center in the NFL. You go through the process, going into free agency, there was a chance we lost both Connor and David [Edwards]. It was keeping me up at night with some of those thoughts. Lloyd was a guy, I know he's coming off of an injury, but Lloyd was a possibility of being our starter, or just a guy that we would think about as a starter," said Brady.

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tennessee Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry III (79) looks to block against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Coming back from a 2024 mid-season Achilles tear, Cushenberry returned to start 15 games for the Tennessee Titans last year. The Denver Broncos' third-round pick, who entered the NFL in 2020, has been a six-year starter.

"Having a guy like Lloyd that has a lot of stripes in the league, has played a lot, and now he's in a role that can potentially be your swing, being a backup, you never want anything to happen to your starter, but having a guy that's done that with experience, I think that's valuable for us," said Brady.

What's next for Van Pran-Granger?

Barring an injury, the Bills have no need Van Pran-Granger in the foreseeable future, and he's likely too good to hide on the practice squad without being poached by another team.

Instead of keeping the center on the roster at the expense of another position, Buffalo could look to trade Van Pran-Granger for a Day 3 draft pick. With 44 career starts for Georgia, the athletic center is bound to have some value on the market.

Turning the former fifth-round pick into a future fifth-round selection could be considered a win at this stage, especially when the Bills already have two starting caliber centers on the roster.

Georgia offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran (63) gives direction during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Kentucky in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

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