Buffalo Bills sign Mitch Morse: Grade, reaction and more

KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 12: Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Morse (61) during the AFC Divisional Round game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs on January 12, 2019, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City MO. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The very-active Buffalo Bills began rebuilding their troubled offensive line with a key piece in the middle, adding talented center Mitch Morse.

After going from 9-7 and the team’s first playoffs appearance since 1999 in 2017 to a dismal 6-10 performance this past season., the Buffalo Bills were a tough team to watch in 2018, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Only two teams in the league gained fewer yards per game and only the Arizona Cardinals amassed fewer yards through the air.

But some help is on the way via free agency. It began early on with the addition of offensive lineman Spencer Long, who spent the past year with the New York Jets. Over the last few days, the club has also added ageless running back Frank Gore, tight end Tyler Kroft, as well as wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley.

Sean McDermott’s squad added some more help on the offensive line with not only the signing of tackle Ty Nsekhe but also the highly-regarded center Mitch Morse, late of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Contract Details

Courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Morse will sign a four-year, $44.5 million deal with an impressive $26.5 million of that deal guaranteed.

National Reaction

The #Bills have now given Josh Allen the follwing: C Mitch Morse, WRs John Brown and Cole Beasley, RB Frank Gore, TE Tyler Kroft, OT Ty Nsekhe and OL Spencer Long.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 12, 2019

#Bills new starting center Mitch Morse has not allowed a sack since his rookie season in 2015 per PFF.

— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) March 11, 2019

Curious to see the numbers on the Mitch Morse contract, but think he’s a slam dunk addition for the Bills. Huge upgrade on the field and an excellent guy to have in the locker room. Will be a leader from the get go.

— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) March 11, 2019

This may be the Bills’ most important addition this offseason so far. The team’s offensive line was nothing short of a disaster in 2018 and a main reason that rookie quarterback Josh Allen spent his first year in the NFL running for his life. In other words, it wasn’t by design that the strong-armed performer wound up leading the team in rushing yards.

Via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), only seven players in the league at Morse’s position have a higher grade when it comes to pass protection. All told, he’s the site’s 13th-ranked center but does come off a season in which he missed some time (5 games) while in concussion protocol. Morse should make life a lot easier and safer for Allen and any Bills’ quarterback who takes the field in ’19.

The Buffalo Bills have made one playoff appearance this century (2017) and won only six games a year ago. Morse is one part of an impressive free-agent haul to date. Could McDermott’s team bounce back in a big way this fall? There’s a long way to go before training camp.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com. Read the original article here.