Bills sign veteran offensive lineman

Clapp spent his first four seasons in the league with the Saints, playing sparingly during that time. The former seventh-rounder saw limited usage at guard with New Orleans, but he also occasionally played at center. He joined the Chargers in 2022, and with Los Angeles, he was used exclusively in the middle.

The 28-year-old re-signed with the Bolts last offseason on a $1.23M deal. He appeared set to remain in a backup role for the campaign, having logged only three starts the previous season. With Corey Linsley being limited to just three contests due to heart condition, however, Clapp took over as the team’s starting center. The latter started a career-high 11 games in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Keeping in line with his previous seasons, the LSU product drew a PFF grade of 56.7.

Linsley is now set to retire, but instead of retaining Clapp on a new deal, the Chargers elected to sign veteran Bradley Bozeman. Clapp will thus move on to Buffalo for 2024 in a bid to find playing time on the inside. The Bills traded away Ryan Bates earlier this offseason, a move which left the team without a depth option capable of spot-start duty at both the guard and center positions.

That deal suggested Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence would remain in place at the guard spots with Mitch Morse playing at center. The latter was one of several veterans let go in advance of free agency, though, meaning McGovern is now in place to slide to the middle. Clapp could compete for snaps at LG as a result, but he will likely be penciled in for the backup center spot. If he recovers from his injury, Clapp could effectively fill Bates’ role as a backup with starting experience along Buffalo’s new-look O-line.