Brandon

I doubt it changes their draft plans. They were always likely to sign a bargain veteran to bridge the gap until the rookie was ready to take over.

That's good news. I've always thought he had the potential to be a solid contributor on offense, but I didn't expect him to re-sign with the Bills, especially before FA starts. Although I still expect them to draft a WR fairly high, this reduces the urgency somewhat. On the down side, if there was any chance of Cole Beasely returning, this probably ends it.

This is a passing offense that makes heavy use of multiple WR sets. They need more than two that can play. I fully expect them to take a WR in the first two rounds plus another later on and they may sign a decent stopgap veteran as well.

Yeah, it's not all his OL. He seems like he has a poor sense of the rush, IMO and also holds the ball too long.

I'd like to see them pick up a CB in the first three rounds, but I agree, this draft should lean toward the offensive side. Given that this may be Beasley's last year and that they're likely losing McKenzie and Sanders, I think it would make a lot of sense to bring in someone like Dotson in the first or second round to get them a year to learn the offense and be ready for a bigger role next year and still have some chances to help now. I also completely agree with bringing in some interior OL help, plus adding some decent competition at RB.

Duper and Clayton were good, yes, but the Bills had two Hall of Famers, plus another at RB. They didn't have as much top end talent on D, either, but their 90 and 92 defenses statistically were solidly in the top half of the league. They were probably the 2nd best team in the AFC those two years, but the Bills had more of everything than they did outside of QB, where it was more or less even.

They actually used quite a few early picks on defenders in the late 80s up through the end of the Shula era. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/draft.htm The reason the Dolphins couldn't beat the Bills is because they couldn't quite match the firepower the Bills had at WR and they had absolutely no equivalent for Thurman Thomas.

I also wonder if that broken hand might have still been bothering him when he came back.

The contracts they compare him to are kind of all over the place. I may be wrong, wouldn't be the first time, but I think he probably gets somewhere around $5-6M per.

Yeah, I think its enough. The mid-season broken hand didn't do him any favors, but I think he's reached the point where he's one of the better players in the league at the position and may still improve from there. He's by far the best player they've had in that spot in the last 20 years.

I'm also thinking that they'll go WR in R1, but my way-too-early prediction is Jahan Dotson.

I don't think that's a good idea. It just puts more pressure on Allen to carry the load himself. He can't keep it up forever.

Not interested. If they really want a RB, I'd rather they spend the cap space on a veteran without the injury history or just draft one early.

I'm on the fence. He's good enough that he deserves a chance at the job, but I also think they could stand some decent competition at the RB position. At the very least, I think they need to do better than Moss.

He's an excellent player, but with Diggs and Davis on the outside already and with both as upcoming 2024 FAs, I think I'd have to pass. Go find a mid tier bargain to stretch the field like they did with John Brown a few years back and add a quality slot receiver prospect in the 1st or 2nd.

Yeah, the first priority is whether or not he's actually a good football player. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how fast he is. That being said, I think they do need to try to find someone that has the speed to make plays after the catch, whether it's McKenzie or someone else.

1) Add a quality CB prospect. Probably a 1st or 2nd round pick here. Also, re-sign Wallace if possible. It's not a priority, but if they can find a good safety prospect in the mid to late rounds, it might be worth taking a look. 2) Find quality replacements for Sanders, McKenzie and/or Beasley, depending on which ones leave. Overall speed at WR needs to improve significantly and they need at least one that can make plays after the catch. 1st or 2nd round pick here, plus maybe a bargain FA and a mid/late pick if all three of the mentioned group leave. I'd also like to see them add a quality third down RB, and right now, Cordarelle Patterson would be my #1 FA target and will likely be a relative bargain due to his age. 3) Improve the depth on the interior of the OL. I think I'd sign Bates to the 2nd round RFA tender (~3.5m) and cut Feliciano for cap space (also Klein and Beasley). Add a couple of 3rd-5th round guys here, unless a really good prospect drops to R2. 4) Backup Qb needs to be addressed. If Trubisky can be re-signed for roughly the same money as this year, do it. 5) Try to find a veteran rush end that doesn't break the bank. Otherwise, trust your draft evaluations and go with what you have at DE. An elite rush end would be nice, but I don't see it happening without some major cap maneuvering. I wouldn't draft another except perhaps a developmental guy late. Re-sign Phillips at DT if possible. 6) Depth is a need everywhere else.

They can always bring back Duck Hodges. He's better than Josh Allen, so I've heard.

I'm just saying that you don't have to try to be the #1 defense in the league every year and that its a lot easier to find players at their offensive needs with the limited resources that they have this year. I'd still look to CB early in the draft, maybe in R1, but also give the young players at DE a chance to develop before another major investment there. If it doesn't work out, you've got far more cap space next year to work with.

Its the path of least resistance. Its a lot easier to build around the elite player that you already have than it is to try to find another elite player to be a difference maker on the other side of the ball. That's especially true when you have minimal cap space and are drafting towards the end of the round. Three of the four remaining teams in the playoffs are in the bottom half of the league in terms of yards allowed defensively.

The Bills just had the #1 defense and got lit up anyway. For that matter, the Bills lit up New England's D twice late in the season...2nd in scoring D and 4th in yards. Top tier offenses these days are going to put up 30+ points more often than not, even against the better defenses in the league. Yes, a Bruce Smith type defender would be fantastic. Those aren't exactly common. A top tier pass rushing DE is going to cost $20M per year. The Bills don't have that kind of cap space right now.

It does, indirectly. But I meant it in the context of providing Allen with more talent around him offensively to help him be the best QB he can be. I wish they could add an elite rush end, but I think it's the 2nd hardest position to find after QB. It's going to be a huge resource sink and you may not get the results you want. The Bills last couple of drafts are a good example of that, though I do think the Bills need to give those guys a chance before pushing the panic button.

Yes, but I think Allen masks some weaknesses on that side. They're not particularly fast at WR and they don't have a run after the catch threat. They could be losing all of Sanders, Beasley and McKenzie. The pass protection and running game improved late, but they could certainly stand some help on the interior OL and an upgrade from Moss. Another factor here is that I think these problems are easier to address, too, especially in a tight cap year. You can find some bargain value at WR and RB in FA. Guards and centers can be found in the mid rounds of the draft. Add a CB and a slot WR with some run after catch skills with the first two picks. With that, you've plugged the major holes without breaking the bank, either in terms of cap space or draft picks. The young guys at DE would have to step up, but at some point, you have to trust your player evaluations. At worst, they should have much more cap room in 2023 to make a major move at DE if they have to.

To be honest, I think a defensive focus is the wrong approach. They arguably have the best player in the league at QB. If it were me, I'd put the majority of my resources into supporting him with more speed and playmakers at the skill positions and improved line play, and aim to have a top 10-15 defense rather than trying to be #1.

I agree, but I think the most likely outcome here is that they'll try to bring Hughes back on a one year deal.