Buffalo Bills
2022 record: 13-3 (first place)
Notable additions: G Connor McGovern, WR/ Ret Deonte Harty, QB Kyle Allen. Re-signed - S Jordan Poyer.
Notable losses: DC Leslie Frazier, LB Tremaine Edwards, WR Isaiah McKenzie.
Best move: Creating much-needed cap space by restructuring the contracts of Josh Allen, Von Miller and Stefan Diggs.
Head scratcher: More of a curiosity - Is Frazier coming back, or is his departure permanent?
Outlook: They made a big splash in free agency last year, adding Von Miller to boost their pass rush and fix one of their biggest flaws to help put them over the top.
Only they continue to fall short when the playoffs roll around. The mantra was Super Bowl or bust for them last season and they still couldn’t get there.
Their 27-10 loss to the Bengals marked their second straight divisional round exit.
Since then, Frazier, their longtime defensive coordinator, has stepped away for at least a year, so like last year after offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s departure, the Bills have to adjust to a new play caller. By most accounts, head coach Sean McDermott will run the defense.
Player-wise, thanks to restructuring the contracts of Allen, Miller and Diggs the Bills were able to get out of cap jail and create some space to both sign and re-sign some important players, most notably Poyer, who returned on a two-year deal.
The Bills would have been trouble at safety if they weren’t able to bring Poyer back. Micah Hyde is the only other safety with any experience. Safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during the team’s regular season game against the Bengals, has begun his road back to football, and is hoping to play at some point. But it’s tough for the Bills to count on him being ready to play this season.
Linebacker Matt Milano and punter Sam Martin also signed extensions to free up more money and help the cause.
So it’s possible for the Bills to do more,
and add more weapons for Josh Allen, while also improving the defense in the coming days and weeks. As it is, they really don’t have much to add, although the release of McKenzie leaves them a bit short at receiver.
And while they’re still be tough to beat as long as Allen is under center, they’ve lost a bit of their luster.