Free agency technically isn’t over, but hey, when the Buffalo Bills are getting their due, it’s worth mentioning, right?
That’s exactly what happened in ESPN’s recent power rankings released on Monday. The world-wide leader moved the Bills up two slots in their latest poll.
Their “way-too-early” power rankings released at the start of the offseason put Buffalo at No. 11. Now? Nine.
ESPN’s latest “twist” they occasionally add to their power rankings was to sum up the team in three words. The three for the Bills have a nice ring to it:
Three words: AFC East front-runner. While the Jets focused on building their offensive line, the Dolphins spent big money on marquee free agents and the Patriots coped with the loss of quarterback Tom Brady, the Bills made one of their splashiest moves of the new league year, trading for wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The additions Buffalo made on defense should, on paper, make an already-stout group even better — vaulting the Bills to the top of the preseason AFC East totem pole.
While the Bills could be the AFC East front-runner, they aren’t actually there… yet. Early Las Vegas sportsbooks actually still have the Patriots there. But we have a long way to go until September, and with the loss of Tom Brady, it’s hard to imagine there being much of a gap at all once the 2020 NFL season kicks off.
The top dog in ESPN’s rankings comes in little surprise. It’s the defending champion Chiefs. The Ravens jumped to the No. 2 spot while the defending NFC champs, the 49ers, sit in third.
In terms of the “favorite” in ESPN’s poll, the Patriots land at the No. 13 spot. Then rounding out the AFC East are the Dolphins and Jets, who fall in at No. 25 and 26, respectively.
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