You’d be hard-pressed to find a front office that has attacked free agency with a more aggressive mindset than the Buffalo Bills in recent years.
Following his most recent wave of free agency leading the franchise, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane is now 2-for-2 in attacking his offseasons in the way he likes to do it.
Beane didn’t say it much this winter, but in years past he has. He wants his franchise to head into the draft with one goal: put the club in a position to draft for talent, not need.
“Drafting for need is a mistake that can set franchises back. I’m not going to do that as long as I’m in charge,” Beane said in January 2019.
“Well sometimes that’s not always the most popular decision and maybe not even in the building, and obviously with the fans, but you know, coaches, they want good players to help them execute and do their job better. But again, my job is to bring the best players that I can to the Buffalo Bills to give Sean (McDermott) and his staff.” Beane added. “And if you start reaching, it may not hurt you immediately, but over time, you’re taking less talented players, your team is going to suffer a little bit.”
In order to do so, that means the Bills have to fill as many holes as they can in free agency. The Bills did it a year ago, and pulled it off again a week ago.
Looking ahead to the 2020 NFL Draft, where are the needs?
Of course, this team can still be improved, don’t mistake that. But the Stefon Diggs acquisition addressed the Bills’ biggest need at wide receiver. Sure, there’s no first-round pick and the draft won’t be as fun, but so what?
Mario Addison replaces Shaq Lawson and then some, potentially improving Buffalo’s pass rush, even.
Jordan Phillips departed as well, perhaps the Bills’ biggest free agency loss, but Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler, a former first-round pick himself of Beane and McDermott with the Panthers, add to a loaded defensive line group now in Buffalo. The Bills might have the best defensive line depth in the entire league now, considering Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy on the edge and Harrison Phillips, Star Lotuleli and Ed Oliver on the interior. There’s no Khalil Mack here, but that’s a deep group.
That same revamping of the defensive line was even larger last offseason along Buffalo’s offensive line, and while he might be a roll of the dice, we still haven’t mentioned the addition of former All-Pro Josh Norman to what might be the NFL’s best secondary.
Buffalo’s had that ability to do all this because of the roster makeover Beane and McDermott conducted in the summer of 2017. The team bit the bullet that year for the greater good, somehow still making the playoffs. Those moves also have given the team the flexibility to fill holes during free agency. That’s easier said than done though, specifically with that “weather” knock against Buffalo. So credit where it’s due, the Bills’ front office has gotten it done once again.
Again, this is not a Super Bowl winning roster… not yet, at least. A lot of that depends on quarterback Josh Allen in the modern day NFL. But how long ago do the days of training up for Sammy Watkins and overpaying for guys like Derrick Docery feel? Heck, you don’t have much about that weather thing anymore, do we? We’re not far removed from all of those, but they now feel like a generation ago with the turnaround the Bills have undergone.
[lawrence-related id=57623,57576,57568,57555]