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What a plot twist.
At this point of the NFL offseason, we’ve hit peak dry season. It’s time to dust off whatever content we can put together and make that exercise interesting.
ESPN got creative and went the route of ranking every NFL team’s top-five players, head-to-head, in a list. For the Buffalo Bills, it’s not a bad finish but it’s oddly not a great one either.
Overall, the Bills land at the No. 5 position. A good spot, but context is key.
Even in naming Buffalo’s five best, which includes quarterback Josh Allen, wideout Stefon Diggs, pass rusher Von Miller, defensive back Tre’Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano… the praise isn’t all that… nice.
The ESPN breakdown:
Allen is carrying the load in making the Bills a serious Super Bowl contender, because this core could be better. White and Miller suffered ACL injuries in 2021 and 2022, respectively. And while Milano is coming off a fantastic 2022 season, he’s still an inside linebacker, which is a devalued position. But this ranking just goes to show how far an elite QB and receiver can take you.
The former world-wide leader essentially is a big fan of the Allen-Diggs combo on offense… then tossed in the Bills’ top-three defenders. Ouch.
Potentially we can see some improvement from White in 2023 to convince ESPN otherwise. Upon his return last season, White had some up-and-down play–But that’s to be expected following a serious injury. The anticipation is that White will be more comfortable now.
And Milano just continues to be one of the league’s most overlooked defenders… again.
But furthering the concern levels is the grouping of teams ahead of Buffalo. A football roster is 53 players, not five, however–the Bills in fifth makes their “core” the fourth-best in the AFC conference… and they’re not even the best in the AFC East division.
ESPN’s top-five cores are:
- 4. Miami Dolphins
- 3. Cincinnati Bengals
- 2. Philadelphia Eagles
- 1. Kansas City Chiefs
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