The Bills could still stand to keep building their roster this offseason. Defensively, Buffalo needs a bounce-back effort in 2021 to improve their odds of reaching the Super Bowl.
But NFL.com took a different direction with this idea. Pegging the top priority for each team in the league as the offseason rolls on, Buffalo’s had nothing to do with on the field.
Rather, getting quarterback Josh Allen signed to a long-term extension was the pick:
For the first time since the days of Jim Kelly, the Bills have a franchise passer with the spicy tools to drag Buffalo into glory. A figure of suspicion a year ago, Josh Allen bloomed as a passer in Year 3, working wonders with a legitimate lead wideout in Stefon Diggs, who arrived via offseason trade in 2020. A bona fide MVP candidate, Allen checks all the boxes for a Buffalo front office likely toiling as you read this on a lucrative new deal for the QB, who has two years remaining (including the fifth-year option) on his rookie contract. Spotrac.com projected a four-year extension worth $168 million with $78 million guaranteed at signing, a notch above what Deshaun Watson received last September. Who in Western New York would protest?
Getting Allen under a contract extension is a good idea, but it might not happen this offseason. With the unknowns ahead due to the salary cap dropping because of COVID-19, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane might wait until that situation settles before signing a player to a massive contract. It’s expected that the cap will eventually go back up, but the answer to when that will be is unclear.
Additionally, the Bills might also want to still focus on their current roster. The defense, specifically at cornerback, could still stand to use an added piece. Reportedly the Bills have been in contact with free agent cornerback Steve Nelson.
[lawrence-related id=82361,82304,82240,82353]