For the Win’s Steven Ruiz recently released some summer power rankings for NFL teams after the dust has mostly settled in terms of roster building and moves being made prior to the 2020 season. More could still come, but the big hauls are mostly done.
In regard to the Bills, Buffalo lands at No. 9 overall in the rankings.
Here’s what Ruiz had to say about the Bills:
After the trade for Stefon Diggs, I’m not sure there’s a real weakness on this roster … except for the one at the quarterback position. If the Bills are going to fight off defensive regression, Josh Allen has to be better. I’ve written at length why I’m skeptical about him taking a big step forward, but if he does, the Bills aren’t just the favorites in the AFC East. They’d be capable of challenging the Chiefs and Ravens at the top of the conference.
Fighting off defensive regression might be a real need for the Bills, even if it’s just a little bit. Say the Bills fall from a top-three unit, to a top-10? That’s still good, but is it good enough for double-digit wins if Allen struggles? Certainly not. So in one way or another, the Bills offense needs to jump up a few notches, even into the top-20 or top-15 area, somewhere it has not been under Sean McDermott’s watch just yet.
In terms of the rest of the rankings, one shock is the Patriots. Cam Newton’s addition pushing them all the way up to No. 5. That’s a very bold prediction. The Jets and Dolphins remain lowly ranked, though. They’re at No. 27 and 28, respectively.
[lawrence-related id=65396,65461,65455,65448]