5 positions the Buffalo Bills must address this offseason

BUFFALO, N.Y. [WKBW] — Welcome to the NFL Combine, the unofficial start of a chaotic two months for front offices around the league. For the Buffalo Bills, the theme remains the same as they try and build a roster that can get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

However, this time around they will have much more work to do with a murky salary cap situation and more than two dozen free agents. But with the uncertainty surrounding the team comes excitement as they begin to retool their roster.

Here are 5 positions the Buffalo Bills must address this off-season.

Wide receiver

This is far and away the Bills' top priority this off-season. I’m not even sure if there is even an argument to be made for another position.

With questions surrounding Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis likely on his way out, and Trent Sherfield’s lack of involvement in the offense the Bills need to add multiple weapons for Josh Allen.

I keep thinking back to the Bills loss to the Chiefs and all the missed opportunities they had in the passing game. Josh Allen deserves some of the blame, but the lack of options was obvious.

Whether it’s in the first round of the draft or a free agent signing, the Bills must add wide receivers. And then when they feel the position has been addressed, they need to add more. This is about protecting their most coveted asset Josh Allen and giving the team options for years to come.

Nothing should be off the table. Whether that’s a big-name trade, a high draft pick, or a notable free agent signing, the Bills need options to go along with Diggs and Khalil Shakir.

Defensive tackle

Of the Bills free agents set to hit the market, none feels like more of a priority to bring back than Daquan Jones. With just Ed Oliver signed into next season the Bills will absolutely sign multiple interior defensive linemen, but Jones immediately slots in as a starter on the defensive line. Prior to his injury in London last year, Jones was arguably the Bills most impressive defensive player. While the injury was a huge blow to the Bills last season, it will also likely keep Jones a bit more affordable than he would have been otherwise.

Safety

Perhaps Sean McDermott tipped his hand when he spoke of watching Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer potentially run out of the tunnel for the last time. The duo emerged as one of the best safety combinations in the league for several years but have seen a dip in production as they’ve gotten older.

For Micah Hyde, it’s fairly simple. Hyde is a free agent and told us after the season he’s got a lot to think about. Reading between the lines, that tells me he’s considering retirement.

Jordan Poyer has one year left on his deal. The Bills need to decide if Poyer is worth his $7.4 million cap hit or if they should release him and only be penalized $2 million in dead cap.

Regardless, they need to add safeties to the roster. Taylor Rapp is also a free agent and Damar Hamlin barely played last season. You could argue it’s worth looking into a transition for Christian Benford from cornerback to safety given the Bills other options at corner, but I think Benford is too good and still has potential at a more important position. The Bills will add safeties this off-season, we just don’t know how they’ll do it.

Defensive end

If the Bills use a first-round pick on an edge rusher there will be fans who pull their hair out. But that doesn’t mean it’s not an important position that needs to be addressed.

Leonard Floyd is a free agent and admitted he’ll follow the money when looking for a new team. Honestly, kudos to him for being honest. He did say he’d consider Buffalo because he feels like they’re a contender but for a guy who already has a title go get a bag.

As for homegrown A.J. Epenesa, he may be more in the Bills price range, but he will also likely command a contract that surprises some people. If they can secure Epenesa on a team-friendly deal I think he’s worth bringing back, though I find that unlikely.

With Von Miller’s contract, I just don’t see a way the team can move on from him, leading me to believe he’ll be back next season. This is a good news/bad news type deal with Miller. The bad news is he looked like a shell of himself last season. The good news is it’s almost impossible that he could be any worse.

Greg Rousseau is a stud, but he needs a running mate. If Miller returns to form, this isn’t as big of an issue, but I’m not banking on Miller looking like the player we saw in 2022.

Running back

Let James Cook in 2024. But he needs some help.

No, I don’t think the Bills should be chasing Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, or any of the other “big” name options that will be talked about for the next few months. But there are some interesting names to keep an eye on.

Here are three names I like:

Antonio Gibson

Even though he’s been an inconsistent player in Washington, I think he has juice and could be a fun weapon for the Bills offense. He has a Spotrac market value of $3.6 million, so he’s not “cheap” but could be had if the Bills desire his services.

Ezekiel Elliott

The name will make people think Elliott is in line for a huge contract, but he actually has a lower market value projection [$2.7 million] than Gibson. If the Bills want a solid short-yardage back who can block and complement Cook, I’m not sure if there’s a guy that fits more than Zeke.

Ty Johnson

I really liked Johnson with the Bills last season. Given his familiarity with the system and players inside the locker room, I’m anticipating the Bills try and bring back Johnson to compete for a job.