BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Forgetting about the Buffalo Bills' 2021 season won’t happen quickly. Coach Sean McDermott said the season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs would stay with him for years. Emotions aside, work is fully underway toward trying to make a Super Bowl run next season.
After changes to the coaching staff and with key cap decisions to come, the Bills will have a different look from the past couple of years. While they're set at starting quarterback with Josh Allen, they need to upgrade on both sides of the ball with the lines and depth at receiver and cornerback at the top of the list. General manager Brandon Beane will have the help of nine draft picks, but there will be some smart cap management required. The Bills are in a position that so many teams would like to be, knowing how much they are paying the franchise quarterback for years to come and having major contributors set. Now it comes down to making smart decisions to improve the roster and building around what’s in place.
Projected salary-cap space: $2,958,645
Top free agents: DE Jerry Hughes, DT Harrison Phillips, CB Levi Wallace, QB Mitchell Trubisky, WR Isaiah McKenzie
Potential cut candidates: LB A.J. Klein and DT Star Lotulelei
Klein is a valuable backup, but he will be 31 years old and the team can save $5 million by letting him go with $400,000 remaining in dead cap. Lotulelei will be an interesting decision and restructuring his contract should be on the table. His play declined after testing positive for COVID-19. The Bills could save over $4 million by releasing him post-June 1.
What you need to know: While there are no big-name free agents the Bills must re-sign, they still have work to do. If they don't re-sign Wallace, they will have to add significant depth at outside corner. The defensive line could be in for some changes and additional speed is needed at wide receiver.
After a couple of years of consistency, the Bills will have a variety of changes including a new offensive coordinator (Ken Dorsey) and quarterbacks coach (Joe Brady). Giving Allen as much help as possible should be a priority in his first year with Dorsey. That includes investing in backups to put in the quarterback room around him with Trubisky expected to get an opportunity elsewhere. Buffalo has plenty of resources to work with in the draft and while they won’t be “big spenders” in free agency as Beane noted, they will be able to make some moves to keep players and find contributors outside the organization.
Best-case scenario for the team’s offseason: The Bills are able to add a young, dynamic presence for the future on the inside next to Ed Oliver. The Bills should continue to invest in the defensive line for the future with multiple older veterans toward the end of their careers. Other priorities include signing wide receiver Stefon Diggs, tight end Dawson Knox and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to long-term deals, which would help with Edmunds’ cap hit in 2022 and ensure that Allen’s top targets are on the roster for years to come.
Worst-case scenario for the team’s offseason: It would be hard for the Bills to really mess this up, but not improving the defensive line would be a step in the wrong direction. Being unable to afford adding depth at cornerback and wide receiver due to cap issues, while also not locking down key players to extensions, could hurt the team in both the short- and long-term.
Early look at the NFL draft, from ESPN analyst Jordan Reid: In need of consistent presence on the edge and up the middle, Beane will be in search of ways to improve the defensive line for the second consecutive year. A second starting cornerback could also be an area that the franchise elects to address as Tre'Davious White continues his progress following a torn ACL and Wallace hits free agency.
Top needs: DL, CB, IOL
Top pick: No. 25