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2023 was a strange season for the Bills in many ways. They struggled to maintain any consistency early in the year, and found themselves foundering at 6-6 when the decision was made to change offensive coordinators. They then rebounded to win out and finish 11-6, stealing the AFC East title from Miami on the last day of the regular season. Still, another divisional round playoff loss, this time at home to Kansas City, left the team short of it’s ultimate goal to reach and win a Super Bowl. Here’s our preview of the 2024 season:

Front Office/Coaching

GM Brandon Beane has had to scramble this offseason, with the main monkey wrench in the works being forced to trade star receiver Stefon Diggs. He also decided to move on from a few other veteran leaders – Mitch Morse and Gabe Davis on offense, Leonard Floyd, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde and Tre White on defense, along with core special teamers like Tyler Matakevich and Siran Neal. The bottom line is coach Sean McDermott and his staff will have to count on newcomers in a lot of positions. It will be a transitional, but not a rebuilding year. There isn’t a lot of experience at the coordinator positions either, with Joe Brady getting a full year and DC Bobby Babich holding that title for the first time.

Quarterbacks

QB Josh Allen, the engine of the Bills’ offense

Josh Allen is the starting quarterback and undisputed leader of the Bills. He is an annual candidate for league MVP, and with his receiving corps diminished, he’ll face his biggest challenge in 2024. The team brought back old friend Mitchell Trubisky to back him up, but with Mike White looming on the practice squad, this spot may not necessarily be etched in stone.

Running Backs

Ty Johnson, valuable backup RB

James Cook is the Bills’ starting running back , and he’s coming off a somewhat quiet 1,600 all purpose yard season. With OC Brady looking to use the running attack more, he could be in for a big season. In the backup roles are veteran Ty Johnson, a reliable runner capable of spelling Cook admirably. Rookie Ray Davis is a wild card. In the preseason he was impressive as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. How much will Brady utilize his talents in addition to Cook and Johnson? Fullback Reggie Gilliam is back again to reprise his role as a blocking back, sometime receiver and special teams contributor.

Receivers

Khali Shakir, the only returning WR from 2023 season

Khalil Shakir returns as the only known commodity in the wide receiver room. There isn’t any so-called number 1 receiver in the group, but it remains to be seen if that turns out to be a liability or a positive for Allen and the offensive attack. The team will be relying on a promising rookie in Keon Coleman, and a group of veteran free agent signees who have had varying degrees of success in the league in Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The best receivers on the roster may be the tight ends. The duo of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox rivals the best the NFL has to offer, and Quinton Morris is the ideal backup, not seeing the field that much with the 2 ahead of him, but finding a way to make plays when needed. Brady figures to utilize 12 personnel (2 tight ends) a lot this season.

Offensive Line

O’Cyrus Torrence solidified the right guard spot as a rookie

The Bills’ offensive line was extremely lucky in 2023 as the starting five man unit stayed intact and injury-free for the whole season. There will be a couple of changes on this year’s unit, however, as Connor McGovern slides over from left guard to center to replace the departed Mitch Morse, and David Edwards, the top reserve guard last year, moves into the LG position. Returning at right guard is O’Cyrus Torrence, a revelation as a rookie in 2023. He won the starting job in training camp and never gave it up, putting in a solid season. The starting tackles also return, with Dion Dawkins on the left side and big Spencer Brown on the right. The backups this year will include a pair of veterans, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark and the versatile Alec Anderson, who can fill in at any of the line positions. The other reserves are a pair of rookies –  Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, who is a natural center but has been groomed to play guard also, and late round draftee Tylan Grable, who quietly had an impressive preseason playing with second and third stringers. If nothing else, the subtle changes in this group should translate into them being a better run-blocking unit.

Defensive Line

DT Ed Oliver had a breakout season

Buffalo likes to use a heavy dose of rotation along the front line on defense in order to keep the big guys fresh over a long season. For that reason they have 10 players on the roster who play on the D-line. Von Miller, a future Hall of Famer, is listed as a linebacker but really is classified as an edge rusher. His pass rushing skills, missing due to injuries for a lot of his tenure here, hopefully will be back as he is finally completely healthy. Miller leads an impressive group of defensive end/edge rushers that includes 2 emerging impact players in Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, a veteran whose skill level is somewhat unknown in Casey Toohill, and a promising rookie who will need development time in Javon Solomon. The interior line boasts 2 solid starters in DaQuan Jones, an underrated space eater, and Ed Oliver, who broke out with an unrecognized Pro Bowl-caliber year in 2023. Austin Johnson, a free agent pickup, is a veteran backup who will be able to rotate in with little drop in production. Last but not least is Dawuane Smoot, another vet free agent signee who can play inside or on the edge and has the type of versatility the coaches love.

Linebackers

LB Dorian Williams, starter by default

The loss of All Pro Matt Milano due to injury again from this unit really stings. Hopefully he is able to return late in the season to help down the stretch run. In the meantime second year player Dorian Williams will have to man that spot. He is a hard hitting tackling machine, but needs a lot of work on his coverage skills if he is to hold down the starting position. The other backer is reliable Terrel Bernard. He emerged as the leader of the defense last season and is on the road, if he continues to develop, to All Pro status himself. As for backups, Baylon Spector is back but due to recurring injuries has never been able to garner much playing time on defense, but is a special teams contributor. The same goes for newcomer Nick Morrow, signed as a free agent with a reputation for top special teams play. Rookie Edefuan Ulofoshio lacks experience but has the skill to overtake Williams over time if he can develop properly. The last reserve LB is the hometown storybook hero, Joe Andreessen. He came out of nowhere (Lancaster, NY and the University of Buffalo actually) to win a job on the 53 man roster. Expect him to be used mainly on special teams as he learns.

Defensive Backs

Solid veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas

Most of the veteran departures on defense this year happened in the secondary. Coach McDermott and DC Babich will have to figure out which players will be the best fits to get the unit to improve as the year goes on. The starting cornerback jobs should be in decent shape. Taron Johnson, a Pro Bowl slot corner, leads the way as he allows the team to play a nickel defense as their regular unit with both stellar coverage skills and solid tackling ability. Christian Benford is slowly growing into a young dependable outside corner, while veteran ballhawk Rasul Douglas mans the other side. Douglas was a big play machine after being acquired in-season in 2023. The opening day starting safeties are unknown at this point. Just like they did with Bernard last season, one of the players who missed all of the preseason with injury could suddenly wind up in the starting lineup. It appears that Taylor Rapp, an important backup last year, will be promoted to one starting spot but the other is wide open. Veteran Mike Edwards was signed for that role but nagging injuries have kept him on the sideline. Damar Hamlin manned that spot in the preseason and might start also. The plan is likely to have rookie draft pick Cole Bishop eventually grow into the job, but he also has been hit by the injury bug. Versatility and the ability to play basically every position in the secondary has kept Cam Lewis on the squad, and he is now a valuable member of the defense, along with being a contributor to special teams. Another UB product who fought his way from last year’s practice squad to the regular roster is Ja’Marcus Ingram. He and Kaiir Elam are the other CB reserves. Elam has not been able to overtake Benford despite being a higher draft pick in the same year, but he is a solid backup. One other player listed on the roster as a cornerback is Brandon Codrington, but he is solely going to be used to return kicks.

Special Teams

PK Tyler Bass will be under the microscope

Special teams was somewhat of a disaster in 2023 for the Bills. They allowed a punt return for a touchdown in overtime to lose the opening game, had 12 men on the field on a missed field goal attempt that led to a home loss to Denver, and blew a chance to tie the divisional playoff game when Tyler Bass missed a makeable field goal. Long snapper Reid Ferguson is the only member of the specialty teams that has been consistent. Tyler Bass is no longer “Bass-o-matic” and if he doesn’t recover his previous skill level he may not survive the season. Punter Sam Martin has also been wildly inconsistent. The club is still looking for answers for a reliable and somewhat dynamic presence in the return game. Codrington, grabbed in a late trade with the Jets, is the latest to audition for the job. Holding auditions for any job with the regular season already beginning isn’t exactly the best way to go, but give the Bills credit for constantly trying to improve no matter when it is.

Here’s your annual song to get psyched up for the upcoming season, the Bills’ Shout song:

Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane did some maneuvering during the 2024 NFL draft, trading down twice, to improve the team’s positioning in later rounds. He eventually traded completely out of the first round, but was able to add some intriguing players at needed positions. Here’s the list of players chosen:

Round 2A – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State – a pair of trades took the Bills out of the first round, but with the first pick of round 2 they landed a 6’4 athletic freak to their receiver room. Reportedly a favorite of QB Josh Allen, he has a basketball background and the potential to grow into the # 1 receiver role previously manned by Stefon Diggs.

Round 2B – Cole Bishop, Safety, Utah – with both 2023 starting safeties gone, Beane picks a physical player who is versatile and plays with an edge. Although some analysts pigeon-holed him as strictly a “box safety”, Bishop has shown coverage ability also. He should be given every chance to crack the starting lineup this season.

Round 3 – DeWayne Carter, DT, Duke – Beane’s maneuvers got Buffalo back into the third round after they had previously traded away their pick, and they added to their defensive line rotation depth with Carter, who figures to be Ed Oliver’s backup on the interior line.

Round 4 – Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky – Buffalo’s running back room being a little thin, adding one in the draft was a necessity, but most figured it would be a big, physical, short yardage power back. Davis isn’t big, but at 5’8 and 211 pounds he is plenty physical enough, and also versatile. He’s a terrific receiver, and even led the Wildcats in receiving touchdowns. He might be a perfect complement to James Cook.

Round 5A – Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C, Georgia – previous starting center Mitch Morse was released as a salary cap casualty, and although there is a plan in place to shift guard Connor McGovern over to center, this was a wise pick as a young replacement will be needed eventually. He was a three year starter for a national championship college program from the SEC, and even has experience blocking for current Bills’ RB James Cook.

Round 5B – Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington – linebacker depth is another need for the team, and this prospect has plenty of experience as a 6 year player at a program that reached the national title game last season. He should also help add to the special teams, where some key past contributors have departed.

Round 5C – Javon Solomon, Edge, Troy – an undersized raw prospect, but his production, 16 sacks last season, can’t be denied. He’ll be able to learn under the mentorship of veteran Von Miller as his career winds down, and hopefully develop into a future major pass rush contributor.

Round 6A – Tylan Grable, OT, Central Florida – he started at left tackle for UCF, so he has experience, but this may be a development project for the future, as he faces stiff competition from veterans in the O line group. Grable looks like he might be destined for the practice squad to begin his career.

Round 6B – Daequan Hardy, CB, Penn State – he’s undersized and his future is probably as a slot corner, where the Bills currently have one of the NFL’s best in Taron Johnson, but even as a late round pick he has the ability to stick around the league, similar to previous Bill’s late round draftee Dane Jackson. His punt return ability is why he stands a good chance of making the 53 man roster in 2024.

Round 7 – Travis Clayton, OG, International Pathway Program – much like their previous signing of RB Christian Wade a few years back, the Bills take a flyer on a rugby player from England who is extremely athletic for a man his size. He ran a 4.8 40 yard dash at the combine, the fastest time in a decade for a line prospect. The pathway program allows the Bills an extra (17th) player on their practice squad, and that has to be the eventual landing spot for this guy, who has never played a down of American football.

GM Beane wasted no time in lining up undrafted free agents after the three day extravaganza in Detroit ended. Some interesting players added are RB Frank Gore Jr. , whose father had a short stint with the Bills, a couple receivers in Xavier Johnson of Ohio State and Lawrence Keys of Tulane, and an offensive lineman with an appropriate name, Keaton Bills of Utah. They also signed punter Jack Browning of San Diego State, the same school that former draftee Matt Araiza attended.

It’s time once again for the NFL draft, and with our 4 man analyst team already having predicted how the first round will go, we turn our attention to the draft roster building predictions of the local heroes, the Buffalo Bills. GM Brandon Beane is faced with the difficult task of replenishing the team after suffering significant losses due to salary cap constraints. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that despite having 10 picks in the draft, 8 of them are day 3 picks in rounds 4-7. An expected compensatory third rounder was inexplicably lowered to the fourth round also. Here are the Rayonsports team’s predictions:

Round 1, pick # 28

Connor Pohlman – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas – the Bills decide that speed is the most important quality they need in their new receiver and pick the player who set the new 40 yard standard at the combine.

Bobby Salami III – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas – Bills fill their glaring need for wide receiver help with a clutch performer known for big plays in big moments.

Scott Prelewicz – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU – probably the best WR prospect after the “big 3” (Harrison Jr., Odunze and Nabers), he is a favorite of the team’s fan base and would be a great weapon for Josh Allen.

Ray Prelewicz – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas – see above.

Round 2, pick # 60

Connor Pohlman – Tyler Nubin, Safety, Minnesota – the best safety available in a weak class, but Nubin is a future starter, and a potential impact player where the Bills need depth.

Bobby Salami III – Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington – BS III has the Bills doubling up on their receiver additions by taking the Huskies’ second best pass catcher, behind top prospect Rome Odunze.

Scott Prelewicz – Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina – like BS III, Scott likes the option of doubling up on receiver help with this high ceiling player.

Ray Prelewicz – Tyler Nubin, Safety, Minnesota – see above.

Round 4A, pick # 128

Connor Pohlman – Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame – the Bills fill a glaring need for a bigger, short yardage power back.

Bobby Salami III – T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas – Bills’ run stuffers on the current roster are aging veterans, so an infusion of youth (and massive size) is a good option.

Scott Prelewicz – Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Safety, Texas Tech – durable safety who led his team in interceptions the last 3 seasons.

Ray Prelewicz – Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA – a polished, versatile and athletic pass rusher who analysts have wildly different ratings about.

Round 4B, pick # 133

Connor Pohlman – Jalyx Hunt, Edge, Houston Baptist – a diamond-in-the-rough pass rusher from a small school is the pick here. GM Brandon Beane does like his dark horse unknown players.

Bobby Salami III – Malik Mustapha, Safety, Wake Forest – safety is a position of need for the Bills and a mid-round player with experience against ACC competition is a solid choice.

Scott Prelewicz – Mohamed Kamara, Edge, Colorado State – another pass rush prospect with a high ceiling that is a solid pick in round 4.

Ray Prelewicz – Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU – an undersized interior defensive lineman who will be a bit of a project but should be an adequate depth piece.

Round 5A, pick 144

Connor Pohlman – Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State – a huge receiver built more like a tight end, he is a big target in the red zone and on 50/50 balls who should help Allen.

Bobby Salami III – Jonah Elliss, Edge, Utah – a high motor edge rusher with a big upside who will need some development at the next level.

Scott Prelewicz – Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, Louisville – a bit of an undersized cornerback, he will likely transition to a strictly slot corner at the next level. Good player to develop behind Taron Johnson.

Ray Prelewicz – Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State – see above.

Round 5B, pick 160

Connor Pohlman – Kalen King, CB, Penn State – another CB prospect. He lacks big time speed but has excellent instincts and excels in both man and zone coverage.

Bobby Salami III – Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville – another power back option for Beane to consider. He has moved up draft boards recently.

Scott Prelewicz – Christian Jones, OT, Texas – very experienced offensive lineman who has desirable measurables. GM Beane likes to dabble in late round offensive line prospects.

Ray Prelewicz – Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville – see above.

Round 5C, pick # 163

Connor Pohlman – James Williams, Safety, Miami (Fl) – a high end prospect who has dropped into the later rounds, mostly because he’s built like a linebacker.

Bobby Salami III – M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh – led the Panthers in interceptions, and is a similar prospect to former Bill Dane Jackson.

Scott Prelewicz – Will Shipley, RB, Clemson – not the power back type most analysts see the Bills going after, but an intriguing option as a receiving threat out of the backfield. Could even be an option as a slot receiver.

Ray Prelewicz – Josh Newton, CB, TCU – a tough competitor who lacks speed but makes up for it with football intelligence.

Round 6A, pick 200

Connor Pohlman – Hunter Nourzad, IOL, Penn State – a versatile offensive lineman who can play all spots, he would be considered firstly as a candidate to play center, where the Bills can use some depth.

Bobby Salami III – Caeden Wallace, OT, Penn State – as a fifth year senior he is an experienced player who played almost exclusively at right tackle for the Nittany Lions.

Scott Prelewicz – Justin Eboigbe, DT, Alabama – strong interior defensive lineman with a high motor who is technically sound and has a good chance to thrive at the next level.

Ray Prelewicz – Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa – another of GM Beane’s favorites – a late round small school prospect with lots of upside.

Round 6B, pick 204

Connor Pohlman – M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh – see above.

Bobby Salami III – Erick All, TE, Iowa – tight end is not a position of need for Buffalo but with a late round pick a tight end from Iowa is a really good gamble.

Scott Prelewicz – James Williams, Safety, Miami (Fl) – see above.

Ray Prelewicz – Kitan Oladapo, Safety, Oregon State – his strength is position versatility, which the Bills covet. He can play safety or any of the cornerback spots.

Round 7, pick 248

Connor Pohlman – Fabien Lovett, DT, Florida State – a strong run stuffer with the ability to fight off one on one blocks. Another high motor prospect.

Bobby Salami III – Gabriel Murphy, Edge, UCLA – see above.

Scott Prelewicz – Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri State – a late blooming prospect who shined at the Senior Bowl and the combine who is an interesting player from a small school.

Ray Prelewicz – Dylan McMahon, IOL, North Carolina State -a college center who is somewhat on the small side, he had great numbers at the combine, and could be an NFL caliber player if he bulks up.

The NFL’s annual college player draft is right around the corner, and once again our team of crack analysts at Rayonsports.com, Connor Pohlman, Robert Salami III, Scott Prelewicz and Ray Prelewicz are here to predict the entire 32 pick first round, scheduled for Thursday, April 25th. No trades are allowed, other than the ones already consummated. Here are the Rayonsports team’s choices:

1. Chicago Bears – from Carolina (Connor Pohlman) – Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2. Washington Commanders (Robert Salami III) – Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
3. New England Patriots (Scott Prelewicz) – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
4. Arizona Cardinals (Ray Prelewicz) – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
5. Los Angeles Chargers (CP) – Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
6. New York Giants (RS III) – Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
7. Tennessee Titans (SP) – Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
8. Atlanta Falcons (RP) – Dallas Turner, Edge, Alabama
9. Chicago Bears (CP) -Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
10. New York Jets (RS III) – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
11. Minnesota Vikings (SP) – Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
12. Denver Broncos (RP) – Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
13. Las Vegas Raiders (CP) – JC Latham, OT, Alabama
14. New Orleans Saints (RS III) – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
15. Indianapolis Colts (SP) – Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
16. Seattle Seahawks (RP) – Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (CP) – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
18. Cincinnati Bengals (RS III) – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
19. Los Angeles Rams (SP) – Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (RP) – Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
21. Miami Dolphins (CP) – Byron Murphy, DT, Texas
22. Philadelphia Eagles (RS III) – Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
23. Minnesota Vikings – from Cleve via Houston (SP) – Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
24. Dallas Cowboys (RP) – Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
25. Green Bay Packers (CP) – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RS III) – Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State
27. Arizona Cardinals – from Houston (SP) – Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
28. Buffalo Bills (RP) – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
29. Detroit Lions (CP) – Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
30. Baltimore Ravens (RS III) – Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
31. San Francisco 49ers (SP) – Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
32. Kansas City Chiefs (RP) – Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Alabama is the leading school for first rounders in our mock draft with 4, followed by Washington, Texas and LSU with 3 each. There are 3 “Juniors” in the draft, and I don’t mean underclassmen.

Coming soon, our expert panel drops their predictions on a seven round mock draft for the local club, the Buffalo Bills.

Part 4 of our annual Bills’ season review is always my favorite. It’s where I get to play pretend general manager, and give my thoughts on how the team can improve going into the following season. I’ll take into account that Brandon Beane can’t afford any high-priced free agents and will have to work some salary cap magic again, but try to best fill the team’s needs using both free agency and the draft. The positions listed are where I think they need help.

Let’s get on with this yearly exercise:

Running Back

James Cook is established as the Bills’ top back, and they would be wise to re-sign Ty Johnson to back him up, but there is still a need for another runner, preferably a bigger, hard-running short yardage back. The running back market has been undervalued recently, but even so, the prize runner in this year’s class is Derrick Henry. He is not in Buffalo’s price range, and there aren’t any bigger backs in the free agent bargain bin, so the draft, probably in the later rounds, is where the team will have to find the type they want. Braelon Allen of Wisconsin is a mid-round prospect who fits the bill. at 6’2 and 235 lbs. he has the size, and his draft profile describes him as a “violent” runner. He played safety in high school so he isn’t afraid of contact for sure. Another power back slated to be drafted late day 2 or early day 3 is Ohio State’s Miyan Williams. He’s tough to bring down, but his draft profile also claims he has “subtle shiftiness”.

Wide Receiver

This is the biggest offensive area of need for GM Beane to address this offseason. He brought in a couple of bargain FAs last year in Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty, but they’ll need to upgrade from them going into next season. There are some big name free agents hitting the market – Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Tyler Boyd – I don’t see any of them signing here. A couple of lower cost possibilities are Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Darnell Mooney, but in my opinion they would be better off trying to re-sign one of their own, Gabe Davis. He has been inconsistent but at least he’s a known commodity that Josh Allen has familiarity and has had success with. The Bills pick 28th in the first round of the college draft and most observers see them using that pick, and probably another on day 2, on adding to the receiver corps. Two intriguing names fall into that range on various “mock drafts”. Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is a big wideout at 6’4 and 205 lbs. who is a mismatch for smaller cornerbacks. He has tremendous speed, a great catch radius and is a big play threat on long throws. The other name is Oregon’s Troy Franklin. He has good size at 6’2 and may be the fastest player in this draft. He excels on double moves and is definitely a deep threat, who also possesses great hands. Looking at day 2 of the draft, where the Bills have pick 60 and a compensatory pick that figures to be 99 or 100, there are some other receivers who project to be solid pros. Texas’ Xavier Worthy is a natural playmaker who also has elite speed, and a knack for setting up defenders, and can play both outside and in the slot. Johnny Wilson from Florida State is an interesting player. He is massive for a wideout at 6’7 and 240 lbs., which is basically tight end size. Of course that gives him a wide wingspan and great catch radius who high-points the ball exceptionally well. His long strides make him a deep threat also, with running back yards after the catch ability. There are other names to watch in this range, including Jalen McMillan of Washington, Louisville’s Jamari Thrash, Malachi Corley of Western Kentucky, Michigan’s Roman Wilson and Luke McCaffrey from Rice, who has great NFL bloodlines.

Defensive Tackle

With Ed Oliver being the only interior defensive lineman signed for 2024, Buffalo will have to add players at that spot. Again, one of their own – DaQuan Jones – should be a top priority to get re-signed. After big-ticket players like Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins, the free agent pickings are slim. With glaring needs at other positions it’s unlikely the Bills would use a high draft choice on the D-line, but if a prospect like Texas nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat fell to them in the second round, they would have to consider it. At 6’4 and 346 lbs. he is a massive space eater who would immediately upgrade the run defense. They will more than likely target later round players like Tyler Davis of Clemson, Jordan Jefferson from LSU and North Carolina’s Myles Murphy.

Safety

With both Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer starting to age out (Hyde is also a free agent) and Taylor Rapp hitting free agency, safety is another hot spot for Buffalo. Like running back, the safety position was undervalued in last year’s free agency period. If that happens again, Beane should look at 3 top players on the market. They are Antoine Winfield Jr., whose father played for the Bills, Jeremy Chinn of the Panthers and New England’s Kyle Dugger. All 3 figure to be coveted but if their asking price is within the Bills’ cap range they should be aggressive. In the draft, the Bills could easily use a high day 2 pick on a safety, maybe even their first rounder if the receiver group dries up. Players worth picking in the second round are USC’s Calen Bullock and Utah’s Cole Bishop. Bullock has good size and leaping ability, and is perfectly capable of covering speedy wide receivers. Like Bullock, Bishop has good size, is athletic and has the ball skills to create turnovers. He’s also a willing tackler in run support.

Cornerback

There aren’t any corners worth paying on the free agent market, so the Bills may look to add depth here in the later rounds of the draft. They’re not totally lacking in talent at CB but Tre White’s injury uncertainty and the fact that Dane Jackson is a free agent means some bodies will need to be added to the training camp roster. In the third day rounds, some possibilities include Cam Hart of Notre Dame, Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett, Elijah Jones of Boston College, and an interesting name, Louisville’s Storm Duck.

Special Teams

I lumped this all into a single category since I think the Bills should add competition at punter, placekicker and kickoff/punt returner. There’s always the possibility they bring back former draft choice Matt Araiza to compete for the punting job, now that he is clear of any criminal charges. Any other punter or kicker brought into camp will be an unknown undrafted guy so we won’t bother naming players. As for return specialists, Texas WR Worthy adds punt return ability to his resume, as does Texas A&M’s Ainias Smith. Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy returned 17 punts for an almost 15 yard average, with 2 touchdowns.

Part 3 of our annual Buffalo Bills’ season review deals with the defense. Coach Sean McDermott made a major change here in 2023. Former coordinator Leslie Frazier was eased out, and McDermott took over calling the defense on game days. The regular season results of that move were positive. The Bills maintained a high ranking, but at the same time finished second behind the Ravens in sacks and ranked high in turnovers produced, producing more “splash plays” that McDermott desired. However, in the playoff loss to the Chiefs, the unit was once again gashed, in many ways due to a rash of injuries, especially at linebacker.

Here is a position-by-position look at the defense and special teams:

Defensive Line

Defensive line play was spotty, but mostly adequate, in 2023. On the interior, Ed Oliver signed a new contract and showed that he deserved it with All Pro-caliber play all year. With almost no players signed beyond this season, this is another area that might require an infusion of youth through the draft. A priority should be put on trying to re-sign Oliver’s running mate, DaQuan Jones. He’s a valuable run stuffer whose presence is sorely missed when he’s not on the field. All of the other spare tackles – Tim Settle, Poona Ford, Linval Joseph, Jordan Phillips and practice squad player Eli Ankou – are replaceable. On the outside edges, the team has to live with Von Miller’s contract, so they can only hope he returns to some semblance of his former self in 2024. At his advanced age that might be a big ask. Greg Rousseau is a solid edge rusher who also is good against the run. The club would be wise to try to re-sign A.J. Epenesa, who flashed in a limited role at end. One of Beane’s free agent one year gems, Leonard Floyd, led the team in sacks and might price himself off the Bills’ roster next season. Like his running mate Phillips, Shaq Lawson has probably worn out his welcome, and would only be brought back as a depth piece at a minimum contract. The coaching staff seems to like the future possibilities of Kingsley Jonathan, so he could move into a more prominent role next season.

Linebackers

This group was a MASH unit at season’s end in 2023. They were heavily victimized by Pat Mahomes in their season-ending playoff loss. However, the pairing of Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard bodes well for the 2024 season. Milano is an All Pro and Bernard is trending in that direction after a stellar campaign this year. An unknown to start the year, he took on the “green dot” role of calling the defense and excelled at it. As for backups, having to step into major spots this year will help players like Tyrel Dodson, Baylon Spector and Dorian Williams next year. Old friend A.J. Klein will likely be sent back out on vacation in 2024, and Tyler Matakevich is strictly a special teams player. His role could easily be transitioned to another player like Spector or Williams if the team needs to free up a roster spot for another position.

Defensive Backs

Suddenly, the back end of the Bills’ defense is growing old. Starting cornerback Tre’Davious White will be entering his 8th season next year, and he has become injury-prone. The Bills would be smart not to count on him returning, at least not at the beginning of the year. The safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer has served the team well since 2017, but their partnership may be coming to an end as both are well into their 30s. Dane Jackson, like Levi Wallace before him, has been a serviceable corner for years. He is a free agent and like Wallace, may be allowed to walk. With Hyde and Poyer aging out, it would behoove Beane to try to bring Taylor Rapp back again. Even without White, the Bills have 2 adequate starting corners for 2024 in Christian Benford and trade deadline add Rasul Douglas, who is a ballhawk. In reserve there is still Kaiir Elam, who has struggled but still has plenty of potential to revive his career next season. The Bills have an All Pro at slot corner in Taron Johnson, an invaluable member of their defense. Cam Lewis has established himself as a versatile piece. He can play safety or nickel corner, and is a core special teamer. In my opinion the team may be underutilizing Siran Neal. A vet who can play both safety and CB and is a top gunner on special teams, he should see more time on defense, especially when injuries happen. With possible openings at safety next year, can Damar Hamlin make a push to get into the lineup?

Special Teams

The Bills’ special teams were not special in 2023. Deonte Harty’s punt return touchdown that changed the momentum of the division-clinching win over Miami was the highlight.

Lowlights:

• Allowing a game winning punt return TD against the Jets on opening night
• 12 men on the field vs. Denver
• Blocked field goal in wild card game that resulted in the punter getting hurt
• Missed field goal to end the divisional playoff game

Placekicker Tyler Bass had an alarmingly mediocre season in 2023. At the very least, the team has to bring in competition for him next season. No free pass to the roster as he’s had so far in his career. Punter Sam Martin was equally inconsistent, bad to start the year, then hit a very strong stretch late, only to fail in the playoff loss coming off a hamstring injury. Competition for him would be a smart move also. Long snapper Reid Ferguson is a keeper. I can’t recall any bad snaps for him in his career here. Buffalo could look to add some zip to their return game next year. Harty gave them one amazing and very important lift in the season ender, but overall the return game was below par. Maybe the return of Nyheim Hines will help, but a late round flyer on a speedy return guy might be an option.

The offense is the focus of part 2 of our annual Bills’ season review.  The change of coordinators from Ken Dorsey to Joe Brady produced positive results for the most part, the biggest being an improvement in the run game. If Brady is retained as OC, it’ll be interesting to see what ideas he adds to the attack as he takes full control, rather than just tweaking the team’s existing playbook . Here’s a position-by-position look at the offense:

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen is the unquestioned leader of this team. His teammates all claim they would do anything for him and support him 100% even when he comes up short occasionally. He should spend the offseason continuing to find ways to cut down on costly turnovers, while still maintaining his swashbuckling style of play. Kyle Allen’s role as backup QB mainly consisted of taking kneel downs at the end of games and being Josh Allen’s buddy. Will practice squad quarterback Shane Buechele get a fair shot at taking that spot in 2024?

Running Backs

After Brady assumed the OC duties, it became apparent that James Cook is now the Bills’ bell cow running back. He is an elusive runner who also seems to have an even bigger upside if he can add some longer chunk plays to his arsenal and improve his pass catching ability. Damien Harris was signed to a one year deal but injuries derailed him and his contributions were minimal. Latavious Murray added some leadership to the squad, but I don’t see him back next year. The best of the backup backs was easily Ty Johnson, a waiver wire pickup who should figure in their plans for 2024, should he be re-signed. This is a spot where a young, hard running short yardage back, preferably found in the late rounds of the draft, would be a good addition. 2022 trade acquisition Nyheim Hines, who excelled as a kick returner, should be back in 2024 also. Fullback Reggie Gilliam is a solid special teams guy and blocker, so he is almost sure to be back.

Receivers

This is an area of glaring need going into the offseason for the Bills. Their top receiver, Stefon Diggs, saw his production drop off dramatically the second half of the season. “Big Play” Gabe Davis was very inconsistent, wavering from 100 yard games to no catch games. He is also a pending free agent, and it seems unlikely the Bills will re-sign him. One positive was the emergence of Khalil Shakir, who thrived when Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator. Free agent additions Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty contributed very little outside of the AFC East-clinching win over Miami. Sherfield won’t be back and Harty will surely face stiff competition, most likely from the draft, next year. Out of desperation, Andy Isabella was elevated from the practice squad late in the year, but didn’t provide any help in the passing attack. An unknown is Justin Shorter, like Shakir a fifth round draft pick who spent the entire 2023 season on injured reserve. Wide receiver may be lacking, but the Bills are set at the tight end position. Dawson Knox is a reliable target who always seems to make his biggest plays in the playoffs, while rookie first round pick Dalton Kincaid is a superstar on the rise. Comparisons to the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce have already started for him. An unsung but valuable third tight end is Quinton Morris, a former undrafted player who has battled his way into a contributing role each year he’s been here.

Offensive Line

Once a question mark, the offensive line was a stable bright spot for Buffalo in 2023. Anchored by veteran Mitch Morse at center, the group stayed intact as a starting 5 all season. GM Beane added 2 new guards to reinforce the interior line – free agent signee Connor McGovern from Dallas and rookie second round draftee O’Cyrus Torrence, who looks like a second day steal. Left tackle Dion Dawkins had a Pro Bowl level season, and much-maligned right tackle Spencer Brown quietly locked in at his position and played well. Buffalo also has a bevy of capable backups who were hardly used in 2023. They are versatile Ryan Bates, who can play every position on the line, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark, Alec Anderson, another undrafted gem who is being groomed to man all spots like Bates, and David Edwards. Edwards will be a free agent and it’s up in the air whether he’ll return or not. He did play a valuable role this past season as the extra “eligible” lineman on running downs. That role was previously played by Tommy Doyle, who will be back after spending the year on IR.

The Buffalo Bills’ 2023 season once again ended in disappointment, as the team lost in the playoffs to Kansas City for the third time in four years. So it’s time for our annual four-part Bills’ season review, where we dissect what happened and peer into the future with suggestions as to how to improve the product and finally reach the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl title. As always, Part 1 of the review deals with the front office and coaching staff.

General manager Brandon Beane’s draft choices have sometimes been questioned, but he was somewhat vindicated this year. Rookies Dalton Kincaid and O’Cyrus Torrence were immediate starters and huge contributors, and a couple of past picks, Ed Oliver and Terrel Bernard, blossomed into Pro Bowl-caliber players. His annual plan of signing low-cost free agents produced Leonard Floyd, who led the team in sacks. Beane also added veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas at the trade deadline, and he was a major addition to a defense hampered by injuries.

As for the coaching staff, head coach Sean McDermott faced a mid-season controversy when some ill-advised comments he made about 9/11 years ago surfaced. He not only survived but the team rallied around him and fought back to reclaim the AFC East title. He also did an admirable job coordinating the defense, especially when the unit was depleted due to injuries. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was replaced mid-season also, but his replacement, Joe Brady, revived that side of the ball. Special teams coach Matt Smiley’s units were a liability much of the season, and he may be the next assistant shown the door.

I expect the Bills will promote Brady to the OC job permanently, removing his interim tag, and it would be wise to take a burden from McDermott by naming a full time defensive coordinator also.