NFL analysts and Bills stars sound off on how the team should approach the offseason
With the Super Bowl this weekend and free agency just over a month away, the NFL offseason is rapidly approaching. For Buffalo, the offseason offers a unique challenge. As the Bills face a significant cap deficit, general manager Brandon Beane and his staff must find ways to be creative with contract restructures, target affordable but skilled players in free agency and, as Beane put it, “hit this draft.”
As the Bills prepare for what is sure to be a busy offseason, here is what some of the NFL’s top voices are saying about how Buffalo should prepare to bounce back in 2024.
Josh Allen | Pat McAfee Show: I owe a lot of my success to Stefon Diggs
The Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs connection has resulted in over 5,300 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns in the four seasons the two have spent with each other. Despite the media and fans often questioning their relationship, Allen had high praise for his friend and teammate on The Pat McAfee Show at the Super Bowl.
“We’re just trying to be the best teammates that we can be for each other. I owe a lot of my success in my career to him and I think he would feel the same way about me. But I love that guy like a brother, always will, and we’re going to do some big things next year.”
Dalton Kincaid | Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Joe Brady simplified the offense
In his first season in the NFL, rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid surpassed the expectations that come with being a first round pick. Kincaid accrued 73 receptions, setting franchise records for receptions by a tight end and a rookie.
Kincaid spoke to Matthew Berry at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas about the midseason change at offensive coordinator and how simplifying the offense helped the Bills get back on track after falling to 5-5 midway through the season.
“Joe’s message was just to do simple better. So I think really just simplifying our game plan and just going in with what we felt really confident in, I think that was the biggest thing. Everyone had an idea of what we were doing going into it.”
Dion Dawkins | 4th&1 with Cam Newton: We haven’t missed our peak
The Buffalo Bills have won at least one playoff game in each of the past four seasons but have yet to reach the Super Bowl. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, who was named a Pro Bowl starter this season, said that he is confident the Bills are still on the right path in achieving their ultimate goal.
“The longer it takes, the harder it’s going to be, but I don’t think that peak has closed yet. I think we have another shot, I think maybe we even have another two. When it comes down to it, we run behind #17 (Josh Allen) … you gotta pull that weight, whether you’re a young DB, a young LB, a rookie guard, a veteran offensive tackle.”
Scott Pioli | Good Morning Football: The Bills don’t need to make wholesale changes in order to remain in Super Bowl conversation
The Buffalo Bills have made the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs in each of the past four postseasons and have made the playoffs in all but one of the seven seasons Sean McDermott has spent as head coach. Despite failing to make the AFC Championship since the 2020 Playoffs, Scott Piolo believes that the fixes the Bills must make in the offseason are miniature compared to the work they have put in to get to this point: drafting one of the best quarterbacks in the league and building consistency under McDermott.
“The last couple years we’ve heard this narrative that starts out there, and truthfully, that they’re just one player away, they’re right there, they’re gonna do it. And what happens with narratives like that is that it doesn’t manage expectations. It doesn’t manage external expectations and it doesn’t manage internal expectations. They have the right players; they have the right quarterback and head coach. They need to infuse some players, don’t be overly impulsive over what just happened. … Not making excuses, the reality is they had some important players hurt, particularly on defense, and those things are real.”