Getty Image / Perry Knotts
The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason in serious salary cap trouble. On Wednesday, they made a series of moves, capped off by the release of All-Pro corner Tre’Davious White, that could signal a change in priorities for the team.
With quarterback Josh Allen one of the best two or three quarterbacks in the league year-in, year-out, they had to choose whether to surround him with weapons or hoping he can carry a less-than-stacked offense. They may be choosing to surround him with weapons.
You may be thinking that the Buffalo Bills have a great supporting cast on offense around Josh Allen. But, I’d strenuously disagree. Even if Stefon Diggs returns to form after a disastrous back-half of the season, the wide receiver corps is not good. Gabe Davis never took the step forward many expected after his postseason heroics two seasons ago. Trent Sherfield didn’t produce this year, either. Khalil Shakir looks like he could be a solid role player, but not much more. Tight end is a strength, as rookie Dalton Kincaid looks to have a very bright future. But, as a unit, it’s not very good.
James Cook did emerge as a good running back in 2023, but the offensive line isn’t great (and will be worse after they also released center Mitch Morse on Wednesday). Too much of the Bills offense was hoping Josh Allen would make plays. That’s an unsustainable way to play in the long-term.
But, with the team $40 million+ over the salary cap heading into next season, and most of the sheddable big contracts on the defensive side, they had to choose whether to dismantle a defense that is very good when healthy. Safety Jordan Poyer was Ultimately, that’s what they’ve chosen to do, and I think that’s the right move.
Obviously, a lot of that money saved is going to be used to get under the cap. But, I hope this is a sign that they will invest what they can into the offense this offseason. That could be in free agency or the NFL Draft. My logic is that, if you give Josh Allen some really good weapons, he is the type of player who can win a lot of high-scoring games. Then, start to rebuild a younger defense starting next offseason, like the Kansas City Chiefs have done. That Chiefs defense has a lot of good young pieces right now, and that’s the kind of defense the Bills should be aiming to be in 2026 or 2027. In the meantime, an offense that gets better personnel around Josh Allen will get the team into the playoffs and could even make a Super Bowl run.
It’s not as if the defense won’t still have some good players, either. Von Miller, Ed Oliver, and Matt Milano are a good place to start, and Greg Rousseau is showing a lot of promise.
I thought that Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy would be a great addition for the Buffalo Bills, given his game-breaking speed. But, after he ran a blazing 4.22 40-yard-dash at last week’s NFL Combine, he may not last until the 25th pick. Still, it’s a deep receiver class, as well as a great offensive line class. It’s time for the Bills to go all-in on Josh Allen.