Will Bill’s Mafia Off-Season Moves Be Enough to Dethrone the Chiefs?
Buffalo, New York, is the new home for the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. Quarterback Josh Allen hurdled media scrutiny thrown at him throughout the offseason. The first time MVP led his team to another AFC East cakewalk, posting a 13-4 record with a trip to the AFC Championship. The Bills once again found themselves on the wrong end of a premier matchup in late January against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Allen versus Patrick Mahomes battle we once again witnessed finished 1-1 in the NFL calendar year, with the final word belonging to Mahomes. Allen dominated the Chiefs in Week 11 to solidify his MVP chances, but lost the heartbreaker to his kryptonite, Mahomes, again in the postseason.
The Bills exceeded everyone’s expectations in the NFL world, all but those who live in the city of Buffalo. One of the headlines during the offseason was the departure of star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs was traded to the Bills from the Vikings in 2020, which ultimately ended up placing Justin Jefferson in Minnesota. Diggs instantly provided a fire to the team’s offense, posting 445 receptions, 5,372 yards, and 37 touchdowns in his four years in Buffalo. The fallout between him and the team was issues regarding his personality. In both Minnesota and Buffalo, Diggs was sometimes portrayed as a “diva” receiver in the media and was seen live being visibly upset when not heavily involved in the offense. The decision led to the front office deciding to move in a different direction to help improve the noise revolving around the All-Pro receiver. Last year, his season began well with the Houston Texans, but was cut short with an ACL tear halfway through the season. However, he did find a new team, signing a three-year, $69 million contract with the New England Patriots on March 28th.
After the Diggs trade, the narrative around the team was the uphill climb Allen and the team needed to overcome to continue to be a Super Bowl contender. They also lost receiver Gabriel Davis in free agency, who was the second option in the passing game next to Diggs. The Bills would go on to draft rookie receiver Keon Coleman with the 33rd overall pick in last year’s draft. Coleman is a long, physical receiver with a huge catch radius but needs another year or two for development. He finished his rookie campaign with 29 catches, 556 yards, and four touchdowns. The emergence of Khalil Shakir was the story of the team. Shakir was able to establish the best chemistry amongst the pass catchers for Allen, leading the team in receptions and yards. Shakir was signed to a four-year deal worth $60 million, which is a huge payday for the third-year man. The Bills will look to continue to rely on a large cast of skill players on the offensive side, led by the MVP play caller.
Buffalo will head into this year’s draft with a need to focus on defense. In 2024, the defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in third-down conversion percentage, yards per rush, completion percentage, yards per pass and game, sacks, and interceptions. The pass rush improved during free agency after signing former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Joey Bosa. Bosa signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract on March 13th. One negative about the veteran edge rusher is his inability to consistently stay healthy. He’s only suited up for 28 games in his last three seasons. When on the field, Bosa is easily a double-digit sack guy. The Bills hope he can produce a healthy year to come in as a leader along the defensive line. The help for the defensive line shouldn’t stop with Bosa. NFL’s draft insider, Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft predicts the Bills will select Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the 30th pick. Former executive Mike Tannenbaum believes the Bills should focus on providing Allen with a true, number-one receiver. He predicts selecting Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka finished the year with 1,011 yards to go with 10 touchdowns while playing second fiddle to freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith. Egbuka possesses elite route running and secure hands and is ready to be a primary receiver for a needy team like the Bills. Whatever route Brandon Beane and the organization decide to take for every pick, they need to contribute instantly for the Bills to get over the Chiefs during this historic run by number 17.
