The Buffalo Bills had over 24 players hitting free agency this offseason, so it’s no surprise that they are saying goodbye to a long list of them — plus some.
Sean McDermott hasn’t had much time to relax since being named the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He immediately began re-shaping the coaching staff, doing so perfectly. For the past few weeks, he has been puzzling together the missing holes on the roster through free agency.
Those holes were a result of having over 24 free agents on the roster before the free agency period began. While the Bills have brought back some of those free agents, a lot of them took their talents elsewhere. In addition to those, the Bills made a few roster cuts to free up some cap space.
I also included players that might’ve played a stint with the team last season, but won’t in 2017. That’s why the list comes out fairly large.
All in all, the Buffalo Bills have said goodbye to 35 players so far this offseason. That number could still increase before NFL teams begin making their initial roster cuts, but most of the big-name cuts and departures have already been made.
Since we already went through all the free agent signings made by the Buffalo Bills this offseason, it’s now time to go through the players that won’t return. Some of the departures made fans happy, some made them sad. Personally, I don’t think the Bills lost anyone that will be hard to replace.
Without further ado, let’s see who Buffalo Bills‘ fans have to say goodbye to this season. I have grouped them up by position.
Defensive Line
The Buffalo Bills will be saying goodbye to two defensive lineman.
Moving on to the linebackers that won’t return, there were four.
Linebackers
The Buffalo Bills will be saying goodbye to four linebackers from last season.
Let’s move on to the list of safeties that we won’t see in a Buffalo Bills‘ uniform next season.
Safeties
The Buffalo Bills will be saying goodbye to 8 safeties this season.
Next up are the cornerbacks that will play elsewhere next season.
Cornerbacks
The Buffalo Bills will be saying goodbye to three cornerbacks this season.
Now, let’s move on to the position that saw the most change this offseason — which is hard to believe considering it’s the position that was depleted the most heading into the offseason.
Wide Receivers
There are 6 receivers that are leaving this offseason.
Moving on to the offensive line, the Buffalo Bills only have two missing links this season. Luckily, those spots have been filled this offseason.
Offensive Line
Just two offensive lineman that will be leaving. I included Garrison Sanborn (long snapper) because he is also a center.
Moving on to a departure that will make many of you happy, the one quarterback leaving.
Quarterbacks
Just one quarterback will be leaving the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
Another position with just one departure — the running backs.
Running Backs
The Buffalo Bills will look very much the same on the ground next season if they can retain Mike Gillislee — which the deadline for is on April 21st.
Two fullbacks will not return next season. Let’s see who they are.
Fullbacks
One was a starter last season and the other only lasted one game.
The Bills’ tight ends saw a number of players leave this offseason.
Tight Ends
Luckily the team will still have Charles Clay and Nick O’Leary next season.
Another departure that will make fans quite happy, the kicker.
Special Teams
The Bills brought in Stephen Hauschka this offseason to replace a kicker that had been disappointing the past two seasons.
Next: What Does the Buffalo Bills' Depth Chart Look Like Right Now?
Which of these Buffalo Bills‘ players will you miss the most next season? Leave your thoughts below!