Buffalo Bills: The skill position problem isn’t solved just yet
The recent signings at tight end and wide receiver are a great start to the offseason for the Buffalo Bills. Yet there is still work to be done.
The recent signings of Tyler Kroft, Cole Beasley and John Brown are a great start to the offseason. They each add a skill set that were obviously missing for the Buffalo Bills in the pass game last season.
Kroft is an athletic option at the tight end position. I thought the contract was a bit rich, but based on wording, it looks like the Bills made it a team-friendly deal on the back end. He will offer Josh Allen a big target (6-foot-6) across the middle. I ultimately think he will be the No. 2 guy at the position.
Unlike Kroft, I expect Beasley and Brown will slide into starting roles.
Beasley will bring a presence to the slot that the Bills have been lacking for nearly a decade. He runs precise routes and has some of the best hands in the NFL. He projects to be the third-down converter in an offense that sorely needed one.
Brown, on the other hand, is tough to project. I have watched Brown closely since his days in Arizona and I think he is one of the most underutilized players in the league. He does a great job of creating separation by using speed and technique, but rarely has the QB looking his way. Depending on how the Bills use him, the money could be well spent.
This all leads to my point… None of these guys are considered a No. 1 guy at either the TE or WR position.
There is still work to be done and that must be done in the draft.
This draft is loaded with supremely talented players at both positions. Guys like WR-Hakeem Butler or TE-Noah Fant/T.J. Hockenson in round one would bring that No. 1 guy into the fold.
Bringing in veterans like Kroft, Brown, and Beasley will help Allen grow as a quarterback. Although, I feel the team must also bring in guys he can grow up with. Robert Foster had a great year but Zay Jones and Jason Croom can’t be counted on as those guys.
The Bills must go skill position in the first round. There is no such thing as too much talent at those positions.
Post-Combine full 2019 first-round mock draft. dark. Next
So, before Bills fans go all-in on the idea that the Bills should be set at the skill positions, go watch some highlight tapes of these rookie WRs and TEs. There is lots of talent available on rookie deals.