A little over a week removed from their playoff exit, the Buffalo Bills must take a long look in the mirror, and at the roster, as the offseason kicks into gear here in a few weeks.
The Bills are in a tough spot, salary cap-wise, and face some major needs if they are to get past teams like the Chiefs and Bengals next season.
Some players simply need to go. Others could end up in another uniform just due to financial circumstances.
Nonetheless, the Bills may end up having to replace five key players this offseason.
Buffalo Bills free agents who might need a replacement: Jamison Crowder, WR
One position that needs to be completely overhauled this offseason is at wide receiver, and specifically in the slot. While Cole Beasley might desire to come back, the Bills should quite frankly allow he and Jamison Crowder to leave.
Buffalo needs more explosiveness out of their offense at the receiver position, and finding a talented, young slot receiver would help this offense immensely.
Possible replacements
One of the best possible replacements for Crowder would be Trey Palmer out of Nebraska, who is likely to go in the second or third round of this year’s draft. Palmer is 6-foot-1, weighs 190 pounds and brings the elite speed and explosiveness this offense is looking for.
Another possible replacement is veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster, who will be a free agent. He’s played in the slot and possesses great size and feel for that position.
Buffalo Bills free agents who might need a replacement: Rodger Saffold, G
It is safe to say that the Bills should move on from starting guard Rodger Saffold, who will soon be 35 years old. Last season, he was one of the weakest links up front for Buffalo and a big reason why this line struggled as a whole.
Saffold was atrocious in run blocking, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of just 43.1. He wasn’t much better in pass protection, either, though. Saffold allowed two sacks, but 36 total pressures. He also committed 10 penalties.
Possible replacements
If the Bills wanted to spend high on an interior offensive lineman in the draft, they could look at second or third-round graded prospect John Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota. The 6-foot-4 center could easily make the switch to guard, or stay at center should the Bills opt to cut ties with Mitch Morse. Regardless, he’d be well-worth the high capital.
A free agent replacement, and at very little cost, could end up being Trai Turner. The soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran is still an above average starter and figures to be a middle-of-the-road type of signing for his next team.
Buffalo Bills free agents who might need a replacement: Case Keenum, QB
Case Keenum remains one of the better backup quarterbacks in football, but he made $6 million last season. With the Bills currently projected to start the offseason over the cap, they may not be able to bring him back at a similar type of annual value.
Keenum gives the Bills the ultimate insurance, should Josh Allen ever go down with an injury. But, because of the money, he might not be back.
Possible replacements
An intriguing replacement in this year’s draft would be UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who figures to go in the later rounds; think sixth or seventh. He possesses a big arm and also the threat of using his legs. He’s a developmental guy, but getting someone who can be a dual-threat like Allen is a tantalizing possibility.
Mason Rudolph, Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton, Mike White, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert and Nick Mullens headline several veteran options the Bills could choose if they wanted to go that route.
Buffalo Bills free agents who might need a replacement: Tremaine Edmunds, LB
This one would hurt. Tremaine Edmunds is one of the better, young inside linebackers in all of football. He’s finished with 100-plus tackles in every season with the Bills thus far, and is as solid of a player on that defense. Replacing him would be difficult, but if he gets market value in free agency, he might not be back.
Possible replacements
An excellent draft prospect to replace Edmunds would be that of Iowa’s Jack Campbell. He’s a tough, old-school type of inside linebacker. Campbell is a tackling machine, much like Edmunds was in college. He’ll likely go anywhere on Day 2, or very early Day 3, depending largely on how he does at the Combine or his Pro Day.
Depending on whether or not he’d take a cheaper deal in order to win, veteran and longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David is an enticing option for the Bills. He’s about as consistent as you’d like from the linebacker position over his 11 seasons in the league.
Other free agents include: Denzel Perryman, Devin Bush, Deion Jones, and Corey Littleton. There are several inside linebackers hitting free agency this year, so the Bills won’t be short on options.
Buffalo Bills free agents who might need a replacement: Jordan Poyer, S
The biggest Buffalo free agent of them all is by far and away safety Jordan Poyer. One of the team’s true leaders, Poyer played all of last season through a meniscus injury. Still, he was effective and the Bills won nearly every single game he started. That’s a true impact.
Ideally, the Bills would be able to restructure some of their current deals towards the top of their salary cap in order to bring Poyer back. This defense is just a different beast with Poyer on the field, and it would hurt to see him go.
Possible replacements
If the Bills truly had to replace Poyer, then they might as well go big. Jammie Robinson out of Florida State could end up being the most complete safety in this year’s draft class and is a sure fire second rounder. He’s as good a tackler as you’ll find in this year’s secondary prospects and has lined up just about everywhere on defense.
There aren’t a ton of true free safeties in free agency this year, but if the Bills had to replace him that route, it would be either Adrian Amos or Jimmie Ward as their best options.