The Buffalo Bills were just forced to watch the New England Patriots take the field for the Super Bowl and it was a nightmare. Even though the Patriots got completely embarrassed by the Seahawks, just seeing the Patriots in the biggest game of the season shows a potential preview of what could be for the next decade.
There could very well be a true Buffalo vs. New England rivalry in the AFC East, featuring Josh Allen and Drake Maye. Up until this past season, the division belonged to the Bills but now the Patriots are going to be giving them a challenge for the foreseeable future.
One of the biggest differences between the current state of the Bills and Patriots is that New England has a lot more cap flexibility to keep building up their team. According to Over The Cap, the Patriots are sitting at $40 million in cap space while the Bills are still in the red at -$12.3 million.
Long story short, the Patriots have a better chance at making a huge splash more than the Bills do, and that should scare Bills fans.
Bills fans better hope that Patriots don't get stronger at wide receiver
With having a franchise quarterback in Maye, the Patriots could very well be looking to build around him more than they already have. With Maye going into this third season, now is the time for New England to go all-in before being forced to pay up big money for Maye.
Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report put together a list of players who could be quality trade candidates this offseason, and one of those players was Cowboys’ wide receiver George Pickens. While Dallas is expected to franchise tag Pickens, maybe there is a chance that Dallas does a tag-and-trade with Pickens, and Knox listed the Patriots as a potential suitor who could trade for Pickens.
Even though Knox mentioned that a team acquiring Pickens would include a long-term deal, New England getting a proven playmaker who just broke out in Dallas is a nightmare for the Bills.
When Josh Allen got Stefon Diggs in 2020, it was the one move that really pushed the Bills forward and helped them become instant contenders. Allen and Diggs were the best QB/WR duo in 2020 and it wasn’t close at all.Â
If you were to pair Maye with Pickens, it could be an easy repeat that the Bills had with Allen and Diggs. The development of what happens with Pickens will be interesting to watch, but the Bills better hope that he doesn’t end up in the AFC East.