It’s bad enough that the Buffalo Bills had to watch the New England Patriots make the Super Bowl in their first season under Mike Vrabel, but now the Patriots are set up to build their team even more considering that they are now championship contenders. In addition, the Pats are set to enter free agency with over $40 million to use to build up their team, per Over The Cap.
The Bills don’t have that kind of advantage, as they are in the negative and will need to make some moves to get above the salary cap. So, not only do the Bills have to make some roster moves just to get out of the negatives, but they might be forced to watch the Patriots add some solid talent, including an underrated tight end from the Baltimore Ravens.
Bills could watch pairing of Patriots-Isaiah Likely become reality
With the Ravens giving Mark Andrews a new three-year deal in December, the likelihood of Likely returning to Baltimore seems doubtful. While he’s not an off-the-chart dynamic playmaker, he is still solid tight end option.
Sayre Bedinger from NFL Spin Zone listed the Patriots as a potential landing spot in 2026, and it does make sense for the pairing to happen, but the Bills should be hoping that it doesn’t.
"Austin Hooper is set to hit free agency, Hunter Henry is entering the last year of his deal, and Likely would be a great fit for the offense. This seems like somewhat of a no-brainer." said Bedinger. It should also be noted that Likely is from Massachusetts.
As a fourth-round pick back in 2022, Likely has been a solid TE2 for the Ravens. He is averaging over 11 yards per reception in his career and up until this past season where he was recovering from an injury early on, Likely was improving every single season.
He is a tight end who can chip and then roll out as an overlooked weapon to help move the chains for a first down, or even a touchdown.
It would not be surprising to see the Patriots surround Drake Maye with a new-look offense that could help take yet another step forward in Year 3. The Bills’ defense is going under a new scheme under Jim Leonhard and while the potential to be better is there, it’s going to take some time before players start to get used to everything.
The only thing worse than not improving your team, is watching a bitter rival get even stronger. The Patriots are back in control of the AFC East right now, and the Bills are going to need to hope that they can bounce back and take the division right back.