If you can count on one thing with the Buffalo Bills, they are always looking for players that can be a great addition to their culture. Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are always looking for great culture fits. Even though those players may not always be the best in terms of talent. Nonetheless, even though the Bills have come up short in recent memory, no one can question Beane’s system as he has helped build a team that has 10+ wins every year since 2019.
Coming off a successful, yet disappointing end of 2024 season, the Bills are going to be reloading. As long as Josh Allen is in the building and playing at a high level, they will never be in a rebuild. However, they need to do something different because they find themselves getting eliminated by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs almost every single postseason since 2021.
Many people would love to see the breaking news notification that the Bills traded for a premier pass rusher, like Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. Having Allen on offense and Garrett on defense would feel like a dream. However, who knows how aggressive Beane will be when it comes to trade talk.
The Bills aren’t in a tough salary cap situation like last year, but they sure do have some issues that they will need to work. As the Bills head into free agency next month, Beane is going to be exploring all options that are available. There is one pending free agent that the Bills should not consider at all.
Mason Cameron from Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently posted an offseason dream scenario piece for every NFL team that involved a free-agent signing, as well as a draft prospect. Cameron’s best free agent prediction for the Bills was getting wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
The Bills and WR Diontae Johnson are not a great fit at all
"Although chaos followed Diontae Johnson in 2024, when he's locked in, he can ball. That could present a golden opportunity for the Bills, who traded for Amari Cooper at the deadline and will now watch him walk in free agency. Adding a quality receiver at a steep discount is Buffalo’s only avenue to add talent ahead of the draft. "Marcus Cameron, Pro Football Focus
From 2019-2023, Johnson was a solid receiving option for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he was never a superstar, he was a reliable player for the Steelers with 140+ targets in three of his five seasons there. He also managed to reach 1,000+ receiving yards in 2021 and was as Second-Team All-Pro in his rookie year.
Then Johnson was traded from Pittsburgh to the Carolina Panthers in the 2024 offseason and in just seven games, Johnson racked up 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The Panthers would then trade Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, who was brough to the Ravens to help out the passing game. Instead, there was nothing but drama between the two sides.
Before parting ways with Johnson eventually, the Ravens suspended Johnson for refusing to go into a game against the Eagles, where the Ravens eventually lost by five points. Johnson would then have a very short stint with the Houston Texans, before being waived by them and eventually getting picked up by the Ravens again.
Johnson had too much drama with the Ravens where we saw a little bit of the kind of character he brings. There’s no doubt that he has talent, but Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are not the kind of people that will put up with players who refuse to play. With that, listing Johnson as Buffalo’s dream free agency scenario is completely laughable.