Stop me if you've heard this already. The Buffalo Bills have exactly one interior defender, Ed Oliver, under contract for the 2024 NFL season. Yes, we've talked a ton about this as we head into the offseason but rest assured, Brandon Beane will address this. It's anyone's guess how he'll go about doing this, but I have my hopes on how that comes about. Not that Beane calls me and asks what I think, but I'm going to share my opinion anyway.
First and foremost, re-sign DaQuan Jones to a one-year deal laden with incentives. Last season, both Oliver and Jones formed one of the top interior duos in the league until Jones went down with a pec injury. Even when he returned, he wasn't quite the same. Get these two back on the field together for one more go at it. However, Jones has missed time the last two seasons due to injury and he's 32 years old, turning 33 during the season. This is why the deal should be filled with incentives. This is also why I would re-sign Poona Ford. Buffalo will need some depth and I'd like to see what Ford can offer after a full offseason with the team.
The next thing is to take a defensive tackle in the coming NFL Draft. My preference would be a 300-plus pound man to provide power in the middle of the line and eat up blocks, the way Jones does. This helps to open things up for Oliver, Miller, Rousseau, and whoever else is rotating along the Bills' defensive front. Lastly, I would try to add another via free agency. Someone like a D.J. Reader, who weighs 327 pounds, or Austin Johnson, coming in at 314 pounds. The problem with Reader is the cost. Pro Football Focus set his average market value at more than $13.2 million. Sheldon Rankins is an excellent tackle as well but weighs around 290. Alright, let's get into a few of the available defensive tackles in the coming 2024 NFL Draft.