5 free agents the Buffalo Bills must re-sign for 2024

Poona Ford - Defensive Tackle

This one was tough for me, as it came down to two players, Poona Ford and Tim Settle. Here's the thing, neither of these players is starting material and I expected more from Ford than what we saw from him but there wasn't much difference between him and Settle. Two big differences though, Ford is about $2 million cheaper, but Settle is just under two years younger. So, it depends on what's important to you.

For me, the money at this point is more valuable than youth, which is one reason I went with Ford here. Also, the fact that this was Ford's first season, my hope is the best is yet to come. With Settle, it's been the same player for two years now with the Bills. There could be other players some fans would prefer here too, but the lack of interior defensive depth is a concern. Signing both Jones and Ford gives the Bills a little time to possibly draft a defensive tackle and let him develop his rookie year without too many early expectations.

There were a few other players I considered here, one of which was Tyrel Dodson. Dodson showed this past season he can play and do so at a high level. The problem is, there will likely be some other teams looking to sign him and the price tag and a chance to start, may be more than the Bills can offer. With Milano returning to his starting role next season and Terrel Bernard in the middle, there isn't a likely path for Dodson to be a full-time starter.