For most, the offseason is dreaded and it feels like the longest months in history before the Buffalo Bills get back to it. However, there is plenty to look forward to in the offseason between now and when the Bills return to St. John Fisher University for training camp; the NFL Combine, free agency, and the NFL draft. The Buffalo Bills are steaming into what could be the most important offseason in the Josh Allen era, with multiple needs all over.
The Bills were four points shy of a Super Bowl berth in what was a soft reset year. The league has said the salary cap for the upcoming year will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million. It’s an increase from last season’s $255.4 million. That is huge news for Buffalo, as they will only have to shave $10-$15 million in cap space before the new league year begins on March 12.
There are multiple options at general manager Brandon Beane’s disposal to clear cap space and help the Bills make some moves. The likelihood of the way this offseason is set to go is to extend their homegrown players, make one or two sizable moves in free agency, and continue building through the draft, where they have tons of capital. With that in mind, let’s look at where Beane should be looking, at what are the Bills' biggest needs.
No.1: Cornerback
I know many people may disagree, but cornerback, on paper, is the Bills' biggest need right now heading into the offseason. With it looking like Rasul Douglas will be leaving in free agency, the Bills have a massive hole there. They have Christian Benford, who is a quiet star, as one of the league’s best and most underrated. However, opposite of him, there is nothing right now. Even if Douglas was retained, his play declined over the season.
The Kaiir Elam pick has really been nothing but bad and is Beane’s worst blunder since taking the reigns of the Bills’ organization. Elam gets picked on when he enters the game, and Sean McDermott who is a defensive backs guru is unable to get anything out of him. That leaves very minimal hope there. With being unable to trust Elam in a depth role, we could even see both sides cut ties this offseason, or traded for a late-round pick.
So outside of Benford, who is deserving of and needs a sizable contract, there is a bare cupboard at cornerback. This is obviously talking about boundary corners, which excludes Taron Johnson. So the Bills not only need a reliable cornerback two, they need depth. While a move for a top free agent doesn’t seem likely, the Bills could opt to allocate their money there. They seem set to move to a more man-to-man scheme from their base zone defense that has gotten them shredded in the playoffs.
With their ability to develop defensive backs, the likely route is through the draft. Don’t be surprised if they draft multiple cornerbacks, as it is their biggest need right now.