Rico Recap: Free Agency – What’s Next For The Buffalo Bills?

This time, Rico was joined by Rev and Z-Bot to go over the Free Agency Frenzy so far, both for the Buffalo Bills and around the league. Blockbuster signings and massive trades; They hit all the topics. It’s been a wild week to start the new league year, from players backing out of contracts to stunning releases. Let’s get into it.

Running Backs and J.D. McKissic (36:12)

The second wave of free agency is coming up, and Buffalo is still in the market for a running back. It’s a position we all thought was solved already, but Washington had other ideas. Despite having already agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills, J.D. McKissic backed out, leaving us high and dry. We’ll be looking for someone else to fill our running back room with, and there are plenty of options. Leonard Fournette, Rashaad Penny, and Melvin Gordon, to name a few.

Offensive Line and Underrated Free Agents (45:05)

Please, Buffalo, don’t lose Ryan Bates like we lost Wyatt Teller. Other franchises, like the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots can offer more than us, but it’s unlikely that they do. The Buffalo Bills set a right of first refusal tender on Ryan Bates prior to free agency, and it gives the team the option to match any contract offered by other franchises. Buffalo wants to keep Bates, and this was an easy way to do it without breaking the bank.

The boys also discussed their favourite lower-profile free agency pickups. Rev believes that Tim Settle is going to be a difference maker, Z-Bot is excited to see Shaq Lawson back in Buffalo, and Rico thinks we haven’t discussed O.J. Howard enough.

Brandon Beane: The Architect of our Dreams? (1:02:26)

We owe Brandon Beane our lives, and maybe more. He doesn’t take the foot off the gas, putting pressure on to win a championship, and going all-in when he knows we need to. He clearly operates with a well thought out plan, and he sticks to it. Quietly, Brandon Beane puts in the work and lets nothing slip.

No-one knows what he’s doing in free agency until it’s done, and nothing escapes the now-watertight front doors of One Bills Drive without his explicit approval. His track record precedes him at this point, as he’s pulled this roster out of the dirt after entering one of the single-worst new-team situations of the era: The 2018 Buffalo Bills. Effectively, quickly, and ruthlessly, he’s assembled one of the NFL’s best teams. Give Beane all the credit you can, but don’t forget that he didn’t do it alone.

For all this, free agency breakdowns, and more, check out the latest episode of the Rico Report with guests Rev and Z-Bot.