State of the Buffalo Bills Offense: Skilled Positions

A Buffalo Bills loss is never easy, especially in the playoffs. Mistakes were made, as Sean McDermott admitted in his season-ending press conference on Monday. The current state of the Bills roster is, to many, unacceptable. There are many positional needs that have to be addressed.

Sean McDermott: I'm a big believer in you are who you are in the last game of the season. pic.twitter.com/4qZOo6RJL9

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 23, 2023

As the first of a multi-part series, this article will examine the skilled positions on the offensive side of the Bills roster as it currently stands, and what changes need to be made in order to help this team remain a Super Bowl contender.

Quarterbacks

As long as Josh Allen is the QB, there is faith in the future of the Buffalo Bills. That being said, he cannot be the entire offense, even if Bills OC Ken Dorsey might think he is. As far as positional needs go, there is no need for anything here. Yes, Josh has certain areas where he can improve, but he is certainly not the problem. He just needs the rest of the offense to be able to work with him.

Brandon Beane said Josh Allen has too many bruises on him. The only thing he’d criticize Josh for is to take less hits.

Perhaps he should improve his offensive line then as well…

— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) January 24, 2023

However, it would not be completely shocking if the Bills play around with their backup quarterback situation. Maybe they re-sign Case Keenum, or maybe they try to bring in someone younger. Either way, the QB position is not a priority for the Bills offense right now.

Running Backs

Evaluating the current Bills RB situation is the first step of many in the offensive review process. Devin Singletary is a solid NFL running back, but does he have what it takes to help bring the Bills to the Super Bowl? Not quite. Singletary significantly improved his short-yardage skillset, according to Bills GM Brandon Beane, but he did not come close to the ideal 1,000+ rushing yards this season. He finished 2022 with 819 yards and 5 TDs on 177 carries.

Brandon Beane on free agent RB Devin Singletary: One of the most selfless, team-first people around. Really improved in short-yardage. We know he can make guys miss. His hands improved. We'll have to see from a business standpoint how that will work out for us.

— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) January 24, 2023

The Buffalo Bills may be a pass heavy team, but imagine how much better their offense would be if they had a legitimate 1,000-yard back. Singletary may or may not stick around this offseason, but this is definitely a position the Bills should consider filling.

According to Spotrac, the Bills are currently about $16 million over their estimated salary cap for 2023. (Beane said that he doesn’t have any official numbers yet, but knows they will have to work to get under the cap.) So we can safely assume that the front office will be making plenty of roster moves to free up cap space, and the space for RBs will become slimmer.

While Singletary admitted that he would love to stay in Buffalo in his end-of-the-season interview with the media, including WROC-TV, a worry in his mind may be last year’s second-round draft pick, James Cook. He is younger, and clearly part of the team’s future. Nyheim Hines has a future with Buffalo as well. As for the others – we’re not so sure.

Wide Receivers

While there have been some rumors circulating that Diggs wants to leave Buffalo, he is not going anywhere. He is a competitive player committed to winning, and that’s just what he’ll do.

Want me to be okay with losing ? Nah

— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) January 23, 2023

Gabe Davis looks like he’ll be safe too. He had one heck of a game during Wild Card Weekend against Miami, and PFF thought so too. Davis was ranked among some of their top receivers in the postseason, and landed an overall grade of 83.5 – the third best in the NFL.

As for the rest, we are left with a lot of questions. Isaiah McKenzie is still under contract, but the Bills could save $2.6 million if they decide to move on from their longest-tenured receiver. They could bring back Jamison Crowder or Cole Beasley, but based on how the season ended, it is evident that Buffalo must get better and younger at the wide receiver position.

Tight Ends

Dawson Knox is another player who seems like he is safe moving forward. He has proved to be a reliable target for Allen and a talented pass catcher throughout the season, and wants to stay in Buffalo as long as possible.

Dawson Knox says he wants to be with the Bills for the rest of the career and would have signed a 10-year extension if given to him #Bills

— Maddy Glab (@MadGlab) January 23, 2023

Adding another weapon to the offense is definitely a priority for the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, and there is a possibility that this could come in the TE position. While many fans have expressed they would like to see this addition in the WR room, adding another top-tier tight end wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Imagine the possibilities of the Bills offense with another player of similar stature playing alongside Knox, and serving as another solid target for Allen. (If Dorsey can figure out a way to use two tight ends.) If this idea does come to fruition, the team’s other TEs may not be around for much longer.

Searching for Answers

There are still a plethora of unanswered questions heading into the off-season, and there will continue to be until next season. Here’s to hoping the Bills find answers, and make some roster moves we can all get behind. Until then, be sure to stick around for next week’s article, as I take a look at the Bills offensive line.

Anyways, Go 49ers?

Featured Image: Bryan M Bennett/Getty Images