Thursday Thought: The Flashy Move is not the Right Move for Bills

Going into the 2020 offseason the Bills are in a very good position. They’re coming off a 10-win season, have over $80 million in cap space and nine draft picks. For a team that was already very good a season ago, this offseason could lead to Buffalo being the frontrunner to win to the AFC East next season. Everything has aligned perfectly for the Bills to get to the next level in the coming months.

Despite this, it may be in the Bills’ best interest to spend their money wisely and avoid the big, headline-grabbing moves. This week’s Thursday Thought: The Flashy Move is not the Right Move for Bills.

At the beginning of the offseason many fans were dreaming of big, splashy moves for the Bills, but as the offseason has gone on it feels more apparent that the Bills won’t be doing this. If this is true than the Bills are doing the right thing.

A common forgotten variable about this offseason is the players that the Bills have to give contract extensions to. Guys like Tre’Davious White, Matt Milano, and Dion Dawkins are all due for big paydays. The Bills need to take care of their players instead of investing in free agents. Once you pay these players there isn’t as much cap room as one would believe.

Additionally, Brandon Beane has made it clear that this team isn’t simply one move away from being a contender. What these means as far as how aggressive this team will be in free agency, is that the Bills need to add several pieces. They need to sign some valuable free agents without breaking the bank. If they do end up breaking the bank on one player, they’ll be left with not nearly enough cap to sign the players they need.

As the saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” For the Bills, they cannot do this when it comes to free agency.

This may be upsetting for some Bills fans who dreamed of players like Amari Cooper or Jadeveon Clowney becoming Buffalo Bills this offseason. However, the more you read into what Beane has been saying and the reality of several big extension on the horizon, it makes sense why the Bills won’t be big spenders in 2020.

This team will make some significant signings as every year since Sean McDermott took over as head coach, the Bills have done this. From guys like Micah Hyde or John Brown, it’s the solid players rather than the big names that Buffalo likes to go after. I expect this trend to continue this offseason.
Having a large amount of cap room is a great thing in the NFL, but it’s important to be smart with the money and invest in players who will contribute to the Bills and who will be on team-friendly deals. It’s how good teams remain consistently good.

Build through the draft and fill the gaps/needs in free agency. That’s how the Bills have gotten to this point and I expect nothing less despite the $82 million in cap space this offseason.

Mitch Broder is a contributor for The Buffalo Fanatics. To contact him, email him at mitchell.broder@gmail.com or on Twitter @mitchell_broder