Buffalo Bills Biggest Offseason Needs - 2024 NFL Outlook

The Buffalo Bills' season once again ended in a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. After being 5-5 in Week 10, the Bills fought back and once again won the AFC East with a record of 11-6.

They were the most in-form team heading into the playoffs, as they were on a five-game winning streak. Josh Allen and the Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in the Wildcard Round but fell short in the Divisional Round as they lost 27-24 to the Chiefs.

A big offseason awaits the Bills as they prepare for another season where they'll be a Super Bowl contender. What are the biggest needs for them to contend next season? Let's take a look at them.

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Biggest Offseason Needs For The Buffalo Bills

The Bills are $51.2 million over the cap heading into the offseason. They need to restructure a lot of contracts to make finances work for next season, and they also need to draft well to build a roster capable of winning the Super Bowl. They have these draft picks this year:

• Round 1: 28th overall
• Round 2: 60th overall
• Round 3: 99th overall
• Round 4: 129th overall
• Round 5: 159th overall
• Round 5: 162nd overall
• Round 6: 198th overall
• Round 6: 202nd overall
• Round 6: 206th overall
• Round 7: 246th overall

Here are some things the Bills should do in the draft and in free agency to address their needs this offseason.

1. Draft a Wide Receiver

The Buffalo Bills need to draft a wide receiver to pair up with Stefon Diggs. Both Gabe Davis and Trent Sherfield are heading to free agency and are unlikely to play for the Bills next season. Although Khalil Shakir stepped up and played well last season, the Bills need more help for Josh Allen.

New offensive coordinator Joe Brady has relied on the running game with James Cook, and that will open up the field for the wide receivers as well. With Davis likely to leave, the Bills need another vertical threat to keep the opposition's defenses on edge. Last season, the 24-year-old wideout had 45 receptions for 746 yards and seven touchdowns. Given how well Davis has played in the playoffs throughout his career, the Bills need to find his replacement.

The upcoming draft class is stacked with talented wide receivers, and if the Bills opt to draft a wide receiver in the first or second round, they can get a pretty good player who can become a huge part of their offense next season.  Given their cap situation, signing another wide receiver through free agency is going to be tough for the Bills, and as a result, drafting will be the ideal scenario.

All this wide receiver talk and we've already got a star in the making...

Khalil Shakir is about to BLOW UP.

2023 Stats-
39 Receptions
611 Yards
2 Touchdowns

2024 Stat Projection-
70 Receptions
1050 Yards
6 Touchdowns

Get ready to watch Shakir in 2024, he is about to… pic.twitter.com/3VWE9MEelj

— Thomas DeLaus (@TheThomasDeLaus) February 16, 2024

2. Prioritizing The Running Backs

As mentioned above, with Joe Brady as their offensive coordinator, the Bills have started to run the ball quite well. James Cook had phenomenal performances after Ken Dorsey's exit, and the franchise will continue to utilize their running backs next season to decrease the pressure on Josh Allen.

Nyheim Hines, who missed the entire season due to an injury, will be healthy to play next season. However, Latavius Murray, Ty Johnson, and Damien Harris are free agents, and the franchise needs to get some more running backs.

Johnson and Harris are 26 and 27 years old, respectively, and resigning any one of them will make sense for the franchise. Getting another free agent running back for a cheap deal should be a priority for the Bills as they continue to shape their offense around running the ball effectively.

The running backs get hurt quite often; as a result, the franchise needs to have at least 3–4 solid players who can be called upon to contribute at any point during the season. A move for a player like Kareem Hunt could be an option for the Bills, or they can simply draft another running back late in the draft.

LET JAMES COOK.

📺: #DALvsBUF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kw7mays4qU pic.twitter.com/vaPf6cc80s

— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2023

3. Draft a Defensive Back

The Bills have Tre'Davious White back for next season, but they need more investment in their secondary. They recently acquired Rasul Douglas from the Green Bay Packers, who has made a good contribution ever since his arrival. However, the Bills' secondary is aging, and they need more young players. However, the Bills' secondary is aging, and they need more young players.

Micah Hyde is a free agent who is 33 years old. Furthermore, Douglas and White are both 29, and Jordan Poyer will be 33 when the next season begins. The Bills drafted cornerback Kaiir Elam with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has already lost his spot on the roster. They can either draft a wide receiver in the first round or draft another DB who can be a part of the franchise for the long term.

Cornerbacks like Kool-Aid McKinstry, Terrion Arnold, and Quinyon Mitchell are likely to get drafted before the Bills pick, but the franchise can move up the draft as they have a lot of draft picks this year. With Sean McDermott as the head coach, the Bills are always going to be a good defensive team, but they need to address the aging issue of their secondary in the upcoming draft. 

4. Resigning Micah Hyde on a Cheap Deal

Micah Hyde played only two games in the 2022 NFL season before he suffered a season-ending neck injury. However, this past season, he played 14 games for the team and showed why he is an important part of their defense.

He will be a free agent, and the Bills should try to re-sign him on a cheap contract extension if it is possible. Despite being in their early thirties, the duo of Hyde and Poyer demonstrated that they are capable of making substantial contributions to the team.

After losing White and Matt Milano to season-ending injuries, the Bills defense still managed to be the fourth-best defense in the NFL. This season, they allowed just 196.6 passing yards and 18.3 points per game on average to their opponents.

Even if they draft players for their secondary, Hyde's leadership and experience will prove to be extremely beneficial. The star safety has spent seven seasons with the Bills, and the team should try to bring him back for his eighth season to pair with Poyer and Taylor Rapp.

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