It seems as though as long as Josh Allen is the team’s quarterback, the Buffalo Bills will be considered one of the contenders in the AFC. While he only received one first place vote during the MVP polling process, he had one of the best statistical seasons of any NFL QB in 2023, and led his team from a 6-6 record to an AFC East Championship and a field goal away from forcing a playoff overtime against the eventual Super Bowl champions.
But in order to make it over the hump and qualify for that elusive Super Bowl, Allen will need the right pieces around him. He has had some solid arsenals of offensive weapons in years’ past, but there was a noticeable lack of help in the postseason when it mattered most.
What steps does the Bills’ front office have to take in order to make sure that the team is once again in contention for the 2024 season?
NFL: 3 Questions The Buffalo Bills Must Answer This Off-Season
Imagine how special the C.J. Stroud-Stefon Diggs connection would be 👀 pic.twitter.com/8R1hNS2llg
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) February 20, 2024
Here are three questions that the Buffalo Bills must answer during the 2024 NFL off-season:
1. Is Stefon Diggs Happy? Does it matter anymore?
Both Allen and Diggs have said that they have a good relationship and want to win together, but it seems as though we spend each off-season wondering where Diggs’ happiness lies. This year won’t be any different, but it could be the Bills who opt to move on.
While Buffalo was one of the best teams in the NFL during the latter portion of the season, Diggs’ production dipped noticeably, and his drop in the Divisional Round game against the Chiefs proved to be one of the plays that ultimately had a hand in costing the team the game.
It is hard to imagine Allen without Stefon Diggs as his primary target, but the Bills may have incentive to move on this summer.
2. How Will They Rebuild Defensive Line Depth?
The most productive guys along Buffalo’s defensive front are locked in for at least another year, with starters Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau locked in for 2024, but there are more than a handful of linemen that have expiring contracts this off-season. Essentially all of their backup defensive ends will be free agents, including AJ Epenesa and Shaq Lawson. Their leading sack producer, Leonard Floyd, will as well.
They will have to look to save money somewhere, as the Bills have one of the worst cap situations of any team in the NFL.
#Bills Von Miller was paid $14.9M this season and finished with 0 sacks and 5 tackles in 14 games played…
That’s $2.98M a tackle 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vXddgaVA3m
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 22, 2024
3. What Can Be Done About Von Miller?
Speaking of the defensive line and a poor cap situation, there were few players whose production failed to meet their contract value in 2023 more than Von Miller. He had a grand total of zero sacks and three total tackles on the year despite playing in 258 snaps, and was paid over $17 million for his services.
He will carry yet another massive salary into 2024, and barring a drastic turnaround at age 35, it will be another year of overpay for Buffalo. The amount of money that they can save by releasing him after June 1st is minimal, as he will carry a huge dead cap number into the coming year should the team part ways.
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