Buffalo Bills
2019 Record: (10-6)
2019 Season Recap:
Offense
Points: 19.6 (23rd)
Yards: 330.2 (24th)
Pass Yards: 201.8 (26th)
Rush Yards: 128.4 (8th)
Defense
Points: 16.2 (2nd)
Yards: 298.2 (3rd)
Pass Yards: 195.2 (4th)
Rush Yards: 103.1 (10th)
Coming into the 2019 season, the Buffalo Bills were one of our
favorite clubs to take the next step in their progression. With Josh Allen
firmly planted as the starting quarterback and looking to improve on his rookie
season numbers, the Bills made additions to support Allen on both the offensive
line and the receiving core. With all the added talent on this offense, there
would be fewer excuses for Allen to take his game to the next level.
And while all the focus was placed on the offensive side, the
Bills have quietly been building a defense that would sit atop the league in
most statistical ranks. With how general manager Brandon Beane and Head Coach
Sean McDermott see the proper way in building a roster, no one can argue that
these Bills are on the right path to success.
For everything which transpired over the course of the 2019
season, some will suggest that the Bills schedule overall was light which led
to another playoff berth. In terms of our evaluation, the weaker contests were
on the slate, but in this league, you don’t apologize for wins. Clearly the
Bills defense carried this team for most of the season, but great achievements
in development can’t be overlooked to what Allen was able to do with this
offense. While the stats don’t sing a top-notch story, the overall aspect in
what they were able to accomplish was great.
Although the 2019 season did end on a sour note losing late to the
Houston Texans in the wildcard round, its difficult to not be encouraged of the
supreme foundation this team has on the horizon.
2020 Offseason
WorkBook:
The Offense
Jumping into what the offense was and what they could eventually
become, we are truly encouraged. The knock-on Josh Allen out of college was
clear in the possibility that he could never become an accurate NFL passer.
After what concluded from his rookie campaign, it was difficult to preach that
he could find more efficiency through the air. Proving that he was a capable
runner, Allen demonstrated an improved level of precision nearly obtaining 60%
pass completions (58.8%). With that said, Allen showed great progress behind a much-improved
offensive line and added weapons to throw to. In year three of his tenure in
Buffalo, we fully expect him to raise his game once again and bring with it
more success.
When it comes to the receiving core and the additions which were
added, we did take pause at the start of the season to fully dissect what they
could become. Never being huge supporters of John Brown and his overall body of
work, we were extremely impressed with the steps he took to elevate his game.
With Cole Beasley being the main slot product in this scheme, he too was a
player we questioned to be that solid piece to the puzzle. Nevertheless, we
couldn’t have been more wrong on these two men as they proved to be worthy of
their contracts.
Even still, with all the success that was produced, we still would
like to witness the Bills add another receiving option to this roster that
would be a true number one target. While we fully understand that this
evaluation may sound strange with how well John Brown preformed (72 rec-1060
yards-6 touchdowns), there were times he was taken out of the game due to
double coverages. Having another viable target to pull defenders would only
improve what they could become.
Heading to the running back room which saw LeSean McCoy released
before the season started, the Bills chose to move forward with the leadership
of Frank Gore to educate their young rookie Devin Singletary. The decision to
move on from McCoy was a surprise to us, but obviously the correct change in
the long run. Gore began the season taking the bulk of the carries to only move
aside for Singletary as the year moved forward. What is clear in our eyes at
this point, we truly wonder if Gore will return to the club in 2020 based on
how well Singletary played. Lets also not forget, the Bills still have TJ
Yeldon under contract, and he should see an expanded role with Singletary
taking the lead – we don’t dislike that one bit as it should also be very
productive.
When it comes to the tight end position and the offensive line,
additions should be made to help round out the depth on both positions. Early
offseason moves had former Panther Greg Olsen take a visit to Buffalo, which
would be a nice addition. Dawson Knox showed he could be a reliable player from
last season, but the inconsistency did cloud his game. If Olsen does sign on in
Buffalo, he would be a productive player in both the pass and blocking side of
things – win-win.
The Defense
In reviewing this top end defensive unit, how can anyone not get
excited to what they could eventually become. Seeing the dominating play
week-to-week was more than impressive but finding ways to improve this side
will be a top priority. Building on a position of strength is important as this
side is what runs this ship.
When discussing the defensive line and what they were able to
accomplish, the Bills didn’t have a double-digit sack leader but managed to
spread the success to many players. Jordan Phillips was the surprise sack
leader (9.5 sacks), simply because of all the attention others received when
rushing the passer. More so, Jerry Hughes and Ed Oliver ramped up their play to
higher levels as the year wore on. But when we look at the depth on this line,
we are encouraged they will get even better come this offseason. With Star
Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips, Trent Murphy, and Shaw Lawson rounding out the
core, sky could literally be the limit if another true edge rusher was secured
from either the draft or free agency.
If we must find weaknesses to this defense, we must throw shade to
the line baker room. While their young middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is
truly a super star in the making, the supportive pieces aren’t quite reaching
the level we would like. Matt Milano is a decent player who made waves to prove
he can play in this league, but an upgrade would be warranted. With the
retirement of Lorenzo Alexander, yet another hole is placed on this group which
will need to be rectified.
Jumping into the absolute strength of this club, the team’s
secondary is a crew that we outright love. Lead by Tre White, Micah Hyde, and
Jordan Poyer – this group is a monster in their own right. Even with that,
depth is viewed as a concern and will require proper additions to round out the
squad. Adding another corner who can compliment White would give opposing
offensive coordinators fits on game day. Hearing rumor that Josh Norman could
be attached to the former Carolina Panther connection in Beane and McDermott –
we don’t hate that idea. While Norman is clearly not the player he once was,
having a secondary role could be beneficial to him prolonging his career. The
Jaguars AJ Bouye is also on the trade block from the Jaguars and would be a
fabulous fit on this defense. The Broncos free agent Chris Harris would also look great in a Bills uniform and would create an unstoppable tandem with White. Buffalo cannot ignore adding more playmakers to
the secondary and would make all the difference.
Truly, this defense is one to covet as the building blocks are
fierce and powerful and should be for the next few seasons.
Team Free Agents / Team Salary Cap
In our opinion, general manager Brandon Beane hasn’t gotten near
enough credit for what he’s been able to accomplish in his time Western New
York. Removing terrible contracts on underachieving players from past regimes,
he helped get the Bills back to the playoffs and secure a whopping 82.8 million
in free space – amazing.
With that, the Bills don’t even hold a large laundry list of team
free agents to re-up. Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips headline the list as top
priority players but shouldn’t break the bank. Offensive lineman Spencer Long
is a great depth piece with starting potential to which the Bills hold the club
option on his contract. We wouldn’t be shocked to see him return to the club in
2020. Robert Foster is another player who the Bills hold exclusive rights to
but could be a viable piece to this offense. His role was decreased last
season, so perhaps they don’t view him as anything significant.
In attempts to garner more capital on the books, if Greg Olsen
does find his way to the team, Tyler Kroft could be expendable with his
6.4-million-dollar cap hit and meek 1.6 million headed to the dead cap. Outside
of that, the Bills are quite lean in regards to positive contracts they
hold.
The NFL Draft
The term “the rich get richer” definitely applies to the Bills
this offseason as the comfortably sit with nine picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Again, preaching the great maneuvering of Brandon Beane, he has set this team
up for success in more than one way. Having an extra fifth and two extra sixth
round selections, the Bills do have some ammo to negotiate movement up and down
the board.
Holding the 22nd pick in the first round, the Bills
could move in multiple ways but securing a top wide receiver is how we see this
moving. Obviously if Buffalo could move up and select CeeDee Lamb to be that
generational pass catcher for the next 10 years – we wouldn’t argue that one
bit. With that said, the price to move up would cost heavy, forcing Beane to
stand pat or move back. The consolation in staying where they are would almost
certainly hold Clemson product Tee Higgins or Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs III
to be the selection.
For our appetite, we would be enthralled to witness either man grace
the Bills red and blue for many years to come. If the Bills wanted to create an
offense littered with speed to be that giant mismatch, Ruggs III would be the
logical choice and would generate electrifying speed with john Brown. The
mantra in Buffalo under Sean McDermott has been “trust the process” and we
truly do. This team is finally on the rise and could be a dominating force in
the stars align in their roster build.
Comments
Post a Comment