The Buffalo Bills entered the off-season with a ton of salary cap space and multiple areas needing improvement. As a result, the Bills have started off the new league year by being one of the most active teams in free agency. They have addressed multiple areas of need on both sides of the ball and have added depth and quality at multiple levels. With the 2019 NFL Draft just a month away, the focus now shifts to their draft capital and rounding out the rest of the team.
Outlook of the Buffalo Bills 2019 NFL Draft
Bills general manager Brandon Beane believes in filling roster needs through free agency and drafting the best player available with every pick. The biggest opportunities for the Bills were to surround franchise quarterback Josh Allen with weapons and improve the offensive line.
They filled some weapons needs with tight end Tyler Kroft and wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, also adding running back Frank Gore in the process. Additionally, Buffalo overhauled the offensive line as well. Center Mitch Morse was brought in and the signings of tackle Ty Nsekhe, guard Jon Feliciano, center/guard Spencer Long, and tackle LaAdrian Waddle have given the Bills quality depth and flexibility up front. The Bills still have areas of opportunity but can certainly operate with a “best player available” mindset in the draft.
Defensive Line
The 2019 NFL Draft is a gold mine of defensive line talent across the board. Last year the Bills finished with 36 sacks, good for 26th in the NFL. As of this moment, Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, Trent Murphy, Lorenzo Alexander, and Star Lotulelei are their best pass-rushing options.
Hughes is an unrestricted free agent next year, Lawson has his fifth year player option coming up, Murphy needs to show consistency in his health, Alexander is 35 years old, and Lotulelei is not a pass rusher. Head coach Sean McDermott loves to rotate on the defensive line, and that coupled with the lack of security and production from what’s already on the roster could lead the Bills to address the defensive line in the draft.
Offensive Line
The only surefire starters on the Bills offensive line as of now are returning tackle Dion Dawkins and the newly signed Mitch Morse. The free agent lineman the team has signed so far have been rotational and depth players in the past and have worn many hats up front. That makes for great flexibility, but gives us less than a clear picture as to who will do what and who will go where. Good teams always have a stable of offensive lineman so it would not be surprising for the Bills to continue addressing the line via the draft.
Running Back
LeSean McCoy is 30 years old and finished an injury-plagued 2018 with only 514 yards. Granted, a terrible offensive line did not help his game, but McCoy isn’t getting any younger. Frank Gore is a great addition from a leadership perspective and can still produce on the field, but he’s not the long term answer and neither is Chris Ivory. Marcus Murphy has shown flashes but has never been a starter and is also 28. This draft has a lot of running back potential from top to bottom and could definitely be where the Bills find the successor to Shady. They really need to.
Wide Receiver
The wide receiver position is a tricky area of need for the Bills. Robert Foster flashed potential number one receiver ability at the end of last year and has a great connection with Josh Allen. Zay Jones has been hit-or-miss in his first couple of seasons and the additions of Beasley and Brown via free agency have been major upgrades. Despite all that, there isn’t a true number one receiver on this team right now. Beane and McDermott have downplayed the need of having a true number one, but they also tried to trade for Antonio Brown.
What It All Means
The Buffalo Bills have done a very good job so far this offseason. They’ve filled multiple needs across the board and have done so in a way that makes the team versatile and flexible. GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott want a team full of depth and quality everywhere you look and are well on their way to that. What they do in the 2019 NFL Draft will continue their philosophy as they look for the best player available with every pick they have, instead of pigeonholing themselves into drafting an area of need.
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