ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 31: Jordan Poyer #21 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after making an interception in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills were the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl in 2022, and they are already predicted to be a top Super Bowl candidate in 2023 as well. But if the Bills want their championship aspirations to become a reality, they must address some glaring on-the-field holes this offseason.
Filling these areas of need will not be easy for the Bills. As it stands right now, they are 25th in the league in cap space available and general manager Brandon Beane will need to do some contract restructuring and/or player cuts to allow for even minimal free agent and rookie signings.
Here are my top positional areas of concern for the Buffalo Bills heading into the 2023 off-season.
Guard
The number one priority for the Bills in the offseason should be to improve one of the weakest offensive lines in the NFL. Starting left guard Rodger Saffold had a PFF grade of 45.2 in 2022 and ranked 71st of 77 eligible guards in the league. Saffold is now an unrestricted free agent and I’d be surprised if Brandon Beane brought him back for the 2023 season.
Right guard Ryan Bates was a serviceable, solid, starting offensive guard. His PFF grade was 63.0 which was 37th of 77, suggesting he was starter-quality.
Greg Van Roten and Ike Boettger are also unrestricted free agents and are free to sign with any team. Both Boettger and Van Roten would be serviceable backups and could possibly return on team-friendly deals.
Buffalo might look to free agency for a starting guard. Free agents Isaac Seumalo and Ben Powers would be an automatic upgrade to the position if the price was right.
I’d anticipate the Bills drafting a guard to start opposite of Ryan Bates, and O’Cyrus Torrence out of Florida may very well be available with Buffalo’s 28th overall pick. Torrence played against NFL-caliber players in the SEC and PFF has him graded the best guard in the draft.
Wide Receiver
In 2022 it was clear that if the Bills want to continue to be serious Super Bowl contenders, then they need to upgrade their WR room. Although Bills fans love “Big-Game Gabe,” his inconsistencies were glaring this past season. On multiple occasions, Davis was unable to haul in catchable passes that would have been game changers (see the first Jets game). Davis’ PFF grade was 60th of 113 eligible receivers, suggesting that he is a low-end WR2, which isn’t good enough for a Super Bowl caliber offense.
Aside from Davis and Stefon Diggs, the other receivers slated to be on the 2023 roster are Khalil Shakir, Isaiah McKenzie and a handful of practice squad guys. Depth and playmaking ability is a need.
Expect the Bills to bring in any of the following veteran free agent receivers to compete with Davis for the WR2 spot: Jakobi Meyers, Juju Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr, DJ Chark Jr.
The Bills should be drafting a guard with their first overall pick. If they don’t, their best option in the draft would be to draft a WR early. Boston College’s Zay Flowers and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba are a couple names to watch.
Safety
It is doubtful the Bills re-sign Jordan Poyer due to the contract he’ll demand on the open market combined with his age. He has been a star in the Bills secondary for six years and as much as I’d like to see him come back, the Bills simply can’t afford him and they must address their other needs.
Poyer’s counterpart, Micah Hyde, missed most of the 2022 season with a neck injury, and his injury was felt by the Bills defense. Hyde was cleared to play in the AFC Championship game had the Bills made it there and should be ready to go Week 1 of the 2023 season.
The Bills also stand to lose Jaquan Johnson and Dean Marlowe to free agency—neither of them turned heads in 2022 and unless the price is right, they’ll be gone.
There have been whispers about Damar Hamlin returning to play next season after his on-field collapse versus the Bengals. That’d be great for the Bills as Hamlin played respectably in the absence of Micah Hyde, but given his health status they should be looking for an addition at safety.
Although it’s a long-shot, safety Antonio Johnson out of Texas A&M would probably be available for the Bills in the first round of April’s draft. But, I’d anticipate them drafting guard or receiver before safety depending on who they sign in free-agency.
As far as cost-effective safeties with lower projected salaries available this offseason go, look for Jimmie Ward, Taylor Rapp or Juan Thornhill to be on the Bills radar.
Right Tackle
Spencer Brown should not be viewed as a starting offensive lineman in the NFL at this point in his career. Right now he’d be most suitable in a swing tackle role. Brown’s PFF grade in 2023 was 53.4 which ranked 73rd of 81 eligible tackles—deeming him a backup.
The Bills need to do better at the right tackle position and with journeymen backup tackles David Quessenberry and Bobby Hart going on the free agent market, Buffalo will need to look elsewhere for someone to challenge Spencer Brown.
With their first and second round picks the Bills will hopefully be taking a guard and receiver, so they’ll need to look to free agency to find a solid, starting right tackle. Names like Jermaine Elumunor, Cameron Fleming and Kelvin Beachum are cost effective free agents with PFF grades in the 70’s and would be immediate upgrades while another younger drafted tackle matures behind them.
