This is it. This is finally the year the Buffalo Bills make a statement for themselves after years of torture and letdown. As any member of Bills Mafia knows, stating “this is the year” is something everyone says right before the start of week one. Creating a false sense of hope and looking forward to a week one win is all Bills fans have to look forward to. That is, however, prior to the beginning of the tailgate season. Looking at this past offseason the Bills had, the false hope shooting through the hot wing-clogged veins of each and every Buffalonian might become real hope.
NFL Draft:
Starting with the Bills 9th overall draft pick in this past year’s draft, DT Ed Oliver out of Houston was certainly a great addition for the Bills already ferocious defense. With the recent retirement of Buffalo legend Kyle Williams, Oliver fills in a new young presence on the Bills defensive line which could certainly use a reboot. Not to mention, the man has a smile that could make Gisele commit adultery. As an absolute monster in college, I’m looking forward to seeing his first snaps on the field. G Cody Ford was also a smart pick for the Bills, since their offensive line is certainly the worst part of their team at the moment. RB Devin Singletary adds some depth to the running back position behind Shady McCoy and veteran Frank Gore. Overall, the 2019 Draft was surprisingly a great experience and a great start to the 2019 Buffalo Bills Offseason for Bills fan. However, the more important additions were added outside the draft.
Other Key Pieces Added:
If you watched even one snap of the Buffalo Bills last season, it was quite obvious that young rising star Josh Allen had virtually no help with his receiving core. In preparation for the upcoming season, Zay Jones needs to get a new pair of hands and Kelvin Benjamin needs to be put on a keto diet if he even wants to run a 5 yard slant in 2019. Thankfully, the front office and the coaching staff added two veterans in Cole Beasley (DAL) and John Brown (BAL) to the receiving core, finally giving Josh Allen trustworthy and solid receivers. Not to mention, Beasley immediately gained brownie points from Bills Mafia for chirping a Cowboys fan days after signing with the Bills. Along with the signings of these veteran WR’s were some offensive linemen in Spencer Long, Quinton Spain, and John Feliciano. Overall, a surprisingly great offseason for the Buffalo Bills and it certainly tightened up the receiving core and made the offensive line a little more experienced.
Foundations:
Looking from a fan’s perspective, the coaching staff for the Buffalo Bills has some ground to make up. However, with the right team surrounding them, there is no reason for failure. Returning head coach Sean McDermott has to tighten up play-calling on both ends of the field to limit thoughtless mistakes. As for the players, the defensive side of the ball has proved themselves as one of the leagues top defensive teams in the past couple of years. The significance of Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White in the secondary is critical to this teams success going forward. The Linebacker core, including Edmunds, Alexander, and Milano is looking to have another solid year with added chemistry. As long as the offensive chemistry starts to connect and the implementation of new linemen becomes efficient, there shouldn’t be nearly as many holes in this team as there was in recent years past thanks to the 2019 Buffalo Bills Offseason.
Predictions:
With Josh Allen returning with potential and experience, as well as Coach McDermott behind the clipboard as an established Bills Head Coach, the Bills are looking to go above .500 this year, which is considered great in Orchard Park. Looking at the schedule, it could very well be a 9-7, 10-6 year. Adding to the receiving core and offensive line were the two parts which would take this team from below average, to average. Write it in the books now: the Bills will take down Tom Brady and the Patriots at The Ralph this upcoming season and with these recent moves, they are creating a solid team with potential for years to come.
