Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver.
My bad. I just jumped right into my offseason needs list for the Buffalo Bills without a formal introduction.
There are a number of positions that need to be addressed by Bills general manager Brandon Beane and the front office brain trust, but there is one need that clearly tops the list. You can put as many stars and asterisks around it as you want.
WIDE RECEIVER!
During my formative years as a sports fan in the 1970s, it was drummed into me that defense wins championships. But here in the 2020s, we know you need an elite level offense to win a Super Bowl.
The Bills have one of the best offenses in the NFL thanks to the man who pulls the trigger, Josh Allen. However, it needs to be better. It needs to be more dangerous, and it needs to be more explosive.
Which is why Beane has to address wide receiver early in the draft. Preferably on Day 1, but no later than Day 2.
Two of the Bills' main competitors in the AFC did just that last April.
The Baltimore Ravens took Zay Flowers in the first round, and he went on to catch 77 passes for 858 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season.
The Kansas City Chiefs used a second-round selection on Rashee Rice, whose rookie season ended with 79 catches, 938 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Bills need to rejoin the ranks of teams that have terrific receiver tandems. The Miami Dolphins have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Philadelphia Eagles have A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, and the Cincinnati Bengals have Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, although Higgins will be an unrestricted free agent.
I'd be very surprised if soon-to-be free agent Gabe Davis re-signs with the Bills. Personally, I wouldn't give him the kind of contract I think he will receive on the open market.
In addition to Davis, Trent Sherfield will also be a free agent come March.
That leaves the Bills with Stefon Diggs, Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty and Justin Shorter under contract in 2024.
Shakir looked really good during the second half of the season, but clearly they need to add another speedy, explosive receiver with a cost-controlled contract to the mix. I think Shakir is a good receiver, but I'd like another guy who scares opposing defenses.
Here is another offseason need: Figure out what happened to Diggs.
Over the first nine games of the season, the Bills' top wideout had 70 catches for 834 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 11.9 yards a catch and 92 yards a game.
Over the last 10 games, including the playoffs, Diggs had just 47 receptions for 422 yards and only one touchdown. His per-game averages dropped to 8.9 catches per-game and 42 yards per-game.
In terms of other needs, you can lock in the Bills taking, at least, one defensive lineman (probably more) in the draft, and possibly with their first-round pick (but they should take a WIDE RECEIVER!).
Beane and head coach Sean McDermott are big believers in building a team up front, and the defensive line has just four players under contract for next season: Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver and Kingsley Jonathan.
Expect Beane to look for some value free agents to bolster this position as well.
Don't forget about safety as a top need since Micah Hyde is a free agent and is contemplating retirement. His running mate for the last seven years with the Bills, Jordan Poyer, has one year left on his deal and turns 33 in April.
Cornerback should be addressed as well.
Hopefully Tre'Davious White can return from a second major injury and be back to his normal self, but he hasn't played a full season since 2018.
Rasul Douglas proved to be a fantastic in-season pickup by Beane, but Douglas has just one year left on his contract.
That leaves Christian Benford, Kaiir Elam and free agent-to-be Dane Jackson.
Finally, the offensive line should also be on the needs list (see earlier comment about building up front). Three starters are going into the final year of their contract: Dion Dawkins, Mitch Morse and Spencer Brown.
That is a pretty good sized list, but the good news is the Bills will likely have 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they can always look into the trade market in addition to free agency.
Here's hoping that before he lays his head down on the pillow every night, Beane is thinking wide receiver, wide receiver, wide receiver.
