It's never good when somebody is stuck between being elite and horrible, as the territory of mediocrity typically leads to stagnation. The Bills now seem to be approaching this vaunted zone, following a slew of player cuts that quickly decreased the quality of their overall roster.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane didn't exactly settle all family business the Michael Corleone way, but he definitely came close by severing ties with Tre'Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Mitch Morse on Wednesday afternoon. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs survived (for now), but both superstars must be contemplating their futures in Buffalo after losing that much veteran talent.
Diggs seems ticketed for an exit at some point, anyway, following numerous outbursts, and these cuts certainly didn't help convince him to stick around. While the Bills are clearly committed to Allen as the franchise quarterback -- they gave him a six year, $258 million extension in 2021 -- there's a growing sense that he and head coach Sean McDermott have already reached their peak together.
In an industry that ignores the past and focuses on the present, Buffalo has done very little to get better, and this doesn't seem like a reshifting of focus, where they shed several of deals in hopes of signing a star free agent or two. It seems more like a, "Let's clean house, so we can replace a bunch of aging veterans with cheaper pieces." Every team faces this dilemma at some point, and the Bills are just more magnified under the lens after last season's finish.
Buffalo was able to provide McDermott with some much-needed job security by finishing the season strong. But, the question on Bills fans' minds must be, what's next? There's no simple answer. As the rest of the AFC grows stronger -- and Patrick Mahomes isn't retiring anytime soon -- the Bills are stuck in the mud. They're talented enough to make a deep playoff run, but that's about all the starved Bills Mafia is going to get.
Regression would be the worst possible outcome, and if their season started tomorrow, that's likely what would happen. How far the backward momentum takes them will determine if the current Bills group has peaked out or not. Get back to the AFC Divisional Round, and there's still hope. Get eliminated in the wild-card round or fail to even reach the postseason, and there's chances of a total teardown. Just being in the playoff mix is getting old, and losing a top cornerback, veteran center, and starting safety doesn't instill confidence in a group that cut its teeth on playing good defense.
Injuries, a funky season, and the crapshoot of January football still gives the Bills a fighting chance. But, the clock is ticking. Allen is entering his seventh campaign, McDermott still has a ton to prove, and the current group doesn't exactly look like they dipped into the fountain of youth. On one hand, there's little room for improvement for a group that's done a nice job putting respect back on the team name. On the other hand, there's the disappointment that'd come as a result of failing to win that long-coveted Super Bowl ring.
Buffalo has done a nice job filling in around the edges, in spots they needed to get less out of more. Retaining safety Taylor Rapp on a bargain three-year, $14.5 million deal was a solid damage control move, as his upside could rival that of Poyer. He's also a much-needed injection of youth alongside 33-year-old Micah Hyde at safety. But replacing White and Morse doesn't look easy, and restocking the depth behind them could be an even bigger challenge.
Without question, Beane is facing the most challenging and pressure-filled offseason of his tenure. If he's really the roster-building guru that rose from low-level intern to the mastermind behind two Super Bowl appearances for the Panthers, he’ll find a way to work his magic again. After all, Bills Mafia's future is dependent on it.