Sean McDermott has his work cut out for him.
The first-time head coach has quickly added interim GM to his duties as the Bills fired Doug Whaley the day after the NFL draft. To make matters worse he resides in the AFC East, the same division of the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots who have gotten even better this off-season via free agency.
Luckily, McDermott has a strong defensive core intact to rely on and coaching defence is his specialty. They added to their defence in the first round of the draft, grabbing Tre’Davious White, who was the most complete corner available.
But the Bills will need to retool on offence. It’s late in the game, but there are some veteran skill position players that can give them an added boost and roster flexibility going into training camp.
Quarterback
The Bills have Tyrod Taylor as their starter, but his future after this year is murky at best. His restructured contract gives the Bills one season to determine if they want to stick with him for 2018 or longer. Taylor also had off-season knee surgery and can’t afford to lose any of his cat quick mobility. Nathan Peterman was steal in the fifth round of the draft but is still a long way away from being ready to start in the NFL.
So, who could they bring in for low money as a potential backup or even bridge starter until Peterman is ready? Colin Kaepernick and his 28-30 record is available as he is handing out suits for charity to ex-cons on parole instead of practising handoffs. His 16 touchdowns and four interceptions last year alone should have him in consideration.
Buffalo would be one of the few destinations that would not have to change their offensive system if they brought in Kaepernick as he and Taylor have similar needs to be successful. The same would be true for Robert Griffin III who passed for two touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts for the Cleveland Browns last year. The other option if you were looking for someone to push Taylor is Jay Cutler, who has a 68-71 career record and had just four passing touchdowns and five interceptions last year.
Remember, Taylor was a player endorsed internally by Rex Ryan and the Bills had already made their off-season decision on him before McDermott was in the picture. It would not be surprising if McDermott decided to go in another direction now that he has full control.
Running back
LeSean McCoy is the Bills best player, but that doesn’t mean the tailback doesn’t need help.
LeGarrette Blount led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns last year. He’d be a great power back to pair with the speed and pace of McCoy. He’d also be a great option to help the Bills punch the ball in when they’re in the red zone. The Patriots have made a habit of stealing the Bills best players and already done so at the same position this off-season. It wouldn’t hurt to return the favour.
DeAngelo Williams would also be a wise pick up. He is 34 years old but put up 15 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. He’s proven to be more than adequate as a spot starter for Pittsburgh when Le’Veon Bell was hurt or suspended. With McCoy having his own injury struggles, Williams would be a prudent insurance policy. Chris Johnson is also an option as he brings lots of experience with 9,537 career rushing yards, albeit only 95 of those came last season.
Wide Receiver
This is the position that is most likely to keep McDermott up at night. Sammy Watkins has missed 11 games in the last two years, which is why it wasn’t surprising the Bills declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his contract. The fact Watkins continues to have lower-extremity injuries so early in his career is concerning. If the Bills had picked up his fifth-year option, they’d be on the hook for guaranteed money to a player they don’t know can stay healthy.
Clearly, wide receiver is where the Bills could really use a veteran upgrade. Victor Cruz had 586 receiving yards last season and could be a nice option working out of the slot. Anquan Boldin still wants to play and still can after being the Detroit Lions best red-zone target a year ago. His 1,076 career receptions are ninth all time and would bring the requisite toughness and professionalism McDermott is trying to brand his new Bills organization with. Vincent Jackson is also an option. Jackson only put up 173 receiving yards in five games last year but provides what Buffalo hasn’t had for a while, a big target at the receiver position.
Don’t think you build a team through free agency? Look at what the rival Patriots have done. First, they traded for wide receiver Brandon Cooks coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Then they added tight end Dwayne Allen, running back Rex Burkhead and former Bills running back Mike Gillislee. Not done raiding their opponents, they signed Bills corner Stephon Gilmore giving him the richest contract of the off-season with $40 million guaranteed and also traded for defensive tackle Kony Ealy. The free agents they signed are all 27 years old or younger.
Next week free agents don’t count against the 2018 compensatory pick formula so expect the Bills to hold their cards close to the vest and wait until they strike.
Get to work Sean McDermott. Your team needs it.
[relatedlinks]