The 2020 Buffalo Bills did some remarkable things on the field this year as BillsMafia was witness to an elite season from Josh Allen, a quarterback who has whetted fans appetite for a legitimate Super Bowl run, as he set franchise records for passing touchdowns in a season (37), total touchdowns (45) and completion percentage (69.2%). Allen's rise is directly related to a blockbuster move last March as Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane bolstered the passing game by trading for a playmaker in wide receiver Stephon Diggs, The former Minnesota Viking finished as the first Bills receiver to lead the league in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1519,) both of which are franchise records. The duo of Allen and Diggs catapulted the team to the AFC Championship game.
However, for as much as Allen/Diggs brought near-term positives and visions of glory in the not-to-distant future, Buffalo's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game exposed, as had other games throughout the 2020 season, definitive weaknesses that need to be addressed in the coming years. Amongst them, the interior offensive line as well as meager playmaking ability on the defensive line and at linebacker for much of the season. The good part about this team is that they have All-Pro playmakers in key skill positions right now. In addition to Diggs receiving first-team All-Pro honors, Allen, kick-returner Andre Roberts, cornerback Tre'Davious White and wide receiver Cole Beasley were all given second-team All-Pro honors. As we look towards the 2021 NFL season only Roberts is a free agent and he's amongst a group of 20 free agents the Bills will need to make decisions on while looking at a potential NFL salary cap ceiling of $175-185 million.
Things will be very tight cap-wise for Buffalo, to the point where they may allow play-making, yet oft-injured linebacker, Matt Milano to walk. According to Spotrac, Milano could see a salary-jump to somewhere in the $13 million area for the four-year pro who's coming off of the final year of his entry-level deal with a roughly $2.2 million cap-hit in 2020.
Offensive tackle Daryl Williams is another tough decision. The six-year veteran signed a one-year deal in Buffalo with a cap-hit of $2.5 million but could see that take a big jump with estimated free-agent market value of $7.8 million. Fellow O-lineman John Feliciano could see a market that doubles the $3.625 million AAV of his last contract.
The estimated market value for those free agents may be a little high as Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on the salary structure of professional sports teams in North America, but rest assured there are teams with plenty of cap-space who won't hesitate to max out or over-pay a player they value.
That said, 2021 decisions may be a little easier for Buffalo when looking through the lens of the competitiveness atop the AFC and while also looking in hindsight at the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs dominated the Bills in the AFC Championship game and in-turn were dominated by the Bucs. If the Bills' weaknesses were exposed by Kansas City, how much more would they have been exploited by a Tom Brady-led Tampa team?
Let's put it this way, the opinion here is that it was a good thing Buffalo didn't make it to the Super Bowl as they probably would have lost their fifth Super Bowl worse than the Chiefs did in their 31-9 loss.
The Bills are not far away from serious consideration as a Super Bowl contender, but because of their many needs and current salary cap restrictions it's highly doubtful they'd be able to do what needs to be done all in one off-season and Beane pretty much acknowledged that when he pumped the brakes on any impactful free agent signings this off season. Look for them to make modest free agent signings while relying upon the draft to fill holes and/or add depth with a focus on non-critical FA's to be re-signed at below market value.
Although it might not add up to much in 2021, it could set them up nicely for 2022 when things hopefully resemble normalcy both off and on the field.
