Together, McDermott and Beane of the Bills face fresh obstacles in their ninth season.
The Buffalo Bills have grown into a regularly competitive team over the last seven seasons.
Following the hiring of general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott in 2017, the Bills won four division titles (2020–23), had the fourth-best winning percentage (64%) and six postseason appearances. Josh Allen’s selection in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft contributed to the organization’s shift in direction.
Reaching the Super Bowl and taking the next step haven’t come together. During that time, the Bills have only played in one AFC Championship Game, which they lost on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs to end the 2020 campaign.
Buffalo is still working to try to make that move, even with a challenging cap situation and significant uncertainties in a number of areas of the squad.
Beane stated this week at the NFL scouting combine, “We’re frustrated as ever to win, and we’re going to do everything we can.” “Each new year is unique. And we are aware of the difficulty that comes with winning the division four times in a row. It won’t get any simpler.
But background knowledge is useful. Additionally, we are aware of some of the minefields we must avoid. And we’re sure we’ll finish it when the time is perfect.”
Even though the Bills have been extremely stable during this time, some adjustments will need to be made in 2024 if they are to achieve their ultimate aim of winning a title, particularly in the congested AFC. Future seasons will see the team’s effects from the decisions taken this year, particularly with regard to spending.
In the upcoming weeks and months, there will be a lot of things to sort out. Former interim coordinator Joe Brady has joined the team as the full-time offensive coordinator, and Bobby Babich has been promoted to defensive coordinator, a position that did not exist in 2023 when McDermott took over playcalling. At the combine, McDermott stated that they are still deciding who would be in charge of playcalling going forward.
“We’ll make that decision when we need to,” he replied. “Right now, we’re just one step at a time.”
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McDermott made major changes to the defensive staff, hiring new coaches throughout, in addition to new coordinators.
“Continuity is certainly important, but there’s some good things that come with some newness as well … some new ideas,” McDermott stated this week. “Some of the new coaches are from college as well, so that will offer another dimension to us.”
The cap situation is the largest challenge that Beane and the front staff are currently facing. Although the cap amount for teams in 2024 increased to $255.4 million, the Bills are still around $40 million over the limit.
On Monday, the Bills renegotiated the contract of starting left guard Connor McGovern and will keep looking for ways to make space.
“It’s less that we have to take off because we were hoping it would get to $250 [million] but didn’t really expect it to; we were conservatively planning for a number in the 40s,” Beane stated. “So, to get the $255 [million], I was smiling.”
The Bills benefited from a larger cap number, but they still need to figure out how to keep some of their own free agents while avoiding paying too much now and running the risk of problems in the road.
Allen’s contract is another because the team has a lot of large contracts on the books, like pass-rusher Von Miller, so it’s expected to be reworked this year (scheduled to account for over $47 million in cap space) as well as in the upcoming years.
“We’ve obviously tried to not pile [money up for the future], but also take a shot, make a run,” Beane stated. “A two-year-old Von Miller signed. Add that closer and pass-rusher, and we’ve already done some similar stuff. It seems pretty difficult to me. Maybe next year, though, if you tell me the cap will increase by $40 million. However, I don’t think the league expects that. Consequently, everything kind of depends on where we finish up, which guys we decide to keep this year, and what we add to the books.”
The Bills will continue to manage Allen’s deal, particularly in light of the rising cost of quarterbacks in comparison to the extension Allen received before the 2021 campaign.
The Bills need the guys they’ve invested in to play at a championship caliber in the interim. According to Beane, they are “hoping” that Miller will play more like he did before suffering a serious right ACL surgery on Thanksgiving of 2022. He is still recovering from an injury, having not registered a single sack in the previous campaign. The allegations of assault against him are also being looked into.
With numerous starters poised to become free agents, including safety Micah Hyde, a free agent who is thinking about retiring, that might mean a lot of new faces. For seven seasons, Hyde and Jordan Poyer have shared the defensive backfield. Poyer has a contract for another season, but it is possible to start again with a brand-new safety tandem.
Additionally, there will be difficult decisions to make because cornerback Tre’Davious White, who is recovering from a torn right Achilles, and center Mitch Morse could be asked to play with decreased salary or lose cap space.
The Bills may have to break with a practice that has greatly aided in the team’s success: retaining draft picks in-house as a result of the spending constraints. This has helped the team establish many important players, including as linebacker Matt Milano and left lineman Dion Dawkins, but players like defensive end AJ Epenesa and wide receiver Gabe Davis may receive larger salary offers from other teams.
The Bills will need to adjust to new obstacles on the coaching and front office fronts in order to find that progressive route that hasn’t materialized in recent years.
Beane declared, “We love to draft, develop, and sign.” “Those men, in my opinion, have all matured nicely and merited the chance to enter free agency. Now that we are aware of the cap, we are still figuring out how to go underneath and then how much we can produce without creating an enormous mess.”
