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By their own admission, the Buffalo Bills' goal in 2014 was to reach the postseason. That was reflected in the decision to trade up five slots in the draft to pick wide receiver Sammy Watkins with the fourth overall pick, which sent Cleveland its 2015 first-round pick as part of the compensation. Although the Bills fell short of their declared goal, the 2014 season showed this is an organization on a positive trajectory, though it has a massive quarterback question and one fewer resource (the aforementioned draft pick) with which to acquire it than every other team.
Here are four areas of focus for the club this offseason:
1. Should they trade for a QB?
The Bills selected EJ Manuel in the first round in 2013, and though it's hard to write off a player just two seasons into his career, the team benched Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton earlier this season, just weeks after the latter was lured out of retirement. Is Manuel salvageable as a starter? It feels like a long shot after what transpired this past season, but Orton retired this week, leaving him out of the equation. As terrific as Buffalo's defense was this season, the offense simply couldn't pull its weight, in large part because of the quarterback play.
Without a first-round pick, Buffalo has limited draft capital with which to select one of the top signal-callers, and this draft class is considered short on depth at the QB position. The free-agent options aren't much better. Jay Cutler had massive struggles in Chicago this past season, and though his contract is significant, it's one from which a team could move on after the 2016 season if it so chose. Would Buffalo consider targeting Cutler or another quarterback who could be had via trade? Robert Griffin III could potentially be placed on the trading block by Washington, and he offers significant upside, in addition to major performance and health question marks.
2. The future of Marrone/Whaley/Brandon
Any time a new ownership group takes over a franchise, as is the case with the Bills and the Pegula family, there is the question of whether it will stick with the current leadership group. In this case, it will be interesting to see if head coach Doug Marrone, GM Doug Whaley and CEO Russ Brandon stick around. If there is a regime change, that could add another layer of intrigue for the following two personnel decisions.
3. Consider an extension for Dareus
The Bills' defense lost its quarterback during the offseason, when middle linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL. It also lost the centerpiece of its secondary when Jairus Byrd signed with the Saints as a free agent. Yet Buffalo's defense -- which also dealt with the transition to a new coordinator and scheme -- emerged as one of the NFL's best. A part of that was the brilliance of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. He is under contract through 2015, and though he's had off-field and behavioral concerns, he's a dynamic force at a critical position. The Bills will almost certainly look into extending his contract; the only question is whether they are comfortable enough with his off-field behavior to invest in him long-term.
4. Decide whether to move on from Spiller
The Bills' most notable free agent is running back C.J. Spiller, who missed much of 2014 due to injury. He's a tantalizing talent -- his physical skills are unquestioned -- but he's had trouble staying healthy. Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and Boobie Dixon are all under contract through at least 2015, which perhaps opens the door to Spiller playing elsewhere. He has been more of a complementary piece in the Bills' offense than you'd expect for a No. 9 overall pick.
Offseason fixes for the Buffalo Bills - NFL - ESPN
By Field Yates
Here are four areas of focus for the club this offseason:
1. Should they trade for a QB?
The Bills selected EJ Manuel in the first round in 2013, and though it's hard to write off a player just two seasons into his career, the team benched Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton earlier this season, just weeks after the latter was lured out of retirement. Is Manuel salvageable as a starter? It feels like a long shot after what transpired this past season, but Orton retired this week, leaving him out of the equation. As terrific as Buffalo's defense was this season, the offense simply couldn't pull its weight, in large part because of the quarterback play.
Without a first-round pick, Buffalo has limited draft capital with which to select one of the top signal-callers, and this draft class is considered short on depth at the QB position. The free-agent options aren't much better. Jay Cutler had massive struggles in Chicago this past season, and though his contract is significant, it's one from which a team could move on after the 2016 season if it so chose. Would Buffalo consider targeting Cutler or another quarterback who could be had via trade? Robert Griffin III could potentially be placed on the trading block by Washington, and he offers significant upside, in addition to major performance and health question marks.
2. The future of Marrone/Whaley/Brandon
Any time a new ownership group takes over a franchise, as is the case with the Bills and the Pegula family, there is the question of whether it will stick with the current leadership group. In this case, it will be interesting to see if head coach Doug Marrone, GM Doug Whaley and CEO Russ Brandon stick around. If there is a regime change, that could add another layer of intrigue for the following two personnel decisions.
3. Consider an extension for Dareus
The Bills' defense lost its quarterback during the offseason, when middle linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL. It also lost the centerpiece of its secondary when Jairus Byrd signed with the Saints as a free agent. Yet Buffalo's defense -- which also dealt with the transition to a new coordinator and scheme -- emerged as one of the NFL's best. A part of that was the brilliance of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. He is under contract through 2015, and though he's had off-field and behavioral concerns, he's a dynamic force at a critical position. The Bills will almost certainly look into extending his contract; the only question is whether they are comfortable enough with his off-field behavior to invest in him long-term.
4. Decide whether to move on from Spiller
The Bills' most notable free agent is running back C.J. Spiller, who missed much of 2014 due to injury. He's a tantalizing talent -- his physical skills are unquestioned -- but he's had trouble staying healthy. Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown and Boobie Dixon are all under contract through at least 2015, which perhaps opens the door to Spiller playing elsewhere. He has been more of a complementary piece in the Bills' offense than you'd expect for a No. 9 overall pick.
Offseason fixes for the Buffalo Bills - NFL - ESPN
By Field Yates
