The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.
AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North: Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East: Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks
Advertisement
2025 season record: 12-5, (o 11.5 wins), second in AFC East, lost to Broncos in divisional round, eighth in DVOA
Overview
So many things appeared to break right for the Bills. It was an AFC that featured down seasons from the Chiefs, Ravens and Bengals, all of whom missed the playoffs. Buffalo was a flawed team itself. The Bills had one of the worst run defenses in the league and a lack of juice at receiver constantly hampered Josh Allen, who was 23rd in average depth of completion. But the Bills never quite bottomed out like those other AFC contemporaries and still finished the season as a top-10 team by DVOA with an offense that was second in EPA per play.
Advertisement
Of course, Buffalo’s path wasn’t easy with New England taking over the division, setting the Bills up for a new rivalry that could be active for years to come on top of the expected return to form from Buffalo’s prior contemporaries in the conference. And there was the old familiar playoff loss for Buffalo, which cost head coach Sean McDermott his job despite eight playoff berths in nine years and good work on the defensive side of the ball. The Bills kept — and promoted — general manager Brandon Beane, and promoted Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach.
The franchise sent a clear message with the McDermott to Brady move: We have what it takes to win a Super Bowl, and we need a head coach who can do it. Step on up, Joe Brady. No pressure.
Cap/cuts outlook
The Bills have -$11 million in effective salary cap space, the seventh-lowest figure in the league. Curtis Samuel is the safest bet for a release, which would open up $6.25 million in cap space. The Bills could also move on from Dawson Knox, which would clear $9.7 million. There’s not a ton of room for big restructures to open up space for the Bills. A max restructure for Josh Allen would open up $12 million, and doing so for Spencer Brown would be another $10 million. On the plus side, the Bills have 47 players under contract, so it’s not as if available cap space will be needed for bottom-of-the-roster depth. That space could be used for more meaningful pieces.
Advertisement
Key pending free agents
OL Connor McGovern
OL David Edwards
Edge Joey Bosa
CB Tre’Davious White
LB Matt Milano
Edge A.J. Epenesa
Edwards was the best Bills offensive lineman by Sports Info Solutions’s blown block rate and he was 10th among interior linemen in ESPN’s run block win rate. McGovern ranked fifth among interior linemen in pass block win rate. Bosa gave the Bills what they needed as a veteran pass rusher off the edge, but like many Buffalo pass rushers this season, he didn’t convert as many hit opportunities into sacks as would be expected. White finished 10th among cornerbacks in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap and had an impressive bounce-back season in his return to Buffalo. Milano, recently one of the league’s top coverage linebackers, clearly lost a step on the field as a 31-year-old.
[Get more Bills news: Buffalo team feed]
Positional needs
Wide receiver
Edge
Safety
Advertisement
Few NFL-related things aged worse than general manager Brandon Beane’s insistence that upgrading at wide receiver was not a need for the Bills. It was clear throughout the season how much the Bills lacked a playmaking outside threat to open up the passing game. Keon Coleman averaged just 1.05 yards per route run against man coverage and was a healthy scratch multiple times this season. Khalil Shakir was the team’s best receiver, but he had only a 3.67-yard average depth of target.
With Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa set to be free agents, the Bills need another pass rusher across from Greg Rousseau. This was a team that signed Matthew Judon from the practice squad late in the season to get some pass-rush juice. Buffalo was 19th in pressure rate with a four-man rush.
Cole Bishop has developed into an impressive safety, but there’s been a hole next to him. Damar Hamlin missed time with injuries and Jordan Poyer was brought back. For a team that wants to play in two-high as much as the Bills have (at least under McDermott), a second safety is a necessity.
2026 NFL Draft picks
1st round, pick No. 26
2nd round, pick No. 60
3rd round, pick No. 91
4th round
5th round
7th round (NYJ)
7th round (DAL)
Advertisement
What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?
Get serious about pass-catchers
There always seems to be a temptation to cut corners and not credibly invest in pass-catchers when you have a Tier 1 player behind center. Your hope is that this player can elevate everyone around him. A fair ask of an elite quarterback but you also need to clear a minimum player-quality threshold. It’s quite apparent that the Bills have not come close to that in the last two seasons, especially in 2025. That must change in order for this team to get where it wants to go and for this to be an offensive ecosystem we want to invest in in fantasy football.
Advertisement
Considering the track record, I’m skeptical that this front office can put aside its hubris and recognize what needs to be done. The best hope is that they change some of what they’re looking for at pass-catcher since the organization is already headed for a coaching staff makeover. — Matt Harmon
Good draft fit
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Bills would do well with any of the projected first-round wideouts this season, but Tyson would give them a big-play threat over the middle and in the red zone, with a full route tree and availability to adjust to the football. Plus, his injury history might push him to the back half of the first round, where the Bills will pick.
Advertisement
Betting nugget
Most of the Bills’ ATS this season came with a rest disadvantage, as Buffalo went 1-4 ATS in the regular season with less rest than its opponent. Conversely, the Bills were 4-0 SU (3-1 ATS) with a rest advantage. — Ben Fawkes
Leave a Reply