The 2023 NFL league year officially started on Wednesday. Free agents are already signing their new deals with their teams, painting the picture of what the league will look like in 2023. Contending organizations such as the Buffalo Bills should remain very active in free agency and throughout the next few months with the goal of making it to the Super Bowl in 2024.
In the 2022 regular season, the Bills finished with a 13-3 record and clinched the AFC East. This marked the third year in a row that the team won its division.
After being considered a Super Bowl frontrunner throughout 2022, the Bills’ season came to an end in the AFC Divisional round. Buffalo was not a match for the Cincinnati Bengals, losing 27-10 despite playing at home.
With hopes of going further this upcoming season, the front office should have a tough time this summer. The team does not have much left in cap space and still has many pending free agents. Still, there are some names in the market that could certainly help the Bills in 2023.
With that being said, here are the top free agents still available to round out the Buffalo Bills’ roster for the 2023 season.
3. RB Leonard Fournette
Buffalo's offense could suffer a major setback this offseason. Devin Singletary led the team with 177 carries and 819 yards, scoring five times in 2022, while also catching 38 passes for 280 yards and another score. Combining his contributions both on the ground and through the air, he topped 1,000 scrimmage yards for the second straight year.
Singletary started in all 16 games he appeared in and is available in free agency. This means that Buffalo could lose its main rushing option and a pretty big piece of their offense.
With hopes of winning a title as soon as possible, the Bills should go after a player with playoff experience. One name that seems like a possible alternative if Singletary leaves is Leonard Fournette. “Playoff Lenny” was recently waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after three seasons with the team.
In 2022, Fournette had 189 carries for 668 yards and three touchdowns. While those numbers were down from his previous seasons, Fournette compensated through the air. He had 73 catches for a career-highs in both yards with 523 and touchdowns with three.
Fournette’s experience, especially with his Super Bowl title, and his ability to both run and catch the ball make him an option for the Bills. Buffalo could sign him to a friendly deal and give Josh Allen another solid target.
2. G Rodger Saffold
Another important unit that helped in Buffalo’s success was the offensive line. Opponents had just 33 sacks when facing the Bills in the regular season, placing them top-10 in the fewest sacks allowed.
The problem is that the team has many of its offensive linemen hitting free agency. David Quessenberry and Bobby Hart are just some of the names who are still waiting for a contract for the 2023 season.
While the Bills already signed guard Connor McGovern to a big contract, they could still add depth to the position. One way to do it is to re-sign Rodger Saffold to a friendly deal.
The veteran is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection and was a Second Team All-Pro player in 2017. He is already familiar with the system and could be useful despite his age. By bringing him back, the Bills could maintain their core while still adding a big name in McGovern.
1. TE Dalton Schultz
Finally, the Bills could go after another tight end. Other than Pro Bowler Dawson Knox, no tight end had more than 10 catches in the 2022 season for Buffalo.
To avoid overworking Knox and to improve the already-talented offense, the front office could try adding another solid tight end to pair with the veteran.
Perhaps one of the main free agents still available is Dalton Schultz. In 2022 with the Dallas Cowboys, he had 57 catches for 577 yards, his lowest numbers since becoming a full-time starter in the 2020 season. Additionally, he scored five touchdowns across 15 games.
After playing on a franchise tag for the Cowboys, Schultz could be pursuing a more lucrative deal in 2023. The problem is that the market is not being very friendly to tight ends. Mike Gesicki recently signed with the New England Patriots, but he was not the first tight end off the table.
Other than him, Hayden Hurst and Robert Tonyan signed important contracts. Hurst is on a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers while Tonyan received just a one-year offer from the Chicago Bears.
Since the market for tight ends has been relatively quiet, the Bills could take advantage and go after Schultz. With no deals in the first few days of the offseason, Buffalo could end up signing him to a short-term contract. Should that happen, the Bills significantly improve their offense and keep their status as a contender.
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