The Buffalo Bills enter the 2022 NFL offseason still stinging from the way they lost in the AFC Divisional Round vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Why wouldn't they, after all. They were 13 seconds away from hosting the AFC Championship Game. Instead, it was another playoff loss to Patrick Mahomes.
Buffalo finished 2021 with one of the best offenses and the best defense in the league. But there are some serious concerns to address this offseason. Defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison are both set to become unrestricted free agents and will be highly sought after if they hit the market. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler is also going to be a free agent. That's a lot of beef to replace in order to replicate the defensive dominance. Offensively, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will likely be leaving as well. There are no shortage of questions surrounding the Bills over the next few months.
Here are the three moves that Buffalo must make during the 2022 NFL offseason.
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3 Moves the Bills Must Make This Offseason
3. SIGN AN ELITE PASS RUSHER
Part of what made the Bills defense so dominant in 2021 was the lack of holes. They were very good at all three levels. But with both Addison and Hughes set to become unrestricted free agents, it's likely the Bills will be looking for pass rushing help. It is possible that one of them ends up being franchise tagged, but that would come with a large cap hit.
Last season, the Bills finished the year tied for 11th in sacks with 42. But their inability to get Mahomes to the ground ultimately hurt them in the playoff loss.
Assuming the most expensive names like Jadeveon Clowney, Akiem Hicks and Dante Fowler Jr. are excluded, there are still a number of next level options for the Bills. A player like Emmanuel Ogbah might fit perfectly. He is solid against the rush but also very good at getting after the quarterback. He is coming off back-to-back seasons with nine sacks. The sky would be the limit for Ogbah on this defense.
2. BRING IN A RUN-STUFFING DEFENSIVE TACKLE
It's likely that Vernon Butler does not return to Buffalo. But even if he does, the interior of the defensive line, if there was any hole on this defense, was there. In losses to the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, we got a glimpse of how they hold up against power running schemes.
Bills are getting demolished by Jonathan Taylor.
🔘 157 yards
🔘 4 total TD
🔘 First RB to reach 1K yards this season pic.twitter.com/A422Jp4UrL— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 21, 2021
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had a field day against the Bills rush defense. He finished the game with 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He chipped in with 19 receiving yards and a fifth touchdown.
Article Continues BelowSome of the bigger free agent defensive tackles are a bit long in the tooth. Ravens' Brandon Williams, Buccaneers' Ndamukong Suh and Chargers' Linval Joseph are all in their early-to-mid 30's.
If the Bills want to go a little younger, but still bring in a force up the middle, Bengals DT Larry Ogunjobi would be the ideal candidate. He is only 27 years old and is coming off an outstanding season. Ogunjobi led the Bengals rush defense to elite status in 2021, finishing 5th in rush yards allowed. He really flexed his muscle in the postseason as Cincinnati shut down Derrick Henry in the divisional round. Then in the Super Bowl, completely erased any idea of a Rams running game.
The Bills need to get bigger up front and Ogunjobi would make a big difference.
1. ADD A CHAIN RECEIVER
Not only is Emmanuel Sanders going to be a free agent, but Isaiah McKenzie is as well. Now, Gabriel Davis essentially took over the number two receiving role behind Stefon Diggs as the season progressed. Davis will look to continue the momentum from his amazing performance against the Chiefs in the playoffs. He caught a career-high four touchdowns in the loss.
Sanders dealt with nagging injuries that cost him a lot of playing time. Considering his age, it's likely he will not be back next season. Cole Beasley is a good slot receiver that has the trust of Josh Allen. But his production is inconsistent. The Bills run as many empty sets as almost anyone in football. They rely heavily on quarterback Josh Allen, both his arm and his legs.
So, it would make sense to bring in another receiver to complement Diggs and Davis. Someone in the mold of free agent Jamison Crowder would fit nicely.
At this point, it's Super Bowl or bust for the Buffalo Bills. In order to achieve that goal, they need to address these needs.