ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — You’ve got Buffalo Bills questions. I’ve got answers. Let’s do this.
Carmen: A lot has been made about the influx of talent to the AFC. Has that changed the Bills’ expectations for the season? Why or why not?
Mike: With the AFC being very competitive, do you think last season was our time to win it all? Brandon Beane didn’t do anything at the trade deadline to get us over the hump; I feel this offseason everyone else has caught up to us. Your thoughts?
Vic Carucci: For both similar questions, I don’t see any reason for expectations to change. The Bills remain a top contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, something I would have said even without the splash addition of Von Miller to the defensive front and other solid free-agent additions on defense and offense.
I do think they’ll face a challenging path to get there, but that isn’t all that different from what they’ve experienced the past two seasons when they’ve fallen just short of going the distance.
The schedule figures to be tougher and will likely include at least five prime-time games that can be disruptive and physically and mentally taxing for players. I anticipate the Bills winning another division crown and, again, having a good shot to capture the top seed in the AFC playoffs. I also like their chances against any opponent, regardless of other teams’ roster upgrades – especially at quarterback – that we’ve seen throughout the conference.
John Jarzynski: How do you see the AFC East shaking out?
VC: As I mentioned above, I fully expect the Bills winning it again.
The New England Patriots probably will make their presence felt, as they did last season, but not enough to overtake the Bills. Mac Jones has plenty to prove as a quarterback, and nothing he showed as a rookie in 2021 convinces me he’s capable of getting the better of Josh Allen and the Bills.
The Miami Dolphins have Tyreek Hill, but lack a quarterback to take advantage of his dynamic talent.
The New York Jets will continue to do what the Jets do: Bring up the rear.
BillsByABillion: The ’22 Bills roster appears to be pretty loaded without much room to accommodate 8 rookies via the draft without risking practice squad poaching from other teams. Do you think Brandon Beane targets a few players in the early rounds and packages some assets to move up this year?
VC: I would never rule out the possibility of “Trader Beane” making a deal or deals to move up and/or down. We know that is a standard part of his football DNA.
However, I’m not sure he would necessarily look to do so out of concern over an inability to accommodate the full complement of players selected in the draft. Beane will stick to his draft board, placing the highest priority on value while focusing on need areas that haven’t been addressed in free agency.
My sense is the Bills will target a cornerback in the first round.
The Real Radman: What do you think Beane’s plan is for CB2? Do you think he modifies some contracts to create a little more cap room to sign a FA, or do you think he’ll draft & plug a rookie into that spot? Personally, I can’t see him doing the latter; I think he has a trick or 2 up his sleeve.
VC: There’s always something up Beane’s sleeve, though I’m not sure there’s any more room for meaningful maneuvering given the Bills’ limited cap space.
As I mentioned above, I foresee them drafting a corner in the first round. They might start him immediately, but I don’t think they’d be opposed to trusting Dane Jackson in that spot, at least for part of the season.
Another unknown is the status of Tre’Davious White as he works his way back from major knee surgery. When will he be full go? Will he be the standout player he was before his injury on Thanksgiving night? Could the Bills end up with two new starting corners at the start of the season, at least until White is back to his previous form (if he can get there)?
bigrick: Do you believe Bills moving up into the teens is a possibility like I do? I see them eyeing that #19 pick.
VC: As I’ve said, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Beane pulled off a trade (or two or three) during the draft to move up or down. I’m not ready to predict a specific landing spot for a trade-up in the first round, but if he saw No. 19 or anywhere else in the teens as the right place to get a targeted player, I’d fully expect him to make every effort (within reason) to get there.
TNFP69: An NFL question: What has changed the trend of who teams trade off their teams. Never remember this many stars being moved in offseason.
VC: Two factors.
One is the success of the Los Angeles Rams, who built their Super Bowl-winning roster with significant moves in the trade market. They gave up premium picks and relied on their ability to find contributors in the middle and late rounds.
The second factor is what’s largely viewed as limited availability of top-level talent in the draft. Therefore, when teams don’t see a great deal of value in draft picks, they’re willing to part with them in bunches.
Ed Helinski: Whether it’s from free agency or the draft, what’s the Bills’ biggest priorities left for the 2022 roster?
VC: Cornerback, cornerback and cornerback. In all seriousness, I would not be the least bit shocked if they invested two picks at corner, possibly their first two, while adding at least another as an undrafted free agent.
After that, I think it will be just seeing where the draft board takes them. Running back, receiver, linebacker and additional help for both lines make sense.
My Name: Will Stefon Diggs be traded before draft, and what do you think the package will be?
VC: I’m not seeing it. He’s far too valuable and there isn’t, in my estimation, an obvious equal replacement for the Bills to land in the draft.
Diggs understandably is unhappy about a contract that became severely outdated through a shocking flurry of big spending for wide receivers. But given their salary cap constraints, it’s hard to see the Bills being able to pay him as much as or more than the highest-paid players at his position, which is what Diggs wants.
Plus, he does have a contract and while he might choose to hold out during the offseason and even training camp, he and his agent know all too well that extending a protest into the season will cost him money. Perhaps the Bills could do something to satisfy him next year, but that’s a long way off and a whole lot can happen between now and then to alter the team’s perspective.
Joe Bad: Do you think the Bills’ plan is to give Cody Ford 1 more camp under Aaron Kromer, with the hope they can get out of him what they hoped for as a 2nd round pick?
VC: At the very least, I can see them observing how he takes to Kromer’s coaching during offseason workouts and training camp. How much Ford and other offensive linemen buy into what will be more physical approach geared toward improving the running game will be interesting to see and probably go a long way toward determining who stays and who goes.