By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane certainly put things into overdrive last week.
With free agency opening, the Bills got 11 NFL veterans to sign contracts with the team. Of them, five are on the offensive line, five are playmakers, and one is a former first-round pick added to the defense.
Offensive linemen Mitch Morse, LaAdrian Waddle, Ty Nsekhe, and Jon Feliciano joined Spencer Long, who also signed with the Bills earlier this offseason. New playmakers include Cole Beasley, John Brown, Tyler Kroft, Frank Gore, and Andre Roberts. Kevin Johnson is your new defender.
The job is far from done, though. With that, here are the Bills’ five biggest needs as the second week of free agency continues on:
Defensive tackle
The Bills re-signed Jordan Phillips earlier this offseason but could go one of two routes via free agency at this position. They could try to grab a player to compete for Kyle Williams’ old starting spot with Jordan Phillips and Harrison Phillips at the 3-technique position.
Or the Bills could look for another depth move at this position because of the rotation that head coach Sean McDermott likes to run along his defensive line. In addition to Williams’ old spot, the Bills might consider depth at the 1-tech position behind Star Lotulelei, as well. The big-name tackle left on the market is Ndamukong Suh, who’s played both positions on the defensive line in the NFL. Another to consider could be former Chargers tackle Darius Philon, who’s still only 25.
Defensive end
The Bills’ most glaring remaining need might be defensive end. Like the tackle position, the edge rushers for the Bills also run a heavy rotation, if not an even bigger rotation. Buffalo is in an interesting state along the edge, though. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bills have some pretty good pass rushers already. Jerry Hughes was the seventh-highest rated edge rusher in 2018 with a PFF grade of 88.7. Shaq Lawson was pretty good, too. He finished with a grade of 76.4 – 20th at his position.
However, Trent Murphy underwhelmed due to injuries, holding him to 13 games played which he was never really healthy for. Additionally, Buffalo had just 36 sacks last season, ranking 26th in the NFL. QB pressures are nice, but sacks are even better. The Bills clearly want to improve there.
Beane confirmed former Lions pass rusher Ziggy Ansah visited the team last week but he remains unsigned. Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy or former Kansas City Chiefs longtime pass rusher Justin Houston, who had nine sacks last season, could be among options for the Bills.
Tight end
The tight end position all depends on how much Jason Croom impressed the Bills’ brass at the end of last season when he was given a larger role. If Buffalo does see him as one of its top two tight ends, along with the recently signed Kroft, it could stand-pat here and perhaps draft a developmental piece.
If more competition is brought in, that could come via a few pieces. Jared Cook, formerly of the Raiders, will be 32 next season but is fresh off his two most productive seasons. Maxx Williams, who like Kroft was in a crowded position group with his former team in the Ravens, could also be a possibility. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is also an interesting name. He struggled last year with the Jags, but had a big 2017 with the Jets, including some good outings against the Bills.
Offensive line
The Bills did add five pieces already to their offensive line this offseason, but Morse is probably the only name you can write in pen as a starter. The others – Feliciano, Long, Nsekhe and Waddle – will have to fight for spots. With 10 drafts picks en route, you can probably bet one or two could be used on linemen.
But if the Bills have added five linemen, maybe a sixth could be a later free agency option. At the guard positions specifically, Long, Feliciano and 2018 rookie Wyatt Teller are your top options. Teller left something to be desired at times, but he was only a rookie so he could improve. Long and Feliciano come with the career inconsistencies, too.
But in regard to versatile options, some former Titans and one former Bill out there could be intriguing. Quinton Spain has mostly played guard in the NFL, but in college, he had some experience at tackle. Your former Bills option could be Andy Levitre. Buffalo made him a second-round pick in 2009 and he’s already played every position on the Bills’ offensive line in his career. He’s coming off an injury and could be a low-cost option. Spain ranked as PFF’s No. 35 guard in the NFL last year (62.3), while Levitre, who only played in two games, graded at 61.2 overall.
Wide receiver
Aside from the offensive line, the wide receiver room is the most re-vamped position group for the Bills thus far. John Brown, Cole Beasley and CFL standout Duke Williams join Zay Jones, Robert Foster, Isaiah McKenzie and the Bills’ returning bunch from 2018. Those looking to add to this group even further, which the Bills could certainly consider, would likely be those looking for someone to be a No. 1 wideout.
The problem is, you’re not going to find it on the open market.
To find a No. 1 target, it’ll have to come next month in the NFL Draft. By way of trade, maybe Bengals wide receiver AJ Green could get a sniff or two, but that also seems unlikely. Plus, the Bills could give Jones this season to prove he’s a No. 1 wideout.