Buffalo Bills prove rebuilding is easy with options abound

The Buffalo Bills were a playoff team last season, yet continue to rebuild in 2018. They’ve proven that rebuilding can be easy, as the team’s options abound in the draft and free agency.

No matter how poor or successful a team’s season was, there are always major offseason questions on the front burner. The NFL turns over too much for even the best teams to advance a calendar year unscathed. Let’s continue the team-by-team overview with the Buffalo Bills.

Think back to the days of early January. It was the first weekend of the NFL postseason. We are going to blow your mind here with what is said next. The Buffalo Bills actually made the playoffs last season. I know! We couldn’t believe it either! After seemingly tanking, then benching their star quarterback, the Bills still made the playoffs. And yet, they appear to be in full rebuild mode. Those are the ups and downs of the NFL season. Because winning is still everything, the Bills are an enigma. They’ve proven that rebuilding can be easy as their options abound in 2018.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the Buffalo Bills in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

Buffalo moved on from Tyrod Taylor, trading him to Cleveland for a third-round pick. It traded left tackle Cordy Glenn too, to Cincinnati for a first-round pick swap. That places the Bills at 12th in the first round of the 2018 draft, seemingly just outside the halo of picks needed to acquire one of the top quarterbacks in this draft class.

Does that mean another move is coming? The team signed AJ McCarron to a two-year deal, and Nate Peterman is still a person who exists on this roster. Surely that pairing isn’t the future of the Buffalo quarterback position though.

This team is surprisingly deep outside of quarterback, which explains the playoff berth in the face of management not going for it full-bore. It has a play-making defense that finished as a top 12 unit against the pass last year. There is a useful offensive line here, even after the trade of Cordy Glenn. And skill players exist on offense. Buffalo really only needs one more wide receiver, and it would have a full, rather impressive team…outside of quarterback.

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But after the Jets jumped the gun for a presumed move up to draft a quarterback, what can the Bills do? They have the 12th pick and the 22nd pick in the first round, as well as the 53rd and 56th picks. According to the trusty draft value calculator, those four selections would roughly equal the value of the second overall pick, if the Giants threw in their fourth-round pick as well. That is an intriguing haul for New York if it is really comfortable with Davis Webb succeeding Eli Manning behind center. But that is a big if. Otherwise, the Bills are swimming upstream.

They may be able to wait and take a player like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen at 12, but that is a risky move in two respects: whether one of the top five passers will be there, and whether either is actually the answer. Buffalo could go full Jacksonville in 2018 if it adds a few more pieces and rolls with McCarron, but few franchises have shown a willingness to make up ground at the quarterback position voluntarily. I don’t see Buffalo making that leap either, even if keeping its high picks and filling out the roster is the best move for it these next two seasons.

Dan Salem:

Buffalo is an enigma in today’s NFL. Setting aside your obvious jab at my New York Jets, who in fact made the move the Bills were aiming to make by dealing with Indianapolis for the 3rd overall pick, Buffalo is positioned extremely well for the 2018 season. They have enough draft capital to equal the 2nd overall pick, meaning they can easily deal for Cleveland’s pick at four.

The Browns already own the 1st overall pick and likely select a quarterback or the best overall player in the draft. I see no reason why the Giants deal their pick, because they need a running back and quarterback just like Cleveland. But dealing with the Browns for pick four likely nets Buffalo a quarterback, or one of the two best players in this draft who don’t go under center.

There are presumably four top quarterbacks and two top players. That is six guys for three spots ahead of Cleveland at four, the pick I presume Buffalo wants to deal for. But assume for a moment that the Bills stand pat and pick at 12 and 22 in round one. That gives them two bonafide starters. Or perhaps Buffalo trades for Nick Foles, once the Eagles drop their asking price a bit. Colin Kaepernick is also available, although his game is much more like the player Buffalo just traded in Tyrod Taylor. The point being, the Bills still have numerous options to fill their quarterback void, either as the starter or backing up McCarron.

Buffalo rolling with McCarron wouldn’t be the worst move this team could make. They add four top players in the draft in rounds one and two, four guys who likely become instant starters. That’s a major boost to this playoff team. McCarron is in prove-it mode as well, hoping to keep his job beyond the one season. Buffalo can draft a quarterback in the 2019 draft if necessary, add a guy in free agency a year from now, or learn that McCarron is actually really good and worth signing longterm. The Bills are in an enviable position.

2018 NFL Draft: How the Jets and Colts Trade Changed Everything

Both the Jets and Bills are thinking about two years from now, when Tom Brady retires and the AFC East is once again up for grabs. Miami is simply confusing, so I shall set them aside. But unlike the Jets, Buffalo actually has a reliable core. We know this team is good enough to reach the playoffs, so adding more talent only pushes them closer to a Super Bowl. Don’t underestimate the Bills ability to pull-off what Jacksonville did last season. With so few proven star quarterbacks in this league, its logical that several teams can find major success with a game manager under center.

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