After much negotiation, the Bills have finally agreed to sign an anticipated $150 million Pro Bowl super phenomenal player from…
One of the main factors contributing to the Buffalo Bills‘ success during their four-year run of dominating the AFC and Super Bowl victories in the early 1990s was roster stability.
The Bills were able to assemble a championship-caliber group without worrying about free agency and the salary cap tearing it apart since neither existed until 1993, just as that helped teams like the Packers in the 1960s, the Steelers and Cowboys in the 1970s, and the 49ers in the 1980s.
When rookie contracts expired, general manager Bill Polian and coach Marv Levy simply re-signed the players they thought worthy because those players actually didn’t have much of a choice. These teams were primarily formed through the draft and sporadic trades.
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The Bills felt the effects of both the salary cap and free agency right away. They lost linebackers Shane Conlan (of the Rams) and Carlton Bailey (of the Giants), offensive lineman Will Wolford (of the Colts) and Mitch Frerotte (of the Seahawks), and cornerback Clifford Hicks (of the Jets) prior to the 1993 season.
Although Buffalo qualified for the playoffs in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999 and won only one postseason game in those four years, the team missed the playoffs in 1994 and 1997 and lost the Super Bowl for the fourth time in its history. And you are aware of what transpired from 2000 to 2016.
On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane addresses the media during a press conference held at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis. (Photo by Michael Conroy/AP)
While it wasn’t the only factor in the Bills’ downfall, many players weren’t overly thrilled with playing in small, wintry Buffalo, where income taxes were a problem. This was especially the case with the introduction of free agency.
The salary cap and free agency have been in place for more than 30 years, and they have both helped the NFL keep its much-loved parity. The Patriots and Chiefs are the only two teams in this era to have truly built dynasties despite constant roster turnover and cap restrictions.
Putting together the 2023 team was possibly the largest hurdle for Bills general manager Brandon Beane since he joined the team in 2017. His buying power on the free agency market was restricted by his top-heavy wage structure, and he only had six draft picks total—just three of them came in the first four rounds.
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His largest outlay was for offensive guard Connor McGovern, a mid-tier free agent signed for three years at a cost of $22.3 million. He then signed over twenty free agents, nearly all of whom were one-year contracts, and brought back a number of the Bills’ own free agents, many of whom were also signed to one-year contracts.
Although this strategy undermines roster continuity, he will have to utilize it once more because the Bills’ salary cap position is significantly worse and there won’t be enough money to make major, long-term acquisitions.
Regarding the signing of numerous players to one-year contracts, Beane stated, “Yeah, that’s one of the strategies that we’ll have to do.” We don’t have as much money as we did in 2019 or 2020. But we’ll find a way around it. We don’t intend to merely stop competing and take a year off.
This is my retrospective of Beane’s 2023 free agent signings that improved the squad.
Offensive lineman Connor McGovern of the Bills stretches prior to practice. He was a hit, while Harty was a letdown.
â–¶ Kyle Allen, quarterback: I don’t mean to offend the 27-year-old, but it was amazing that the only games we watched him participate in were blowouts when he either knelt down or passed off. From a team standpoint, that is what we would refer to as the ideal backup quarterback season.
â–¶ Latavius Murray, the running back, made an early impression as the third-down and short yardage back. He finished with 300 rushing yards, 27 first downs, and four touchdowns. Crucially, he was the most reliable pass defender, but starting in December, his output was almost nonexistent as it appeared that his advancing years were catching up with him.
â–¶ RB Damien Harris: James Cook and the former Patriot were intended to share the backfield, but that arrangement never worked out. He ran for 94 yards and saw just 60 offensive snaps before sustaining a neck injury in Week 6 that ended his season.
â–¶ RB Ty Johnson: After signing late in August, he was promoted to the practice squad after spending the first six weeks there due to Harris’s injury. Despite only playing 91 snaps, he outplayed Harris by one yard with 132 yards rushing, 62 receiving, and an average of 5.3 yards per touch.
â–¶ Leonard Fournette, a running back: A lot of people anticipated that this would be a significant acquisition for the Bills, but that was never the plan. In an effort to guard against more injuries at the position, he joined up for the practice squad on October 31. After being available for two late games and rushing for forty yards, he was cut before the Week 18 matchup in Miami because of roster juggling linked to injuries.
â–¶ Wide receiver Deonte Harty: He was responsible for one of the Bills’ greatest plays of the season, a 96-yard punt return that turned the Miami game around and sealed the AFC East. Apart from that, he was essentially a failure. Despite having the 13th-highest salary cap cost ($4.1 million) and being the second-richest signing behind McGovern (two years, $9.5 million), neither Ken Dorsey nor Joe Brady were able to employ him offensively. Apart from the touchdown, he had only 15 catches for 150 yards, and his punt return performance was unremarkable.
â–¶ Trent Sherfield, wide receiver: Sherfield was added as a depth player, although Harty was signed to be a major contributor. He was fine in the No. 5 place (behind Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Harty) as far as that role is defined. Though he only caught 11 passes for 86 yards, he did score a crucial touchdown against the Dolphins. It was hilarious that after virtually doing nothing the whole season, Harty and Sherfield produced two of the biggest plays in the season’s biggest regular-season game.
â–¶ Wide Receiver Andy Isabella: Added to the practice squad towards the end of the summer, he saw action in three regular season games and two postseason contests. Despite not having caught a pass and returning one kickoff for 25 yards, he was already signed by the Bills to a 2024 reserve/futures deal.
â–¶ OG Connor McGovern: The most expensive free agent in the 2023 class, he made the Bills proud with a strong season that strengthened the offensive line following years of guard difficulties. He also stayed healthy and started every game, much like all the other O-line starters.
â–¶ OL David Edwards: Lined up as a sixth lineman and eligible receiver when the Bills wanted to load the field with run downs, Edwards provided excellent veteran depth and later turned into a chess piece for both Dorsey and Brady. Sadly, the Bills never had the guts to pass to Edwards during his 164 snaps in that role.
Defense: Floyd emerged as the finest pass rusher Sunday, January 7, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida, during the first half of an NFL football game, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) attempts a pass around Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56). (Photo by Lynne Sladky/AP)
â–¶ DT Poona Ford: He was intended to be a vital rotation component behind DaQuan Jones, but for some reason, even after Jones was injured, the coaching staff never took a shine to him, preferring to rely more on Jordan Phillips and then Linval Joseph. Ford played in just eight games for 151 snaps overall, and he did not play in either of the playoff games. It was a season of disappointments.
â–¶ DE Leonard Floyd: An excellent addition in light of Early in June was when Beane finally got him. The 30-year-old gave the Bills a team-high 10.5 sacks in addition to 65 quarterback pressures in exchange for the $7 million investment. Floyd’s performance somewhat declined in the second half, but considering Von Miller’s lack of visibility throughout the season, he was a crucial component.
DT Linval Joseph, 35, didn’t have much left when he joined the team on November 1st, having joined from his couch. During 189 snaps, he only managed seven tackles and one sack in nine games, including the postseason.
â–¶ S. Taylor Rapp: With Micah Hyde nearing the end of his contract, this seemed like an opportunity for Rapp to play a year as a backup and demonstrate that he could be a long-term option. Rapp was a mediocre player, though, and his best play of the season was an interception that saved the game in the season finale against Miami, which caused him to injure his calf and miss the postseason. Before moving to Buffalo, he started four seasons as a starter for the Rams, so if he wants to go back, it wouldn’t hurt to see if he can take Hyde’s spot.
