National media outlet drops Buffalo Bills several spots in post free agency NFL power rankings

The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason ranked No. 7 in The Athletic's NFL power rankings.  After the first wave of free agency, however, the Bills fell a few spots, dropping down to No. 10 in The Athletic's updated NFL power rankings.  From The Athletic: Quarterback Josh Allen’s contract starts getting expensive this season (from an […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason ranked No. 7 in The Athletic's NFL power rankings. 

After the first wave of free agency, however, the Bills fell a few spots, dropping down to No. 10 in The Athletic's updated NFL power rankings. 

From The Athletic: Quarterback Josh Allen’s contract starts getting expensive this season (from an $18 million cap hit to $30 million), which is part of why the Bills had to cut so many contracts during free agency. They spent the money they had on retaining key free agents, including defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, and extending left tackle Dion Dawkins. In the next two seasons, Allen’s cap hit goes up another $33 million, so Buffalo’s window is closing.

The Bills are in a tough spot when it comes to affording roster upgrades. That's the one downside to giving a quarterback a big contract. It's something you have to do when you have a quarterback as talented as Josh Allen, but it can make roster construction a challenge. 

Buffalo is entering the same territory that the Kansas City Chiefs are currently in with Patrick Mahomes' contract. The Cincinnati Bengals will soon be in the same territory, too, thanks to Joe Burrow's recent lucrative contract extension. So it's not like the Bills are alone when it comes to having to find creative ways to upgrade the roster. 

Ultimately, it just makes nailing the NFL draft even more important for the Bills. If Buffalo is going to continue to compete for championships, they'll have to find instant contributors in the draft. That's the most realistic way to build a championship roster when you have a franchise quarterback that's no longer on his rookie contract. 

Related Articles