Just before the NFL’s Black Monday began, the Buffalo Bills announced that they had elected to stick with head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley for another season. It was a smart move by the team to give Ryan another chance to get the Bills to the playoffs, but there is now some extra pressure on him and Whaley this season. According to rumors, Ryan and Whaley will be given one more season to get the Bills to the postseason. If they fail, then they will both be fired.
With that in mind, this season will become crucial in deciding the fate of the two men. Because of this, the team needs to make sure that they build a strong roster this offseason, and the team should shift their focus to adding a couple of quality impact players in the draft or free agency to help their cause.
Earlier in the week, Whaley had communicated that the Bills wouldn’t be too active in free agency. Instead, they would focus on retaining their own guys. On the surface, the idea is a good one. The Bills have a lot of quality free agents this offseason including left tackle Cordy Glenn, left guard Richie Incognito, linebacker Nigel Bradham, and countless restricted free agents who played key roles as depth players this past season. While the Bills should definitely re-sign a good number of these players, it still won’t be enough to lead them to playoff contention.
The fact of the matter is that the Bills have a strong roster, but they need some reinforcements all around. They need to replace Mario Williams and Kyle Williams on the defensive line, they need an upgrade at right tackle and they need a second receiving weapon to replace the disappointing Percy Harvin. They cannot find upgrades on their own roster, so they’ll look in free agency first.
One player who the Bills should be interested in is Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery is a big-bodied guy who would be a perfect fit across from Sammy Watkins. While Watkins is more of an athletic speed threat, Jeffery could be a jump ball and possession receiver, which Tyrod Taylor would like. Signing him would be huge for Taylor’s development.
On the defensive line, the Bills may want to consider signing one of the free agents of the New York Jets. Both Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon “Snacks” Harrison are going to be unrestricted free agents, and the Jets will be hard pressed to retain them both. Ryan coached them both during his tenure in New York, so adding one could be beneficial.
In the draft, the Bills are actually going to be in pretty good position to land a top defensive lineman in the first round. The team may be able to get Ole Miss stud Robert Nkemdiche if he falls due to character concerns. Nkemdiche was once considered a top prospect in this class, and he could live up to his potential playing for Ryan. As for the right tackle position, there will be plenty of day two options including Germain Ifedi and LeRaven Clark.
At the end of the day, Ryan and Whaley just need to make a few upgrades to the Bills’ roster to have a really great shot at making the playoffs. Adding players like Jeffery, Wilkerson, Harrison, or Nkemdiche would be immensely helpful. If Whaley and Ryan want to keep their jobs, they are going to have to try and add a little help in free agency. If they can’t, then they may be looking at another .500 season.
Jacob Camenker is an NFL Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can like him on Facebook here, follow him on Twitter @jacobyhorse, or add him to your network on Google.
