As the 2024 season draws near, the Buffalo Bills have a lot to learn. The time to find reliable replacements for Josh Allen’s primary passing targets is running out as they are on other AFC teams.
After four extremely successful seasons, Buffalo is in a difficult situation with the departure of Stefon Diggs, forcing Allen to find a new top receiving option. There’s some worry even with the loss of a reliable but replaceable wide receiver like Gabe Davis, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills’ offense features a number of fresh faces that you should get to know.
In an NFL Network interview, Allen stated that the Bills, who have somewhat of a makeover, are still getting to know one another. Any team that is going through significant changes will benefit greatly from having a strong team dynamic.
The Bills quarterback remarked, “With OTAs, you get to spend time in the building and outside of it hanging out.” “So, ensuring that we follow up with what we do once we leave the facility? Are we playing golf? Do we spend a lot of time at the house? Shall we eat dinner together? Breaking bread, in my opinion, is a really important part of getting to know someone. In my opinion, the relationships that are formed off the field benefit the players on it. We’re merely attempting to learn more about one another.”
The Bills will have a completely new wide receiver core in 2024.
The Bills made the decision to move Diggs and accepted a transaction with the Houston Texans that resulted in them receiving a 2025 second-round selection pick (via the Minnesota Vikings) after evaluating the team’s cap position. Buffalo may be able to use the Chicago Bears’ additional fourth-round pick in a trade. Buffalo may throw its picks around to acquire at least one of the two outstanding wide receivers, Tee Higgins and Brandon Aiyuk, who are currently involved in contract conflicts.
However, the wide receiver group the Bills have entering 2024 has limited potential.
While wideout Khalil Shakir and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are still with the Bills, the wideout room doesn’t have many really intriguing options. The 33rd overall selection in this month’s draft, Keon Coleman, is an interesting rookie with the potential to quickly establish himself as a go-to man. On the third day of the draft, a rookie named Justin Shorter was acquired by the Bills through a trade.
The Bills’ other wideout choices include Chase Claypool, Mack Hollins, Andy Isabella, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Curtis Samuel, and Chase Claypool, two of whom have yet to make an NFL payment. There are some guys who have been solid candidates in the past and have years of experience. However, the group as a whole appears less inspiring the longer you attempt to persuade yourself.
The Bills’ best hope is that Diggs, who never finished a game with 10 catches or 90 receiving yards, may not be as much of a loss as people think and that Knox, Coleman, Kincaid, and the other wideouts will be more than adequate to keep Buffalo afloat after Week 6 of the previous campaign. Additionally, they have the resources to acquire a well-known player who would revitalize the offensive.
However, the Bills are largely reliant on a rookie to be their wide receiver (WR1), and they are unsure of the identity or quality of their WR2 at this point. The Bills should still be a successful club in 2024, but it looks like their days as one of the best teams in the NFL are quickly coming to an end.