Every offseason, Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills are tasked with building the next roster.
A lot of the nucleus will return, but there is always roster turn over. New faces joining, often times replacing old faces, or simply creating necessary positional depth. The Bills were a mere three points away from a Super Bowl appearance, but it’s up to Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott to identify the missing pieces and make moves to acquire those players. It is a complicated task in a competitive league.
Brandon Beane has been clear that the team is not just one player away. Beane will have decisions to make surrounding free agency, player releases, contract extensions, the draft, and potential trades. Combined, these decisions will make or break the Bills 2025 season.
Let’s look at some of the key decisions facing the Bills this offseason.
What do the Bills do with edge-rusher Von Miller?
A lot has been written and said about Von Miller’s impact and contract situation, and the likely most impactful decision this offseason is whether Miller can contribute any meaningful production at this point in his career. If the answer is no, release the former all-pro, take the $8.4 million savings and move on. If the answer is yes, the Bills must find a way to renegotiate his contract commeasurment with his level of play, but that also saves the team a significant amount of cap space.
Should the Bills extend James Cook this offseason and what does that contract look like?
Few probably expected James Cook to make his contract extension request public, but that’s exactly what he did when he announced on social media that he’s looking for a deal paying him $15 million annually. Say what you will about Cook’s negotiation tactics, but Beane will need to decide if the Bills need Cook long-term and at what cost. The alternative is to move on from him after the 2025 season (or maybe via a trade) and find their next starting running back, whether that be in Ray Davis, or another draft pick or free agent option.
RELATED: NFL cap expert recommends contract terms for Bills’ Cook to end contract drama
How will Beane get the Bills cap complaint before the league’s new year?
There are a number of ways that Beane can get some cap relief, but it will likely take many player contract restructures and possibly some player releases to accomplish the goal of managing the Bills cap to allow the team to sign some free agents. Watching how aggressive the Bills are in getting under the cap, could be an indication of how aggressive they plan to be in free agency and potential trades, for players such as the Browns Myles Garrett.
RELATED: Bills could have competition for $21 million cornerback in free agency
How aggressive will the Bills be in their attempt to upgrade the defensive line?
It’s easy for fans to advocate for Beane needs to acquire Garrett in a trade, but the draft pick and cap implications of such a deal are major and will impact the Bills for many years. The big question that Beane will have to answer before trying to pull the trigger on a deal, is can they get a contract extension done for a player of that caliber, and are the Bills willing to give up vital (likely multiple frist round picks) draft assets in 2025 and 2026 to make such a move.
Bills own the 30th overall pick in the 2025 draft, what should the Bills do with the pick?
Beane’s track record of top picks is arguably questionable, and while he’s done an excellent job of finding hidden gems in the later rounds, he needs to find an impact payer with the teams first pick this year. The critical question is whetehr the team should stay put at slot 30 or try to move up to acquire a day-one impact player.
RELATED: Bills must make big free agency decision on Josh Allen favorite teammate
Beane needs to decide who gets contract extensions this offseason
Cook isn’t the only third-year player that has out-played their rookie contract and earned an extension. Cook is being the loudest, but one could argue that Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, and Christian Benford are just as important pieces of the Bills for the long-term. This could become a tenuous situation, and if the Bills choose to reward others with extensions, there is the possibility of a hold out by Cook to begin the 2025 season.
