Bills Offseason Ranked 8th Best in NFL

They didn't spend heavily but brought in pieces that Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports believes fit.

Keeping in mind that the offseason technically is not over and that the Bills still could make a splash move to acquire, say, tight end Zach Ertz from the Philadelphia Eagles, what they have done since the 2020 season ended is good enough to rank eighth in the NFL, according to CBS Sports.

"This was not a splashy offseason for Buffalo; certainly not on par with 2020 when Stefon Diggs was the big catch," Cody Benjamin wrote. "But the Bills were already built to contend. Their latest additions are like cherries on the sundae. [Quarterback Mitchell] Trubisky is a perfect fit as Josh Allen's new backup, [running back Matt] Breida is another low-risk, high-reward reserve, and [wide receiver Emmanuel] Sanders is exactly the kind of savvy complement to Diggs and Gabriel Davis they needed after losing John Brown, Beefing up the pass-rushing rotation should bode well for them down the stretch, too."

Perhaps even more important and what was not mentioned was general manager Brandon Beane's ability to keep so many key players from departing in free agency because of the culture he and coach Sean McDermott helped create, leading to players accepting new contracts at below market value.

Linebacker Matt Milano and offensive linemen Darryl Williams and Jon Feliciano were among those who could have made more money elsewhere but chose to stay.

The Bills then went heavy on the lines in the NFL Draft and essentially will head to training camp with perhaps their deepest and most talented roster of all time.

Of course, all lists like these are purely subjective but fun nevertheless, especially for members of the Bills Mafia, who also will certainly note that no AFC East team was ranked higher.

In addition to Ertz, the Bills also are believed to be among the many teams interested in free-agent cornerback Steven Nelson, who like Ertz would provide an instant upgrade as a starter.

But the Bills like their composition with or without those players and departed from mandatory minicamp last week feeling as good as ever about the season that will unfold in 2021.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.