What offseason moves does Bills GM Brandon Beane need to make to compete with Chiefs?

Expectations were low for Buffalo entering the 2024 season with the Bills excelling and making it all the way to the AFC title game. Another loss to the Chiefs on Sunday was just another reminder that Bills general manager Brandon Beane has more work to do to defeat the champions.

Beane has made his fair share of big moves to get the Bills to be contenders. Von Miller is an example of someone who is a future Hall of Famer who signed with Buffalo to pressure and sack Mahomes. The results for Miller have been 14 sacks in three seasons and being plugged in as a rotational pass rusher.

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17). | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Other recent moves like at wide receiver with trading Stefon Diggs to Houston left the group looking for a No. 1 receiver. Keon Coleman was drafted in the second round as the team passed on Xavier Worthy in the first round. Amari Cooper was acquired during the season to take that No. 1 spot.

Again, the results were mixed as Coleman had 556 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games played. Cooper was not the dynamic difference maker the Bills were hoping for as he had 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.

These are some examples of Beane making good moves, but none that are considered significant enough moves for Buffalo to topple the Chiefs. So where does Beane go from here?

Defense Take Priority

Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50). | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

After surrendering 32 points in the AFC title game, defense needs to be the main focus. The defensive line could not contain Mahomes in the pocket, leaving the unit needing to get younger and faster. Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Ed Oliver give the team foundational pieces, but Miller is hitting an age where the money may not be worth it for his current role as a backup.

Buffalo’s secondary has had its bumps and bruises this season as the team did not have Taylor Rapp for Sunday’s game and Christian Benford was knocked out early with a concussion. Rasul Douglas and Damar Hamlin have been reliable starters, but the unit overall has been inconsistent.

Douglas might end up being a priority to re-sign as he is a free agent. On the defensive line, the Bills could go after Eagles’ Josh Sweat or Cardinals’ Baron Browning to fill in for Miller and potentially be a starter.

Josh Allen Needs a No. 1 Receiver

Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0). | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Khalil Shakir has been the most consistent receiver on the Bills during the 2024 campaign. While other guys like Coleman, Cooper, and Mack Hollins have had their moments, the wide receiver room is not the strongest.

Cooper is hitting the free agent market which would give the Bills some options between Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin to step into that number one role. There are receivers in the draft the Bills could select, with the most likely scenarios being Texas’ Matthew Golden and Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor being good options in the first round.

The prototype the Bills needs to look for in the offseason is a speedster who can burn the secondary down the field. Buffalo’s lack of a deep threat has hurt the passing game for producing more big plays. Giving Allen someone like that could transform the offense in so many ways.

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