Josh Allen Only Bills Star on PFF's Top 101 Players of 2023 Rankings
The Buffalo Bills will consider themselves Super Bowl contenders in 2024, but their path forward is going to look much different.
The long-time safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are leaving town. Former first-round pick Tre’Davious White is joining them. Buffalo released center Mitch Morse and said its goodbyes to receiver Gabe Davis. Breakout veteran DaQuan Jones and edge rushers Leonard Floyd and A.J. Epenesa are bound for the open market.
That is undoubtedly a lot to lose in one offseason, but Pro Football Focus’ Top 101 players from the 2023 season (playoffs included) shines a different light on the organization.
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Unsurprisingly, quarterback Josh Allen is on the list. As the No. 16 player from 2023, he ranked behind just three quarterbacks, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, and – of course – Patrick Mahomes.
“Much was made of Allen’s turnovers this season, but he also led the league in big-time throws (43) and ranked second in big-time throw rate (6.2%),” PFF's Sam Monson wrote. “When the Bills needed plays, Allen took responsibility, either with his arm or legs. He is one of the few genuinely unstoppable quarterbacks when he plays his best football, and he did that plenty of times this season.”
Allen is inevitable, and when the “bozo gene” doesn’t bleed through, Buffalo is one of the most feared teams in football.
However, his supporting cast may not be as promising as fans had grown used to, even before the free-agent exodus.
Allen stood alone as the only Bills representative on this list. It’s worth noting that this probably functions similarly to Top 100 MLB prospects lists, for example. Rankings are published semi-annually and used as pillars of discourse, but the difference between the 75th prospect and the 150th is negligible, despite the different conversations surrounding a highly ranked and unranked player.
Thus, it’s possible if the list expanded to 200 then several of Buffalo’s finest would have made appearances. Yet, Allen’s isolation is to some extent a referendum on the talent around him.
Bills Mafia likely expected receiver Stefon Diggs to make the list or perhaps the likes of left tackle Dion Dawkins or defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who played very well. Instead, the latter two failed to make the cut after some of their best work and Diggs’ decline grew noticeable.
On a somewhat positive note, they aren’t expected to lose any stars to free agency. Virtually everyone being ushered out (aside from the defensive line) was either inconsistent or showing signs of decline, no longer meriting the lucrative contracts their elite play had garnered.
Having Allen under center gives Buffalo a chance. But if Diggs isn’t the star of years past and high-level talents are found, whether it be through the draft or an unexpected breakout, it’s easy to see the Bills as a second-tier playoff team, rather than a true championship contender.
