Prominent AFC East Offseason Report Card gives Bills painfully low marks

It's not an F, but it's not good.

Sports Illustrated scribe Matthew Verderame released offseason grades for all four AFC East teams, and the Buffalo Bills landed at the bottom of the division with a D grade. The New England Patriots received a B+ mark to lead the quartet. The New York Jets were next with a C+ followed by the Miami Dolphins' C grade.

From SI's AFC East Offseason Report Card:

"The Bills are going through a makeover. While they still remain a contender to win the AFC East, being more than that could be a stretch unless Josh Allen stops the careless turnovers.

Over the past three months, the Bills either traded away, released or lost to free agency Diggs, Poyer, Hyde, Morse, Davis, Floyd, White and others. To replace them are a slew of younger, cheaper options, including Samuel and Coleman, Edwards, McGovern and Bishop.

For GM Brandon Beane, this was a needed reset based on whiffed draft classes, along with killer contracts handed out to Diggs and, even more so, edge rusher Von Miller.

Ultimately, Buffalo lost far more talent than it gained. And while that could be a good thing in the years ahead, it’s a rough reality for the current edition."

Verderame's assessment seems unnecessarily harsh, and his criticisms are rather easily debunked.

First, the notion that Allen is plagued by careless turnovers is the repetition of a lazy narrative. Allen rarely, if ever, turns the ball over in the red zone and a number of his interceptions have come on "shot" plays or have doubled as third-down punts.

For comparison, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes accounted for 14 interceptions in 16 games last year. Allen was picked off 18 times in 17 games. Brett Favre is considered one of the game's all-time greats despite 336 career interceptions.

The criticism of Brandon Beane's recent draft hauls rings hollow, too. The Bills seem to find multiple starters every year in the draft. There's right tackle Spencer Brown, tight end Dawson Knox, running back James Cook, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, nickel corner Taron Johnson. Receiver Gabe Davis, who landed a lucrative free-agent contract from Jacksonville in March, was a Bills' fourth-rounder in 2020. Beane was not yet in charge, but Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins and All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano were taken in Rounds 2 and 5, respectively, at the 2017 NFL Draft.

Sure, 2022 first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam has yet to meet expectations, but Beane found starting linebacker Terrel Bernard and competent cornerback Christian Benford in Rounds 3 and 6. The Bills' first two 2023 picks were both rookie starters. Tight end Dalton Kincaid made 73 catches and right guard O'Cyrus Torrence played every offensive snap.

Sure, the Bills didn't add any marquee free agents, but receiver Curtis Samuel is a sneaky good addition as is safety Mike Edwards. The Bills, who focused their offseason efforts on correcting their salary cap problems, also made key re-signings that will allow for serious continuity.

Buffalo re-signed defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, safety Taylor Rapp and defensive end AJ Epenesa. The defense will feature eight returning starters, including all three cornerbacks.

Outside of salary cap casualty Mitch Morse, free agent departure Gabe Davis and traded-away Stefon Diggs, the Bills return eight starters on offense, including a three-time MVP finalist at quarterback.

The Bills trimmed the fat and kept the core of their team intact. They remain the betting favorites to win a fifth consecutive AFC East title. Classifying their offseason as a near failure shows a failure to look beneath the surface.