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ESPN gives Buffalo Bills surprising free agency rank among AFC rivals

ESPN's Ben Solak has the Buffalo Bills with a free agency rank well above the Ravens, Bengals and Chiefs.
Brian Letscher|
Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks to the press at the NFL Combine.
Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks to the press at the NFL Combine. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has made some savvy moves since his arrival in 2017, most notably the drafting and development of MVP Josh Allen, that have kept the Bills competitive for the last several years yet unable to get over the proverbial hump.

According to a recent ranking of 2025 NFL free agency, however, this may the year that the Bills make the final leap over their AFC rivals.

ESPN's Ben Solak recently ranked all NFL teams on free agency and has the Bills at No. 1. Yes, that would be first. Top of the heap of all 32 franchises. With a clear nod to Beane, Solak pointed out the contract extensions of homegrown (Beane-drafted) talent before free agent markets were set as major plusses, specifically as they allowed to Bills to keep excellent talent at a discount.

"The Shakir extension is only $15 million per year. [Greg] Rousseau got $20 million per year. Bernard is a $12.5 million per year, " Solak wrote, "Those are three young cornerstones of a perennial contender, and they're staying in Buffalo for remarkably less than their open market number."

Josh Allen
Nov 17, 2024; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leaps over Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner (27) to get a first down. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Solak's seemingly only hiccup for the Bills was, "how expensive [Joshua] Palmer was. Palmer is going to fill the Mack Hollins role, but I'm not sure he's going to elevate it much -- certainly not for double the price tag...Still, this is a small complaint in an otherwise great class."

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Notably absent from Solak's evaluation was the splash signing of ex-Charger Joey Bosa. Beane brought in the aging, oft-injured Bosa on a one year deal worth $12 million, not an insignificant price tag for a player with just 14 sacks over the last three seasons, particularly given the Bills limited cap space.

Among the Bills' historic AFC rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals were the next closest, coming in at a respectable 6th in Solak's rankings. The Baltimore Ravens showed up at No. 12 and the Kansas City Chiefs came in all the way down at 21st. While one free agent ranking does not a Super Bowl make, it's a sign that Beane and the Bills are on the right road to finally get over that hump.

Khalil Shakir
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) reacts after a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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