Bills Central

NFL analyst has obvious but needed suggestion for Bills this offseason

The Buffalo Bills have a screaming need at one particular position, making things very easy for one NFL writer. Can GM Brandon Beane fix the wide receiver room?
Russell Baxter|
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman checks in with wide receiver Khalil Shakir on the play while they line up during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman checks in with wide receiver Khalil Shakir on the play while they line up during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

No team in the National Football League currently owns a longer postseason appearance streak than the Buffalo Bills. The club has made seven consecutive trips to the playoffs dating back to 2019. Unfortunately, the franchise has not been able to get past the AFC title game. Hence, the Bills still have been back to the Super Bowl since 1993.

Now the team has a new head coach with the dismissal of Sean McDermott last month. The club certainly has its defensive problems, most notably vs. the run, but the Bills have arguably a bigger issue when it comes to having an explosive wideout for strong-armed quarterback Josh Allen to throw to.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com looked at all of the teams around the league and suggested a roster move for each club. When it came to the Bills and their new sideline leader, the wide receiving corps took center stage.

RELATED: Buffalo Bills can create over $39M in salary cap space with four smart moves

“Perhaps with Joe Brady taking over,” said Patra, “the restrictor plate will be taken off the Bills offense in 2026. It won’t matter if the receiving corps doesn’t make dramatic improvements. Josh Allen shouldn’t be expected to play Superman every time he drops back.”

Khalil Shakir
Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

“Khalil Shakir led the Bills with 719 receiving yards,” added Patra. “The next-closest wideout was Keon Coleman with 404 (yards). An offense that asks Shakir to break 15 tackles every time he touches the ball isn’t going to be sustainable long term. Buffalo needs an alpha, first and foremost. At the very least, it needs to completely revamp the receiver room to withstand injuries.”

MORE: Bills have trusted OL backup plan ready to 'capitalize' if free agents sign elsewhere

If Beane does indeed upgrade this area, will it be through the draft, free agency, or a trade? In 2024, the Bills dealt out of the first round and took Coleman with the 33rd overall pick. That means the last time the franchise invested a first-round pick on the position was Sammy Watkins back in 2014. Prior to April 23, could Beane add a big-play veteran, and then address the position again during the draft? There could be a big and much-needed shakeup in this area this offseason.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

More Buffalo Bills News:

Published
Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.