After winning double-digit games for the first time in two decades, what do the Buffalo Bills need to do in order to improve this offseason?
There are several NFL teams with high hopes for the future, but not a lot of certainty as to whether they can reach that potential. The Buffalo Bills fit that bill.
The 2019-20 season was definitely a solid start, though. Winning 10 games for the first time since the 1999 campaign, Sean McDermott’s squad improved a ton in year three. Sophomore quarterback Josh Allen settled in a bit more, raising his passer rating from 67.9 as a rookie to 85.3 this season.
Leslie Frazier’s defense was also spectacular. On the year, Buffalo’s defense ranked second in the league in points allowed and third in yards surrendered. It kept the team in nearly every game. While a first-round playoff loss to the Houston Texans was tough, this team should be in the thick of things again next season.
Per Over The Cap, Buffalo has the third-highest amount of cap space to work with over the next few months. Let’s take a look at the Bills’ five most pressing needs as we head into the 2020 offseason.
5. Second-string running back
Devin Singletary is a 22-year-old who did a solid job in his rookie season. Carrying the ball 151 times for 775 yards and a pair of touchdowns, he was a very productive runner. He also caught 29 passes for an average of 6.7 yards per reception. The 5-foot-7 back out of Florida Atlantic has earned the right to be the Bills’ leading rusher moving forward, but he’s not a workhorse.
Ironically, the team’s other running back this season was none other than Frank Gore. The 15-year veteran, known as one of the toughest and most durable runners in league history, added another 599 yards to his resume this season. Believe it or not, he actually recorded more carries than Singletary, though.
If Gore is to return for his age-37 season, he may not be effective anymore. Heck, his YPC last year was 3.6 for crying out loud. While he’s one of the best running backs in recent memory and deserves to stick around as long as he wishes, Buffalo needs young, reliable help behind their halfback of the future.