As one of the best, most complete teams each of the past few years, it appears the Buffalo Bills have what it takes to put a Super Bowl roster together, combined with a strong coaching staff. Yet, for whatever reason, despite having a top-five NFL QB, Josh Allen and the Bills haven’t been able to get past the AFC Championship.
They’ve kept a large part of the core together since their 2020 AFCCG appearance but haven’t even been able to get out of the Divisional Round each of the past two seasons. So, what gives? Where should Bills Mafia turn next?
One highly-respected former Bills legend, specifically Jim Kelly, has one idea on how Buffalo can take yet another step as a team. Here’s what Buffalo’s all-time passing leader recently told NBC.
“Josh can’t do everything by himself, and I hope they find a way to get a star running back. But I always thought (Devin) Singletary was pretty good. I just didn’t think we used him enough. But you know what? When you’ve got a guy as good as Josh Allen, you tend to probably get a little greedy and want to use him more than you probably should. But (offensive coordinator) Ken Dorsey’s doing a great job and Josh — I just hope we get that running game going to take some of the pressure off him.”
Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly on how he’d fix the Buffalo Bills (H/T Pro Football Talk)
The Bills did add Damien Harris to their backfield in free agency, and he should be able to complement James Cook, bringing the ‘pound’ to their ground game, but it’s true, we’ve yet to see anyone turn into a star.
At this point in the offseason, Kelly seems unlikely to get his wish. Only because the Bills appear poised to move forward with a versatile group led by Cook and Harris, with Nyheim Hines mixed in.
Yet, if the Bills feel similarly to their former five-time Pro Bowl QB, there are a few names on the trade block. Both Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook and Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler have been linked in trade rumors, yet both teams are coming off playoff seasons and have no perfect replacement. Perhaps that could change on draft day if either team is in a position to land Texas’ Bijan Robinson with pick No. 21 (LAC) or No. 23 (MN).
Or, maybe the Bills can get their hands on Robinson, who’s widely regarded as the only first-round running back prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class. The Bills, who select 27th, may have to move up if Robinson is their target. From hearing Kelly’s comments, he likely wouldn’t hesitate to look into any and every option possible to improve the team’s running game. It remains to be seen whether that feeling is mutual among Buffalo’s front office.
Related: Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott wants Josh Allen to take fewer hits in 2023