Super Bowl: Bust or boom? No. Buffalo Bills take a longer-term approach to drafts – Buffalo Bills Blog

ORCHARD PARK N.Y. — The Buffalo BillsThis offseason, I spent aggressively to win a championship and added free-agent pass rusher Von MillerSigning wide receivers Stefon DiggsUp to $104 million in extension

However, this team is not going to be all-in like the Los Angeles RamsDid last year. Brandon Beane, general manager, rejected the idea that this season was Super Bowl or bust.

“It’s not that. It’s not. I understand the question, and I get why people would think that, but this is not a one-year ‘we gotta get to the Super Bowl or not,’” Beane said. “I want to get to the Super Bowl every year, but we can win the Super Bowl this year, and we’re gonna be fighting like hell to get back there next year. This year, no move was an all-in, do-it-now decision. [approach]. We have a plan and we will stay competitive. That’s the plan.”

The plan has gotten the Bills here, sitting with one of the NFL’s best rosters less than a week away from the start of next week’s draft (Thursday through Saturday, ESPN). Although expectations are higher now, the approach remains the same. Miller’s signing to a long-term agreement was a major splash to help them overcome the hurdles. Kansas City ChiefsThe team has been eliminated from the playoffs by them the past two years. He is expected to make an impact on the field for the next few years, and not just this year. Miller, 33, said Wednesday that he plans to continue his six-year, $120million contract.

“I can run with anybody, and I’m healthy and I take care of my body,” Miller said. “This is a six-year deal, so I’m looking forward to playing the whole thing. I want to see the whole thing. Tom BradyBruce Smith has done this; he’s done it. All the guys that I look up to when it comes to longevity in careers.”

The draft has helped to build the core team since Beane and Sean McDermott took over at different points in 2017. Bills have signed multiple draft picks as second deals in recent years. They have also recognized top players like Diggs, quarterback, and other notables. Josh AllenThe number of rookie players on the roster helped to ensure that there were many extensions.

The Bills have eight draft picks this year. However, there’s only so much space on the 53 man roster. That’s what happens to good teams. Because of Bills’ belief and ability to develop and build through drafts, the next week is critical.

The Bills have a need in one position: outside corner. Many mock drafts, including Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s most recentBuffalo has the opportunity to select a corner for the 25th overall selection. With Levi WallaceJoin the Pittsburgh SteelersIn free agency, rehabbing Tre’Davious White(who tore the ACL from his left knee on Thanksgiving) and 2020 7th-round pick Dane JacksonAre slated to start.

Beane, however, pointed to there being a variety of positions on the roster that he is not “comfortable with,” noting that quarterback is an exception. Beane said they decided to invest in Miller and other players when signing a high-priced corner was possible.

“If you’re strong up front, you can help your back end. It’s also part of the deal. Our purpose in free agency was to sign some D-tackles. Von was signed. But that was the focus there,” Beane said. “We could have gone less on the D-line and said ‘Hey, we’ll stick with what we have here on the D-line and maybe go target a higher-end corner, too.’ But it just felt like this was the best path, and hopefully, it’ll prove to be the right move.”

Miller has been recruiting cornerbacks after the Bills had spoken with free-agent cornerbacks. Joe HadenYou can sign a free agent if you are playing on the course.

McDermott, a former secondary coach, said that he feels there is depth in this year’s corner class. The Bills have never invested in a corner player with a high draft pick under Beane, their general manager.

Moving up or back from No. You have the option of moving up or down from No. 25, but you also have the possibility to pick a runningback with the first-rounder. Beane explained that running backs have been graded as first-rounders in the past. To select running backs, Buffalo used third-round picks for 2019 and 2020 Devin Singletary Zack Moss, respectively — but a top back like Iowa State’s Breece HallThey’ll likely have the option to choose from a variety of options.

“If there’s a player that I think is dynamic enough as a running back, that can add an element to our offense, this year, next year, whenever, we would still take him,” Bean said, “but it would have to be dynamic enough to be over another position that maybe is considered a higher position value.”

That’s the luxury of the spot the Bills find themselves in. They have eight draft picks and can afford to draft the players that make the most financial sense long-term, not just for 2022.

“We’re close, but we’re obviously not there,” Beane said of having a championship roster. “So, what do we gotta do? You still need to have many foundational picks in order to be able that. You can’t just go buy players; it’s not gonna work, I don’t think.”