ANTHONY GETTINO
Sports Editor
This past season, the Buffalo Bills exceeded all expectations and marched to the AFC Championship Game before being eliminated by the Kansas City Chiefs. Having their leagues second best record, there weren’t too many weaknesses on the roster.
With free agency and the 2021 draft approaching soon, there are some places on the roster that fans would like to see upgraded in order to make that last jump in skill and win a Superbowl.
Since the Bills play just under an hour away from SUNY Fredonia’s campus, you can find many passionate fans that are willing to talk all day about what they think this team needs to do. And for the most part, they all say the same things.
The two most said positions of need according to the fans I talked to were the offensive line and the running backs room.
The offensive line has been an ongoing issue for the team, although this past year was a marked improvement over the years prior. This need to bolster the line coincides with the need for a running back, as the past few seasons have seen the run game become less effective year in and out.
Luc Williams hopes for a strong running back with the teams first round pick, as he stated “the teams run game has been lacking for the last few seasons and with such a late pick, there may not be a better player of need at that position.”
As for on the defensive side of the ball, resigning Matt Milano should be the top priority. Having Milano back in the lineup consistently will help the team step up run coverage, which was another weakness.
Fans are split on adding the recently released JJ Watt. On the one hand, Watt is a three time defensive player of the year and is still a very effective pass rusher. On the other, he will command a significant amount of cash that could go into either the more significant needs of the roster or into the home grown talent the team invested draft picks into.
One position that every fan agreed didn’t need to be tinkered with was the receiving core. With their top four receivers set to return this season and the effectiveness Josh Allen had in the passing game, there’s no need to make any changes that could mess with the chemistry.
A new backup quarterback should also be on the mind of Brandon Beane and the Buffalo front office. With Josh Allen being a mobile quarterback he’s bound to take hits, which could lead to injury.
“Current backup Matt Barkley isn’t a sufficient quarterback to take the reins of a championship caliber football team in the event Allen misses any time,” is what self proclaimed super fan Griffin Dombroske said as a last note of changes necessary to the roster.