Fansided

NFL free agency 2019: Grades for every team

By Kevin Parvizi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 9: John Brown #13 of the Baltimore Ravens catches a touchdown in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 9: John Brown #13 of the Baltimore Ravens catches a touchdown in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Buffalo Bills

Key Additions: WR John Brown, WR Cole Beasley, C Mitch Morse, CB Kevin Johnson, OT LaAdrian Waddle, RB Frank Gore, TE Tyler Kroft, OL Ty Nsehke, OG Spencer Long

Key Departures: TE Charles Clay, OG John Miller

Grade: B+

After finishing 6-10 last season and having essentially no real pieces around rookie quarterback Josh Allen besides Zay Jones and emerging deep threat Robert Foster, the Buffalo Bills needed to add as many quality pieces on offense as possible. While signing Frank Gore, yet another veteran back, was a strange decision, the rest of the Bills moves were praise-worthy.

John Brown has massive bounce-back potential with Allen, who has the arm strength to get him the ball vertically. Once one of the Arizona Cardinals most promising players, injuries derailed Brown’s career before he quietly shined on a Baltimore Ravens offense that was either run-heavy or quarterbacked by a possibly over-the-hill Joe Flacco.

Meanwhile, Cole Beasley is a much better fit for Buffalo than Dallas. Some Cowboys fans did overrate Beasley – as the offense was markedly better when it involved him less – but he is a useful complementary piece and could be a standout in the slot for the Bills, who needed to provide Allen with a high-quality short-area route-runner like Beasley.

Tyler Kroft and LaAdrian Waddle are two sleepers to watch, Mitch Morse is a massive upgrade at center, and Kevin Johnson has been one of the NFL’s most underrated cornerbacks when healthy. And all things being equal, Charles Clay is an example of addition by subtraction, particularly since his departure helps the offense truly move into a new era.

Brown may be the only possible star in the Bills offense out of all these signings, but Buffalo legitimately added seven starting players as a whole. The philosophy here seems to be sign quality free agents to fill the roster and then go for the impact players in the draft.

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