For the fifth straight season, the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East and were one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
But for the fourth time in that five-season stretch, their dreams of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history were thwarted by the Kansas City Chiefs, as Buffalo took a 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship Game.
The Cincinnati Bengals, by the way, were the other team to best the Bills in the postseason during this five-year run, taking a 27-10 loss in the Divisional Round following the 2022 campaign.
With the NFL offseason now upon us, Buffalo must find a way to bolster its roster, which won't be easy given the franchise's salary cap situation. Assuming the cap for the 2025 season is set at $275 million, which most expect it will be, the Bills will need to clear more than $20 million just to get under the limit, according to Over The Cap.
And if they want to do anything in free agency, they'll obviously need to clear a lot more than that. And GM Brandon Beane should be able to do that by cutting a few players and getting some others to restructure their current deals.
Cutting Von Miller almost seems like a certainty at this point, and doing so with a post-June 1 designation would give the Bills an extra $17.4 million in cap relief. And NFL MVP Josh Allen would likely restructure his contract in order to free up some more cash. More work would need to be done, but these are just a couple of examples of what Buffalo could do.
Another way the Bills could add players, of course, is via trade. But, again, given the financial issues, it's not as if they can just wheel and deal at will to bring in some of the high-profile names to which they've been connected in recent weeks.
Would it be great for the Bills to add someone like Myles Garrett, Deebo Samuel, or others of that stature? Sure. But those high salaries are still going to be there. So, instead of looking at trades that won't happen, let's look at some deals Buffalo could realistically make this offseason.
And since the Bills need more help on defense than offense at this point, we'll stick to that side of the football for now.
3. Daxton Hill, DB
With the Bills almost certainly set to lose cornerback Rasul Douglas in free agency and possibly also safety Damar Hamlin, they'll need to add some depth in the secondary. And making a trade with the Bengals to acquire Daxton Hill could help in that regard.
And it likely wouldn't cost Buffalo more than a fourth-round pick and an expendable player to get the deal done.
Hill hasn't lived up to his status as a 2022 first-round pick out of Michigan, but he's still only 24 years old and has plenty of time to continue his development.
The beauty of this trade for Buffalo is Hill's versatility, as he can play both safety and cornerback. In fact, after spending the first two years of his career at free safety, the Michigan alum transitioned to corner ahead of this past season and earned a starting spot after beating out DJ Turner II in training camp.
Sadly, Hill only got five games to adjust to his new role before a torn ACL abruptly ended his season. One would think he'd be ready to go for the 2025 season, and the Bills wouldn't lose much by bringing him to Buffalo.
2. Martin Emerson Jr., CB
The Cleveland Browns are one of only two teams with a worse cap situation than the Bills and could be willing to part ways with some players on expiring contracts, one such example being cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.
As mentioned, Buffalo is likely to lose Rasul Douglas in free agency. So, they could conceivably add Daxton Hill and move him back to safety while still going after Emerson to play corner opposite Christian Benford.
While Emerson, a third-round selection by the Browns in 2022, failed to record an interception this past season, he had a four-pick campaign in 2023 and did rack up a career-high 80 total tackles in 2024.
Emerson has just a $3.644 million cap hit in 2025 and likely wouldn't cost Buffalo more than a mid-to-late-round draft pick or two. And the Bills could possibly get a sixth- or seventh-rounder in return as well.
Furthermore, Buffalo could always take a cornerback in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft and treat Emerson as sort of a one-year rental. If he works out, that's good news. But if he doesn't, they simply move on and allow the draft pick to jump up the depth chart.
1. Quay Walker, LB
The Green Bay Packers have a decision to make this offseason regarding linebacker Quay Walker.
A first-round pick in 2022, the former Georgia Bulldog has been solid enough for the Packers in his first three professional seasons, racking up 341 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a dozen passes defended, but he hasn't quite lived up to his draft status.
As a first-round selection, Walker is eligible for a contract extension, but it's possible that the Packers will decline his fifth-year option and go looking for a trade partner, which is obviously where the Bills come into play, especially if they release Matt Milano, which is also a possibility this offseason.
If Milano goes, Walker would undoubtedly be a better option in the starting lineup than Dorian Williams, particularly in pass coverage, which is one of the biggest areas in which the Bills need to improve. Terrel Bernard struggles in that area as well.
The Bills might have to part ways with a little more than they would in a deal for Hill or Emerson, but Walker, who turns 25 in May, still has enough upside to take the risk.