The Buffalo Bills will always have a puncher's chance at winning a Super Bowl title as like as quarterback Josh Allen continues to perform at an MVP level. That does not mean the team's front office should not be working harder to take advantage of his athletic prime.
It's clear that GM Brandon Beane and his staff knew that roster improvements were possible ahead of last week's NFL Trade Deadline. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Buffalo made calls on both Jaylen Waddle and Quinnen Williams. The Dolphins declined to trade their star wide receiver inside their own division, while the Jets preferred to ship their dominant defensive lineman to the Cowboys.
Some might be inclined to give the Bills credit for having the best offer on the table for Waddle, but they should not be awarded points for near misses at the trade deadline. Buffalo's offense needed to provide Allen with more weapons and they failed to do so. The end result may see the Bills coming up short in another postseason game where Allen is asked to do too much on his own.
Who could the Bills have pursued after missing out on Jaylen Waddle?
It's hardly a surprise to learn that Miami didn't want to trade Waddle inside their own division. The Bills should have been prepared to pivot quickly after being turned down by the Dolphins. Chris Olave would have also required a high price via trade but he could have immediately given Buffalo a No. 1 option on wide receiver they've lacked this season. In particular, his route-running prowess would have been a nice compliment to Keon Coleman on the outside.
Rolling the dice on an underperforming veteran like Calvin Ridley could have been a cheaper option for Buffalo to pursue. He's no longer the dominant player he was during his prime, but he could have added to the Bills' options at multiple receiver spots. The Titans are not going anywhere this season and all indications are they would have been open for business if they received a reasonable offer for Ridley's services.
How could Buffalo adjusted their plans after Quinnen Williams went to the Cowboys?
The Bills have talent up front but it's obvious that landing Williams would have given them a dominant interior lineman who could have changed the complexion of their defensive front. It's unclear what Buffalo offered for Williams but the Cowboys must have outbid them in the eyes of the Jets' front office.
The curious part of this story is that numerous other defensive lineman were available on the trade market. Admittedly, none of the star power that Williams' exudes but several veterans on the trade market could have given Buffalo's defense a much-needed boost in quality.
The Bengals didn't seem interested in parting with Trey Hendrickson, but the Bills should have tested their resolve with something along the lines of a Round 2 pick. Cheaper options for Buffalo included Arden Key or Kingsley Enagbara. Neither possesses star quality, but they could have been acquired for modest draft compensation just ahead of the deadline.
So where does this leave the Bills roster?
In the end, the Bills opted to do nothing to boost their chances of winning a Super Bowl this year. That's a mistake by the front office. Allen only has so many prime seasons left in his career and Buffalo should be doing everything possible to maximize his prime.
The unspoken argument for Beane and his front office is that the asking prices were too high ahead of this year's trade deadline. That excuse only goes so far. It's imperative that Buffalo tries to spend some of their draft capital in the offseason to acquire players who can help them win now.
The Bills roster still has enough talent to win it all this year, but they lost valuable ground to their rivals over the last several weeks. It's easy to envision a scenario where Allen comes up short in the postseason again and more questions are asked of why the Bills didn't do more to help him.