The offseason is officially in swing for all 32 teams, and there's no offseason tradition quite like trying to figure out who's the greatest of all time in the NFL.
Teams, coaches, players, anything that can be ranked will be in due time. Peter King, one of the NFL's premier insiders for decades, got in on the fun as well, as he put together his all-time NFL roster earlier this month.
Despite not having a Super Bowl title, the Buffalo Bills have seen some of the game's greats wear their uniform. As such, four former and current Bills found their way on to King's all-time roster, with Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith being the clear headliner.
"Smith and [Reggie] White made their defenses superior for a long time, because almost every game they occupied two blockers," King wrote. "I always thought Smith played football ignoring his expiration date; he once told me a football game for him was like being in 60 car crashes every Sunday. He just attacked offensive tackles."
Smith, who played for the Bills from 1985 to 1999, has a legitimate claim as the best defensive player in league history. He still holds the all-time sack record with 200, and it will take a Herculean effort for anyone to even come close to his record again. A first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, Smith was an eight-time first-team All-Pro and won Defensive Player of the Year twice in his illustrious career.
The next Bill to make the cut is a current one, that being edge rusher Von Miller. However, he is on the roster more due to his accolades with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, rather than with the Bills.
"I’m going to find a place on my team for anyone who wrecks two Super Bowls. In Super Bowl 50, he stripped Cam Newton twice deep in Carolina turf, and both resulted in Denver TDs. “A strip-sack’s like a touchdown for a defensive player, and he did it twice!” his pass-rush-mate DeMarcus Ware told me post-game. Playing for the Rams in Super Bowl 56, Miller sacked Joe Burrow twice in the last 18 minutes, finishing two Cincinnati drives."
Miller just completed the second season of a six-year deal with the Bills. He played well in his first season, but wasn't the same after coming back from a torn ACL as he failed to register a single sack in 2023.
Rounding out the Bills representation are special teams player Steve Tasker and receiver Chris Hogan, the latter being on "the bench." Tasker is widely-considered to be among the best special teams players of all time, but the five-time All-Pro is still waiting on his gold jacket. Meanwhile, Hogan spent the first three seasons of his career with the Bills, but is more notable for his later stint with the New England Patriots.
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