Change is inevitable, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
The Buffalo Bills will look different in 2024. With their core of veteran leaders gutted for football and financial reasons, Buffalo will be tasked with reloading much of the roster while keeping its Super Bowl aspirations at the heart of every move. The Bills will be younger, cheaper, and potentially better next season.
That doesn’t make this offseason any more comfortable.
As the storm of roster churning swirls around Western New York, quarterback Josh Allen feels like the only vested veteran whose future is certain. Superstar receiver Stefon Diggs’ tenure may be in its twilight, tight end Dawson Knox saw his eventual replacement impress in his rookie season.
What about left tackle Dion Dawkins?
Amidst the exodus of free agents, he took to social media to express what seemed like worry.
“Buffalo NY is forever my home,” he posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Promise me That.”
Dawkins will be on the wrong side of 30 by Week 1 and is playing witness to integral pieces of the recent core depart for free agency. With just a year remaining on his deal, he may not be wrong to be concerned.
However, unlike safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde or cornerback Tre’Davious White, Dawkins hasn’t given Buffalo much reason to cut bait.
Dawkins has been remarkably consistent throughout his Bills tenure, grading out as an above-average tackle in each year of his seven-season career. This past season, Dawkins was Pro Football Focus’ 17th-highest graded (qualified) tackle. Even without elite play, his durability and dependability on the blindside are more than deserving of an extension.
As things stand, the Bills could free up $7 million in cap space by extending Dawkins this offseason (per Over the Cap). As general manager Brandon Beane sends long-time Bills to the open market, keeping one in Western New York is a worthwhile way to alleviate some of this season’s cap pressures.
The length of said extension could be telling just how much Buffalo trusts Dawkins to remain a stalwart on the left side.
More must-reads: