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Bills expected back in 'Super Bowl conversation' despite mediocre offseason grade

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated May 16, 2025 1:25 PM ET

This offseason was different for the Buffalo Bills than previous years, as they primarily focused on restructuring the defense and signing top players to contract extensions.

They accomplished those goals by signing defensive players like Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht, and Larry Ogunjobi in free agency while selecting Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to start alongside Christian Benford.

Buffalo extended the contracts of Benford, Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Greg Rousseau, and Josh Allen.

These were important moves that needed to be made to set the foundation for the Bills' 2025 season and beyond. Were these enough to keep them in the conversation as one of the best teams in the NFL?

Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox graded all 32 NFL teams' offseasons based on two criteria: free agency/trade moves and draft picks. The Bills received a C+ for the signings and a B for their draft selections with an overall grade of B-. Knox believes it wasn't a bad offseason as they did enough to stay among the elite teams in the league.

"It's hard to say that the Buffalo Bills will be substantially better or worse than they were in 2024. Most of the moves general manager Brandon Beane made this offseason can be viewed as one-for-one player replacements."

"For example, the Bills parted with pass-rusher Von Miller but added Joey Bosa in free agency. It hasn't re-signed cornerback Rasul Douglas but used a first-round pick on Maxwell Hairston. 2024 trade-deadline addition Amari Cooper remains unsigned, but Buffalo added Joshua Palmer to its receiving corps."

"Of course, when a team has one of the top rosters in its conference, there's nothing wrong with maintaining the status quo. Buffalo won 13 games last season and came within a few plays of knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game."

"The Bills should be right back in the Super Bowl conversation this season, and possibly, for the foreseeable future."

"This is because Beane has taken steps to lock up some of the team's best players, like quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills gave him a six-year, $330 million extension in March, which was a smart move even though he was already signed through 2028."

"For one, Allen is now signed through 2030 at an annual price tag of $55 million—which should seem extremely reasonable toward the end of the deal. Secondly, the extension gave Buffalo a little extra financial flexibility in 2025, which Allen was on board with."

"Expect the Bills to remain AFC front-runners alongside Baltimore and Kansas City in 2025."

Buffalo finished the 2024 campaign with a 13-4 record and won the AFC East title for the fifth consecutive season. Another AFC title loss to the Kansas City Chiefs prompted the focus on defense to keep up with them.

The expectations for the Bills this season are boom or bust, as they must get to the Super Bowl. Bills Mafia hopes the average grade isn't foreshadowing another season of coming up just short again.