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Have Bills Fixed Biggest 'Red Flag' This Offseason?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 9:55 PM ET

The Buffalo Bills clearly identified their biggest weakness this offseason, and general manager Brandon Beane addressed it.

The defensive line has seen Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht, and Larry Ogunjobi be signed in free agency, and what's more, the first five draft picks for Buffalo all went to the defensive side of the ball.

So yeah, they knew their weakness.

With the Bills seen as a genuine Super Bowl contender, and depending on who you ask, the favorites, the offense, led by Josh Allen, is set (we think), but it is defensively where Sean McDermott must show improvement.

And for CBS Sports, Buffalo's defense in the biggest spots is a huge red flag.

"It's popular (and mostly fair) to critique the Bills for giving Josh Allen a slew of serviceable rather than spectacular pass catchers," CBS Sports writes. "Besides the archrival Kansas City Chiefs, however, Sean McDermott's defense might be the biggest impediment to a long-awaited Super Bowl run.

"This group's pass rush is setting up to be quite dependent on Joey Bosa, whose injury concerns have already carried over into Buffalo. And the secondary's trajectory could hinge upon either a rookie in Maxwell Hairston or an aging familiar face in Tre'Davious White."

Getting off the field on crucial downs was Buffalo's downfall last season, as they allowed a third-down conversion 44 percent of the time (ranked 30th). Plus, the group only had 39 sacks (20th in the league).

That means teams were able to continue to move the chains, and the quarterback wasn't getting put into the turf. Will that change?

Bosa, Greg Rousseau, Hoecht, A.J. Epenesa, Ed Oliver, Daquan Jones, along with rookies Landon Jackson and Deone Walker, will be tasked with improving both numbers in 2025.

Bills Mafia hopes that’s enough to solve the “red flag.”

So, while the offense has few question marks over it, the defense does, and until those are answered in the biggest moments, people will always be a little skeptical of this team's ability to win it all.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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