For all the people who think the Bills are about to fall apart because of some veteran offseason departures, please stop. This is a team that has found ways to thrive despite a variety of setbacks in recent years. That’s not going to change just because Buffalo had to bid farewell to some aging stars. Yes, wide receiver Stefon Diggs was a great player with this franchise, but the Bills’ offense still thrived in the second half of last season without him lighting it up. Yes, this team will miss the veteran leadership in the secondary from studs like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White. Guess what? All those guys have been banged up over the last three years and somehow the Bills pressed on. The reality is that all teams lose key players eventually. The best ones know how to prepare and adjust, which is something the Chiefs proved over the last two seasons. Like Kansas City, Buffalo has a franchise quarterback who can do things most mortals simply can’t. If Josh Allen can continue trusting offensive coordinator Joe Brady as the quarterback did in the second half of last season — after Bills head coach Sean McDermott fired Ken Dorsey and promoted Brady — then good things will continue to happen. Buffalo looked to younger players like running back James Cook and tight end Dalton Kincaid to be difference-makers, and they responded. They surely will be asking the same of rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman this fall, as his maturation will determine plenty about what this offense’s ceiling will become.
On defense, the question is: Can the Bills pressure opposing quarterbacks? The gamble of paying big money to an old Von Miller hasn’t paid off, so they’ll have to find somebody to consistently do it. On the other hand, the return of All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano from a fractured leg will help a defense that finished fourth in the league in points allowed last year despite a bevy of injuries. Of course, there will be more questions around the Bills than we’ve seen in previous seasons. But this is also a team that has won four straight AFC East titles and nearly beat the Chiefs in each of their last two playoff encounters (including last year’s 27-24 loss in the Divisional Round). It will likely find a way to return to the postseason again.