The Buffalo Bills have missed the playoffs for seventeen straight years. Despite that, Bills fans remain optimistic about the team's chances to make the playoffs next season. Unfortunately, Bills fans like myself will probably be disappointed by a 2017 season that will be nothing short of disastrous. Here are a few reasons why Buffalo will perform terribly in 2017.
Free Agency.
The Bills have a whopping 23 free agents that will either need to sign with the Bills or leave for another team. That number is the highest among any team in the league. That lack of continuity will end up hurting Buffalo as they try to reload on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. Buffalo will also be unable to retain everyone thanks to the limited cap space available to the team. The man to blame? Doug Whaley.
Doug Whaley's Poor Draft History
It's hard to believe that Whaley will be able to plug the best pieces into the best holes for the Bills. When you look at his draft history, you find some underwhelming results.
E.J. Manuel was drafted under his watch! And the rest of the group wasn't much better. That bodes poorly for a Bills team that will need to fill a lot of gaps after some of their free agents leave.
Tyrod Taylor's Situation.
The way that the Bills are treating Tyrod Taylor sends a message to the rest of the league. Buffalo was willing to hand him a sizable contract, but the team seems more interested in moving on and avoiding the option. This decision comes after Tyrod Taylor had a year in which he turned the ball over very little and led all quarterbacks in rushing yards. Instead of sticking with the best quarterback the Bills have had in years, Buffalo seems content to roll the dice in the draft and the free agent market.
The New Bills Coaches.
I'm going to be honest and disclose that I don't like any of the main coaches on the Bills right now. Sean McDermott presided over a Panthers defense that was pretty terrible this season without Greg Norman. Leslie Frazier presided over a failing Vikings team. And Rick Denison doesn't have enough experience for me to be comfortable with him. The Bills didn't even interview Kyle Shanahan! However, I am willing to give them a fair shot. That doesn't mean there won't be growing pains in the first year for the Bills.
All of these reasons indicate that the Bills will have a poor year in 2017. I really hope they prove me wrong and that the team finally ends its 17 year playoff drought.