The Bills have had an eventful shakeup to start their offseason, as they’ll look to improve on their 2025 campaign.
It started with a Division Round loss to the Denver Broncos in overtime, followed by owner Terry Pegula deciding to fire head coach Sean McDermott and promote GM Brandon Beane to an additional role as President of Football Operations. The duo interviewed candidates for the vacant position, hired and introduced former OC Joe Brady as the new HC, and have been busy building his coaching staff.
Beane saw the roster he’d constructed this season experience a flurry of injuries, and the team and quarterback Josh Allen experienced some flux and regressions from their 2024 success. With a new league salary cap, a new coaching staff, and an expanded role, the GM will get to work building a contender for 2026.
With that in mind, here are five areas for the Buffalo Bills to improve under Brandon Beane:
WR1
The greatest outstanding need the Bills have had is the absence of a go-to deep ball threat downfield and on the boundary that teams have to game plan for. Since Stefon Diggs left, the Bills have lacked any true WR1 option, adding one can increase the number of bigger yardage gains and scoring catches made, while opening up opportunities for the rest of the Bills’ targets in the passing game. Whether it’d be by trade, moving up in the draft, or free agency, the Bills can finally go out and get a WR1 again for QB Josh Allen.
Defense
Another area of need is on the other side of the ball, in the pass rush, and in the secondary. They have needs at linebacker and safety, and may need to add an edge rusher if Joey Bosa is not re-signed. Beane went primarily defense in focus during last year’s draft, and added talent to the trenches in free agency as well.
Add Head Coach Experience to Staff
The one notable thing missing from a week of building the Bills’ coaching staff is anyone with head coaching experience. While early response to the Bills’ coordinator and special teams coaching hires has been positive, there are still a number of positions they can fill under them to continue to strengthen the new staff. Another way to do so would be to bring in assistant coaches to Joe Brady who have head coaching experience to help support him in his first-time role.
Add Brain Trust to Front Office
Beane has clarified that he’ll continue to be the Bills’ GM with his expanded role as President of Football Operations. That being said, he’s brought good front office talent in before and could do so again. One area in particular where adding some strong consultants could help is in assessing prospects to hit better on draft picks and find players that can be immediate contributors. This year’s NFL Draft can bring in players on cap-friendly deals for the next four to five seasons of Allen’s career, making it one of the most important years in which to draft successfully.
Be Aggressive
Beane made comments this past week that he won’t hesitate to be aggressive. Not long after that, the league announced the salary cap for 2026 with a significant raise that can help Buffalo.
The GM came under scrutiny this past year more than at any time previously in his tenure, and he now has the opportunity to silence his critics with another masterclass in how he earned the “BBB” moniker in the first place.
He can aggressively rework contracts to free up cap space, re-sign priority players in free agency, and add others that improve and strengthen the roster. He can aggressively pursue a trade for a proven veteran receiver that fits the team’s needs and youth movement, like former Brady’s former LSU receiver, Justin Jefferson. And improve the receiving corps in general. He can aggressively look to move up in the draft to select impact talent at key positions.
Time will tell what it will look like, but the pressure’s on post-McDermott to take the next step in competing for a Championship, and for Beane to rise to the level of his new position.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 5 areas Brandon Beane must improve the Bills during 2026 offseason
