After another playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane did everything he could to ensure they wouldn't have to endure another one.
Buffalo added several key free agents this offseason on both sides of the ball. With a league MVP in Josh Allen and a strong coaching staff, the Bills are expected to be among the top teams in the league again.
So much so that NFL analyst Logan Ulrich has the Bills as the third-best team in his latest power rankings.
"The Bills have everything they need to keep knocking, starting with QB Josh Allen, who earned MVP honors last season," Ulrich wrote. "Buffalo was able to replace Diggs in the aggregate, getting a breakout from new slot WR Khalil Shakir and contributions from a wide variety of players."
Since Allen's arrival as a star, the Bills have had one of the best offenses in the league. As long as their defense can continue to perform at a high level, Buffalo should continue to be a championship contender.
The question will be whether they did enough to get by their rivals, the Chiefs. Buffalo has gotten the better of their conference rivals during the regular season but has not beaten Kansas City since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback.
Buffalo is good enough to be a perennial playoff contender as presently constructed. But in terms of performance? Rankings and compliments are only a start.
They'll need to do more on the field to reach their Super Bowl potential. … and to make offseason grades seem even more insignificant.