The Buffalo Bills are still searching for ways to get over the playoff hump and reach the Super Bowl. They just can’t seem to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bills have tried different roster-building strategies year after year, including a trade for Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs in 2020, but have since shifted away from giving out huge contracts to wide receivers. NFL analyst Dan Graziano discussed the Bills’ current philosophy when determining what’s next for Buffalo.
Finding Good Production on Rookie Contracts
The Bills served their time as a team with one of the highest-paid wideouts in the league when Diggs was in Buffalo. There is no denying his production: Diggs made 445 receptions for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns over four seasons.
But, after continuously failing to get past the Chiefs, the Bills saw enough and traded Diggs to Houston. They haven’t looked back for another superstar receiver. ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently highlighted the Bills as one of the few teams in the NFL right now that don’t believe in paying a receiver $30 million per year.
“There are several teams around the NFL, though, that think the receiver market has grown too much — upward of $30 million per year for the top guys — and don’t want to follow it there,” Graziano said. “The Bills, as last offseason’s Diggs trade indicates, are one of those teams. The number of talented receivers who enter the draft every year means teams can now find good production on cheap rookie deals.”
The Bills’ core right now consists of Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, and Laviska Shenault. Shakir is the only player of these receivers who is making over $10 million per season and he only got his payday this offseason.
The Bills’ strategy is clear. Find receivers who can give good production on cheap contracts and let the extra money be accumulated to other playmakers on the field.
A reminder that Keon Coleman is turning JUST 22 on Saturday. It was never “replace Diggs.” The #Bills invested highly in Coleman because of the room for growth and fit in the offense
With a year with Josh under his belt, and a clean bill of health, Keon could thrive#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/spffTCNcIb
— Justin Siejak 📝 (@justinsiejak) May 14, 2025
The Bills didn’t have any wide receivers reach the 900-yard mark in 2024, with Shakir as the leader at 821 yards. Coleman — last year’s second-round pick — was the only other receiver to eclipse the 500-yard mark. Instead, the Bills spread the ball around and let multiple skill players eat, including tight ends Dalton Kincaid (448 yards) and Dawson Knox (311 yards).
The Bills were able to take that extra money and make other moves to keep some players around on new extensions. Quarterback Josh Allen also received a monster deal — six years at $330 million, which averages out to about $55 million per season.
“Buffalo has had, in the estimation of most people I talk to around the league, an excellent offseason,” Graziano said. “It concentrated on getting several of its core players — such as Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford and Greg Rousseau — signed to long-term extensions. It added veterans Joey Bosa and Larry Ogunjobi to supplement the defensive front.”
With cheap offensive weapons, the Bills retooled and were able to keep their core players around. The Bills are relying on this roster-building strategy to take them to the top of the AFC. One man consistently stands in their way, though. That man is Patrick Mahomes.
The Bills will be gunning for Mahomes and the Chiefs, who have haunted them constantly, and hoping to get their hands on their first Super Bowl trophy.