The Buffalo Bills have dominated the AFC East division since 2020. However, the division streak could be broken by the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets beefing up their rosters this offseason.
With Miami trading for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to New England signing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Aaron Rodgers intending to play for New York, there’s plenty of talent being loaded into the AFC East.
Bill head coach Sean McDermott is aware of Buffalo’s opponents getting better during free agency. Speaking with NFL Network's Judy Battista at the Annual League Meeting on Saturday, McDermott opened up about the division improving in 2023.
“Yeah, we have a tremendous amount of respect for them,” McDermott said. “Not only at the coach level but at the talent level they’ve been able to accrue. You look across the division, and to your point, it’s impressive. So, we have to make sure we continue to reinvent ourselves to stay on top of the division.”
As the first step to compete in the AFC East this season, general manager Brandon Beane signed new players and brought back familiar faces. Buffalo signed former Patriots RB Damien Harris, extended LB Matt Milano’s contract, re-signed CB Dane Jackson and returned Pro Bowl safety Jordan Poyer.
With Poyer back, McDermott shared what it means having the 11-year safety command Buffalo’s defense.
“Yeah, leadership right away,” McDermott said. “The edge of our defense when Jordan plays, we have a certain edge to us, and that’s a great quality that a player can add that to a team in addition to what he already adds in the X’s and O’s doing his job. That edge, that dog that he adds to our defense, is well known.”
Poyer, 31, signed a two-year deal to return to Buffalo. The safety earned his first All-Pro nod during the 2021 season and followed it up in 2022 with his first Pro Bowl. Buffalo will now look forward to building more in the 2023 NFL Draft, where McDermott plans to utilize a wide search.
“All areas, really," McDermott said about spots on the roster that can improve. "Just trying to find the best players we could find at every position that fit us. It may not fit everyone the same, but players that fit the Buffalo Bills and players that take a lot of pride in playing in Buffalo and what it means to wear the red, white and blue of the Buffalo Bills.”