Bills could be team to beat in AFC East

The NFL offseason is in full swing, and each team has seen its share of shakeups. Perhaps the most notable shakeup is with the New England Patriots. In late March, veteran quarterback Tom Brady announced he was leaving the Pats for Tampa Bay. With that major announcement, some think the Patriots won’t run the AFC East. Instead, it’s the Buffalo Bills who could be the team to beat.

Bills Offseason Work

The Bills made one of the biggest moves in this years offseason wiht a blockbuster trade for Stefon Diggs. Diggs, a former wide receiver for the Vikings, had 63 catches for six touchdowns last season. He also tallied back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons.

The Bills got Diggs and a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft. But they gave up their first-round pick, along with their fifth and sixth.

Acquiring a wide receiver as talented as Diggs was crucial to this Bills’ offense, that needed to improve its passing game.  And Diggs isn’t going anywhere – he’s under contract for the next four seasons.

1️⃣4️⃣

Get your Stefon Diggs Bills jersey today: https://t.co/UH6CfFnvMD pic.twitter.com/D4DGi6Np9d

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 8, 2020

ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques describes how important this trade was for Buffalo.

Diggs will be another option for quarterback Josh Allen. The former Wyoming quarterback is entering his third season in the league. He made leaps and bounds going from year one to year two – doubling his touchdown count from ten to 20.

Louis-Jacques said he expects Allen to make those same major leaps as he enters his third year. Diggs joins wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, creating a solid group of guys Allen can trust down the field.

While Louis-Jacques says Allen needs to improve his accuracy, he still brings a positive impact to Buffalo.

Depth has also been added on the defensive end. Additions like Mario Addison at defensive end and Quinton Jefferson at defensive tackle bring experience to a defensive squad ranked second in the league last season.

What about the Patriots?

While Louis-Jacques says the Bill have done “nothing but improve” this offseason, it’s hard to rule out the Patriots in the AFC East. The Pats have won the division the last 11 seasons, and they still have Bill Belichick.

Even Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said it’s “comical” to rule the Patriots out.

But with the shakeups this offseason, it will be interesting to see if the Bills can nab the division, or if it’ll be the Patriots who win it once again.