The Buffalo Bills have had an impressive start to the season, going 9-2 and dominating their matchups to this point.

However, with the Bills bye week in effect, today marks a different kind of analysis of the team that resides in Western New York.

This is an offseason guide for the Buffalo Bills in the upcoming offseason(s).

While it’s great to see their current success, the team must maintain this momentum for long-term success. Here’s an in-depth look at what the Bills need to do to continue performing at an elite level. Let’s start by identifying the key players on the roster who are crucial for the team’s long-term success:

QB: Josh Allen, 28 years old, under contract until 2029
RB: James Cook, 25 years old, under contract until 2026
WR: Khalil Shakir, 24 years old, under contract until 2026
TE: Dalton Kincaid, 23 years old, under contract until 2027
LT: Dion Dawkins, 30 years old, under contract until 2028
RT: Spencer Brown, 26 years old, under contract until 2029
DT: Ed Oliver, 27 years old, under contract until 2028
Edge: Greg Rousseau, 24 years old, under contract until 2026
MLB: Terrell Bernard, 25 years old, under contract until 2026
WLB: Matt Milano, 29 years old, under contract until 2028
SCB: Taron Johnson, 28 years old, under contract until 2028
CB: Christian Benford, 24 years old, under contract until 2026

While many players are locked into long-term contracts, decisions will need to be made for players like Christian Benford, James Cook, Khalil Shakir, and Terrell Bernard soon.

Tough choices will need to be made about who to pay and who to let go for some of the veterans as well.

Here’s a potential scenario: Rasul Douglas, he is over 30 years old and will be a free agent this summer. It’s usually risky to invest in older cornerbacks, so retaining Christian Benford, who has become one of the league’s premier cornerbacks (CBs), should be a top priority for the Bills.

With $60 million in dead cap, some adjustments will need to be made. After accounting for Josh Allen’s increased salary, as well as raises for other key players, approximately $5 million will be left from the dead cap pool.

Looking ahead to 2024-2025, the cap is expected to rise from $255 to $280 million ($25 million more) so that is $30 million in cap space that you can allocate to extensions and use to bring in more depth pieces through free agency.

Then comes the cuts to free up even more space if need be. All of Curtis Samuel, Dawson Knox, and Von Miller have their contracts structured to where the team is saved a combined $25 million for cutting them post-2025 season.

That directly aligns with the timeline that Buffalo will need to pay the likes of Khalil Shakir, James Cook, and Greg Rousseau, whom none of will be cheap.

It seems like the Buffalo Bills will need to replace several key players such as Rasul Douglas, Curtis Samuel, Dawson Knox, Von Miller, and likely DaQuan Jones over the next two years.

However, the team has many players locked up long-term or who are not crucial to replace, and some are likely to receive contract extensions.

The Bills have young talent waiting in the wings, such as Kaiir Elam, Javon Solomon, and DeWayne Carter, who could potentially step in for the aforementioned departing players.

Nevertheless, it’s still important for the Buffalo Bills to address these needs in the upcoming draft.

Here’s an early look at what the Buffalo Bills’ Day one and Day two draft picks could look like, based on Super Bowl odds, and how they could address their future needs:

Round 1 (Pick 30): (Defensive End) James Pearce Jr., (Tennessee)
Round 2 (Via Minn) (Pick 56): (Safety) Kevin Winston Jr., (Penn State)
Round 2 (Pick 60): (Wide Receiver) Tai Felton, (Maryland)
Round 2 (Pick 62): (DT) Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Round 4 (Pick 126): (Cornerback) Tommi Hill, (Nebraska)

The Buffalo Bills will need to continue to make successful draft picks, especially with a roster like this. The team is in a great position to sustain success, and they can only do so by continuing to hit on future draft picks.

Here’s a theoretical look at the Buffalo Bills’ roster:

QB: Josh Allen
RB: James Cook (EXTEND), Ray Davis
WR: Khalil Shakir (EXTEND), Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins (re-sign), Tai Felton, Amari Cooper (prove-it deal)
TE: Dalton Kincaid
T: Spencer Brown, Dion Dawkins, Tylan Grable, Ryan Van-Denmark
iOL: Connor McGovern, David Edwards, O’Cyrus Torrence,
SVPG, Alec Anderson
DE: Greg Rousseau (EXTEND), James Pearce Jr, A.J Epenesa (re-sign), Javon Solomon
DT: Ed Oliver, DeWayne Carter, Darrell Jackson Jr
LB: Terrell Bernard (EXTEND), Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, Buffalo Joe
CB: Christian Benford (EXTEND), Kaiir Elam, Tommi Hill, Ja’Marcus Ingram
CB: Taron Johnson, Cam Lewis, Brandon Codrington
S: Cole Bishop, Kevin Winston Jr., Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin

Overall, the Buffalo Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL, consistently being regarded as a championship contender with one of the best quarterbacks the game has to offer.

With the blueprint layed out, Buffalo could remain as such for years to come, as they chase their elusive first Super Bowl title.