The Buffalo Bills have released several top performers. Although this comes as a bit of a surprise, it’s an overdue move. Even if it seems drastic at first. A commentary

In US sports and the associated media landscape, there is often talk of “floor” and “ceiling” when assessing players or entire teams.

However, this has nothing to do with interior design, but with potential. Experts and journalists use the term “ceiling” to describe the maximum performance that can be expected. “Floor” is the minimum to be expected.

When it came to the Buffalo Bills, experts and media representatives were actually in agreement: if one cog in the wheel meshes with the other, this team can win the Super Bowl. That was the assessment before the 2020 season and in 2021. 2022 sounded exactly the same. The Bills were also among the favorites before last season.

What unites all these seasons is not only the prediction at the beginning of those seasons, but also the utter disappointment at the end. In 2020, the Bills fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2021, Kansas City was the last stop again. In 2022 they lost at home to the Cincinnati Bengals and in 2023 it was once again the Chiefs who prematurely buried their title dreams, this time in front of their own fans.

Either the team’s much-cited “ceiling” was massively overestimated, or the team was unable to even begin to achieve it when it was needed for four years.

No matter how you look at it, the Bills have simply failed in recent years.

Buffalo Bills: Turnaround is logical, but almost too late

It’s only logical that now – days before the start of free agency – the wave of layoffs is coming to Orchard Park. Cornerback Tre’Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer and center Mitch Morse are just the most notable of the six names who have been shown the door in Buffalo.

Several key players have expiring contracts that will not be renewed. Among them are safety Micah Hyde and pass rusher Leonard Floyd.

Admittedly, the decision to lay off players in one fell swoop looks drastic at first, but it is the only correct and almost overdue decision. It was already clear in 2022 that this defense would not be able to beat Kansas City on the biggest stage. So they gave away the favorable contract years of Josh Allen.

All the more frustrating for those who are rooting for the Bills, as they won their two most recent regular-season games against the Chiefs. The talent seems to be there, they just can’t call on it in the decisive moments.

The fact that these transactions were necessary anyway, because otherwise the Bills would have had problems with cap space, is almost a side note. Quarterback Allen will cost the Bills more than 47 million dollars in cap space next year.

Logically, he is the most important and best player in Buffalo. But Allen can’t play defense. And as right and overdue as the shakeup in that defense is, when your playmaker is eating up almost 20 percent of the available money, you have to get creative as a general manager.

Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott is on the hot seat

Talking about getting creative: Sean McDermott has to, too. Despite being an all-rounder at the quarterback position, the head coach, who has been active since 2017, has nothing to show except a few T-shirts with the words “AFC East Champions” on them.

This is by no means intended to diminish the division win as an achievement – but it is well known that the regular season and playoffs are actually two different competitions. And in one of them, the Bills are not exactly considered a hot potato under McDermott.

This is another reason why the 49-year-old is one of the coaches who will be in the hot seat at the start of the 2024 season. Unless something unforeseen changes, he will have another chance next season to finally fulfill the expectations that have always been placed on the Bills with a revamped squad.

If that doesn’t work out, the upheaval in Western New York will have to go into the next round – and then even the head coach will not be immune to personnel consequences.