Bills fall out of top 10 in NFL offensive 'triplets' ranking

The Buffalo Bills have fallen out of the top 10 in CBS Sports' offensive "triplets" ranking given their offseason moves.

Nov 5, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hands the ball off to running back James Cook (4) in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Turnover was perhaps one of the most frequently used words in Western New York this spring, as the Buffalo Bills roster saw a significant amount of it. Fresh off its third-straight AFC Divisional Round postseason exit, Buffalo made a concerted effort to get younger in the 2024 offseason, parting ways with stalwart starters across the roster like Stefon Diggs, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, and Gabriel Davis in order to inject youth into its lineup in hopes that doing so would prolong its championship window.

In other words, the team took a long look in the mirror and determined that it needed to take a temporary step back in order to soon take two forward.

The strategy perhaps most significantly impacted the offense; gone are the franchise’s fourth all-time leading receiver and a substantial complementary piece, their production presumably replaced by third-year contributor Khalil Shakir, second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid, free agent signee Curtis Samuel, and rookie wideout Keon Coleman. The offense still figures to be productive given that it’s helmed by a former All-Pro quarterback in Josh Allen, but the unit is objectively not as stout as it once was.

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This idea has been reflected in CBS Sports’ recent “offensive triplets” ranking, an article in which writer Jared Dubin ranked all NFL teams based on the combined strength of their top three offensive players. The analyst identified Allen, Kincaid, and running back James Cook as Buffalo’s top three offensive stars, slotting them in as the league’s 11th-best trio.

“It's a bit odd to see Josh Allen's team outside the top five, let alone the top 10, but when you downgrade your top pass-catcher from Stefon Diggs to a second-year tight end who averaged 9.2 yards per reception last year, that's the kind of thing that happens,” Dubin wrote. “Still, given Allen's otherworldly talent, it feels like the Bills have a lot of upside beyond where they fall in these rankings.”

Buffalo falls within Dubin’s third tier of trios, a grouping labeled “Apparent Upside.” It's ranked as the third-best offensive triplets group in the AFC East, behind the New York Jets (9th overall) and Miami Dolphins (10th overall). The Bills slotted in at No. 4 on last year’s rendition of the ranking.

Buffalo Bills rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) jumps into the stands to celebrate his 22-yard touchdown reception. This is the first touchdown of his career. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and

It’s not necessarily surprising to see Buffalo placed outside the top 10 on a list ranking the strength of its top three offensive players, as the team’s offseason choice not to acquire a bonafide primary pass-catcher in the wake of Diggs’ departure was well-documented. The Bills figure to take an egalitarian approach to aerial production sans Diggs, spreading the ball out amongst Kincaid, Shakir, Samuel, and Coleman as opposed to funneling the offense through one target; this should keep the offense productive, but it’s difficult to say (at this juncture) that one pass-catcher will definitively rise above their colleagues.

Kincaid, though unproven, isn’t a bad top target for a team to have, however. He flashed down the stretch of his rookie season, a campaign in which he ultimately caught 73 passes for 673 yards and two scores; he showed increased comfort and a developed rapport with Allen as the season progressed, factors that suggest that he could ascend even further in 2024. Cook also shouldn’t be discredited; the back ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (1.122) and sixth in scrimmage yards (1,567) last season, he, too, showing increased confidence after Joe Brady took over as offensive play-caller midway through the campaign. With Brady now in the gig full-time, one could envision Cook’s production potentially increasing, as well.

As Dubin notes, Buffalo may outplay this ranking thanks to the presence of Allen, an extremely gifted quarterback who has earned NFL MVP votes in three of the last four seasons. The offense is only outside of the top 10 because Allen’s weapons group, as of right now, is unproven; this doesn’t figure to be the case for long once they’re able to consistently play with the quarterback in the regular season.

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