Bills Central

Pro Football Focus names surprise choice for Bills best free agent signing of 2024

Buffalo GM Brandon Beane's 2024 free agent class wasn't the flashiest, and certainly had mixed results, but this Bills pass catcher met expectations and much more.

Brian Letscher

Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane.
Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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NFL free agency can be a roll of the dice. NFL general managers do their due diligence, watch the tape, talk to coaches and background checks but, the clock is ticking and they have to make a call. Bills general manager Brandon Beane knows this well and by all accounts has made some very good calls over his seven year tenure putting together the roster in Buffalo.

Last year saw the departure of Bills stalwarts Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Gabe Davis and, of course, Stephon Diggs. Beane needed to find some talent -- particularly in the wide receiver room -- and he didn't waste any time. On back-to-back days in mid-March 2024, Beane signed Mack Hollins from the Falcons and Curtis Samuel from the Commanders. Given the contract details for both, the Bills got a steal -- Hollins.

So, given his onfield performance and off-field personality and unselfishness, it's not a surprise that Pro Football Focus named Mack Hollins their "Bills Best Free Agent of 2024".

Mack Hollins
Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins (13). / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Samuel was the splashier signing with a three year deal worth $28 million, while Beane signed Hollins to one year $2.6 million "prove it" contract. Hollins certainly did just that, turning in an excellent year in the Bills "everyone eats" offense. He went for 31 catches, 378 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns, including a huge one to keep them in the AFC championship game against the Chiefs.

Mack Hollins
Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) catches a touchdown. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

In addition, Hollins, with his unique personality and willingness to block as well as catch, has become a favorite both in the lockerroom and among the passionate Bills Mafia.

The only mistake Brandon Beane made when he signed Hollins last year is that it was a one-year deal. Now Beane has to do it all over again - something the team and fans alike would say is a very good call.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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