The Buffalo Bills made the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades last season, but that didn’t stop the team from making a few massive moves in the spring.

The Bills traded away quarterback Tyrod Taylor and left tackle Cordy Glenn in March in an effort to secure more draft capital. Their efforts paid off, as the team used the picks acquired in the Taylor and Glenn trades to move around in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, coming away with quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

Buffalo was active in free agency, as well, signing defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, defensive end Trent Murphy, and quarterback A.J. McCarron. Despite making a return to the playoffs in 2017, the Bills weren’t complacent in the offseason, making moves that they hope will help the team both now and in the future.

NFL executives graded teams’ offseason moves in a recent ESPN article, and generally speaking, they weren’t in love with Buffalo’s transactions.

Grade: C The Bills sent the 12th, 53rd and 56th picks to Tampa Bay in moving up five spots to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall choice. The 12th choice had cost Buffalo left tackle Cordy Glenn and the 21st pick, among lesser considerations. The 56th pick had cost them No. 1 receiver Sammy Watkins, who had cost the team’s previous leadership a bounty back in 2015. That was a relatively high price to pay for a team that got 51 touchdown passes with 16 interceptions from Tyrod Taylor during the past three seasons (Alex Smith had 60 and 16, for comparison). Execs also questioned the five-year, $50 million price paid for run-stuffer Star Lotulelei, who last season played 344 of the Panthers’ 600 pass-defense plays, collecting 1.5 sacks.

Executives from around the league look at Allen as the team’s biggest acquisition, with one executive questioning the assets they had to give up in order to land the former Wyoming signal caller.

“They are a team in transition,” an exec said. “They are turning the page and clearing a lot of this stuff out of there to get better. The big piece is that they gave up a lot for Josh Allen.” Allen could wind up providing a massive upgrade for a long time, pushing the Bills past the Patriots in a post-Tom Brady AFC East. Allen was not a universally loved prospect, however. “The fit is good because Allen is big and strong and it’s very windy there, and he can throw the ball through the wind,” an exec said. “He is obviously not going to be shocked by poor weather after playing in Laramie, where the average wind can be even higher than it is in Buffalo.”

Allen’s ability to play in harsh weather should make him a fit with the Bills, as late-season contests at New Era Field are sometimes played in blizzard-like conditions. General manager Brandon Beane stated that Allen’s big arm and ability to play in harsh conditions were factors in his selection after the team drafted him.

Buffalo, however, did have to give up quite a bit for the opportunity to select Allen, parting ways with both of their second round picks to move up from No. 12 to No. 7 in the draft. Whether Allen pans out or not, passing up on two second-round caliber players is a risky decision.

The signing of Lotulelei to a 5-year, $50 million deal is hard to justify based off of his production, but Lotulelei’s impact won’t be made on the stat sheet. The Bills hope that Lotulelei will draw double teams from opposing linemen, opening up pass rushing lanes for defensive ends and linebackers. If Lotulelei can allow his teammates to consistently bring down the quarterback, his cap hit will be well worth it for Buffalo.

Overall, NFL executives didn’t love the Bills’ offseason moves, but they didn’t hate them, either. Buffalo hopes that its recent moves will set the team up for long-term success. We’ll just have to wait and see if their transactions pay off.