The Bills have a number of key players entering free agency this coming offseason. Let’s take a look at some of the guys. The categories are, must retain, should probably keep, questionable, and time to move on. In this article, I will not be discussing QB Tyrod Taylor. If you would like to know my opinion on what the Bills should do with him, check out my article on that.

Must Retain

Jerome Felton: Felton is one of the most underrated players on the Bills. They have led the league in rushing two years in a row, and Jerome is a key blocker on many plays. He was also the fullback on the 2012 Minnesota Vikings team that led the league in rushing and featured one of the best rushing seasons of all time behind Adrian Peterson. The fullback is non-existent on most NFL teams, but the Bills have utilized Felton’s power blocking to the fullest. It would be a smart decision to retain Felton this offseason just based on the fact that the Bills have led the league in rushing the last two years.

Mike Gillislee: Gillislee has been one of the top breakout players for the Bills. I never thought he would get such a prime opportunity, let alone be this good. Karlos Williams was supposed to have the backup running back role, but after showing up to camp overweight, he passed the opportunity over to Gillislee. When given the chance, Mike has looked like a starter. If the Bills want to keep up their pounding attack, they must retain Gillislee.

Zach Brown: Coming into the season I thought Zach Brown would be a satisfactory player, but nothing great. He exceeded every Bill fans expectation by a mile. Finishing second in the NFL in tackles, he was a force on every play. If the Bills fail to re-sign Brown, I will be extremely upset. They will be losing one of the most improved defensive players in the league. With the Bills switching back to a 4-3 under Sean McDermott, the Brown brothers, Reggie Ragland, Shaq Lawson, and hopefully Lorenzo Alexander would comprise one of the more feared linebacking corps in the league.

Lorenzo Alexander: Alexander is another amazing signing by Doug Whaley that needs to be retained. Lorenzo balled last season after filling in for an injured Shaq Lawson. Finishing third in the NFL in sacks, Lorenzo went on a tear for the first seven games, recording a sack in each one. His veteran leadership didn’t go unnoticed, and it’s clear that this man belongs in Buffalo. In some games Jerry Hughes was invisible, and the Bills needed pressure on the quarterback. Lorenzo showed up and created the much-needed pressure. Whaley, sign this man.

Should Probably Keep

Robert Woods: Woods has been a very reliable playmaker for the Bills. In his four seasons, he has been a steady producer but hasn’t broken out in terms of stats. He has been a great complimentary receiver to Sammy Watkins, but the problem is that they haven’t been on the field together that much. When on the field together they have been a solid one-two punch. It would be a smart move for the Bills to keep Woods, as they don’t have much depth at the position especially with Sammy hurt all the time. Woods has expressed interest in returning, but only time will tell if Whaley thinks he’s worth the money.

Jordan Mills: Mills started all sixteen games for the Bills in 2016. He improved and looks to be a solid lineman. With the uncertain future of Seantrel Henderson, the Bills would be smart to keep Mills around. However, if Whaley thinks that there is a better option in the draft then maybe the Bills let Mills lose. Ryan Ramcyzk of Wisconsin has been linked to the Bills in the first round. It’s possible they could take him at #10 or trade back in the first and select him.

Marquise Goodwin: I was unsure if Marquise was ever going to play more than five games in a season. However, he has surprised me this past season. We all knew Goodwin had insane speed, we were just waiting for him to stay healthy and play ball. In 2016 he did just that. With injuries all over the receiving corps, Goodwin stepped up big time posting career numbers and having a good deep ball connection with Tyrod. Given the lack of talent at receiver and Goodwin’s world-class speed, the Bills ought to re-sign him.

Questionable

Stephon Gilmore: The big question this offseason is whether or not the Bills should keep Gilmore. He has been a stud at corner for the most part. However, in 2016 he struggled early in the season and got burned frequently. After he got burned he would never own up to it, always looking around with his hands up blaming his teammates. Gilmore is certainly talented, but do the Bills want to open the piggy bank for someone who is inconsistent and blames teammates often? Gilmore wants to be paid like a top dog, but the Bills could look to replace him in the draft or perhaps with another free agent if they don’t think he is worth the money. Ronald Darby is an up and coming corner, the Bills could look to pair him with a rookie in the draft. The draft has a couple of top corners the Bills could look to add to replace Gilmore. I wouldn’t be surprised if Buffalo put the franchise tag on Gilmore, giving them one more year to see if they want him long term.

Justin Hunter: Hunter was signed late September by the Bills. He rarely saw the field except for in the red zone. Hunter was consistently open in the red zone for the Bills and looked like a beast. There are red zone receivers in free agency that the Bills could add that can also play above the 20-yard line. I like Hunter, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Bills value him enough to re-sign him.

Time to move on

EJ Manuel: EJ didn’t work out in Buffalo, enough said. I was a big EJ fan when the team drafted him, but I’m sad to say it’s definitely time to see him go. He had enough opportunities to prove himself on the field and he didn’t. Even though he is one of the most mature guys and loves the game, there are just better options. I wish EJ good luck wherever he goes.