The Buffalo Bills are one of the NFL’s more fascinating teams entering the 2024 season given their offseason maneuvers—they boast some of the league’s premier players in quarterback Josh Allen and former All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano, but the club objectively saw a significant amount of turnover in the spring.

Gone are stalwart starters Stefon Diggs, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, and Gabriel Davis, their production and roles figured to be replaced by returning contributors in new/increased roles or unproven offseason additions. There’s still reason to be optimistic about Buffalo’s fortunes entering the 2024 campaign, but the team, on paper, is not as stout as it’s been in recent years.

This sentiment has been reflected in The Athletic’s recent pre-training camp NFL power rankings, as writer Josh Kendall slots the Bills in at No. 9. Though Buffalo is the list’s highest-ranked AFC East club, there are perhaps a few controversial teams included higher than the Bills on the ranking.

Related: Even Jets QB Aaron Rodgers knows there’s only one NFL team in New York

“Only the Chiefs have a longer active streak of double-digit-win seasons than the Bills’ five,” Kendall wrote. “Whether Buffalo can continue that streak is one of the league’s most interesting questions. It lost Diggs, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, Tyrel Dodson, and Leonard Floyd in the offseason. 

“This means more of the load falls on quarterback Josh Allen, who already carries plenty for the Bills. In the last five seasons, no player has averaged more fantasy points per game, according to TruMedia. It’s not an exact match for on-field value, but it’s a pretty good indicator.”

Kendall’s analysis is sound; though the departures of Diggs, Poyer, Morse, and Floyd will perhaps be felt greater than those of White and Dodson, all of these players did leave One Bills Drive this spring, and with that, several trusted voices within the team’s locker room left with one fell swoop. Allen will be asked to supplement the offensive turnover by elevating a talented, but unproven weapons corps that, while promising, offers little in the way of demonstrated professional success.

There’s reason to believe he can elevate his teammates, as Allen has been elevating pass-catchers throughout his entire career (think back to his rookie season when he had several prognosticators convinced that Robert Foster was a legitimate NFL wide receiver). Also consider the fact that he’s already developed a rapport with wide Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid and that free agent signing Curtis Samuel has achieved success under offensive coordinator Joe Brady in the past, and one could envision Buffalo’s passing attack finding consistent success this fall.

Ranking: Second-year QB usurps Bills star Josh Allen in NFL MVP odds

Slotting within the top 10 of any power rankings is favorable for any team, but one could realistically make the argument that the Bills should’ve been placed just a tad higher given the three teams included immediately above them: the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers come in at No. 6, 7, 8, respectively.

It’s tough to have too many qualms about Cleveland, as the team has one of the most complete rosters in football. If quarterback Deshaun Watson is able to play at even a fraction of his ability, the Browns could be troublesome in the AFC—that said, Watson is a gargantuan question mark. Dallas is a bit less defensible, as though the team has more marquee names (and is currently entwined in contract controversy galore), the general roster is a bit lacking and could be in for a rude awakening this season. Green Bay boasts a ton of young talent (led by quarterback Jordan Love), and though the Packers made several intriguing additions in the offseason (namely running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney), is the team’s roster, top-to-bottom, truly stronger than Buffalo’s?

Power rankings obviously come down to preference, and thankfully, they’re just words on a computer or phone screen. Buffalo will look to outplay its (perhaps questionable) ranking this regular season. 

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —