The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason looking to improve a team that was on the cusp of its first Super Bowl appearance since 1993. The Bills made sure quarterback Josh Allen isn’t going anywhere after signing him to a six-year, $330 million contract. But with the quarterback situation secure, Buffalo badly needs to add playmakers on offense to finally get past the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
The Bills made their first attempt at surrounding Allen with pass catching talent, signing wideout Joshua Palmer to a three-year, $36 million deal in free agency, per NFL insider Adam Schefter on X.
Palmer was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round of the 2021 draft. He spent the first four years of his career in Los Angeles. Although Palmer showed potential, racking up 72 receptions for 769 yards and three touchdowns in his sophomore season, he failed to break through as a reliable weapon for Justin Herbert.
Can Joshua Palmer be the playmaker the Bills have been missing?
After being stuck behind veteran wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams early in his career, Palmer began 2024 with a chance to become the Chargers’ top target. Instead he was the team’s third-leading receiver behind rookie Ladd McConkey and second-year WR Quentin Johnston. Palmer had 38 receptions for 584 yards and one touchdown in 15 games last year.
Buffalo began the offseason in bad financial shape. While the team cleared some cap space to get out of the red and back in the black, the Bills still have the fifth-lowest cap number in the league. Buffalo was linked to DK Metcalf as a potential landing spot after his trade request. However, Metcalf landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Palmer will join a wideout room that includes second-year receiver Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, who signed a four-year, $60.2 million extension with Bills in February. Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins are free agents this offseason and Cooper will almost certainly play elsewhere in 2025.
Palmer’s deal with the Bills includes $18 million in guaranteed money. Meanwhile, Allen’s new contract comes with a record-setting $250 million guaranteed. It knocks Deshawn Watson’s guaranteed $230 million out of the top spot for the largest in NFL history.
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