Tremaine Edmunds #49 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills were the breakout team of the AFC East in 2020. Josh Allen became a star quarterback seemingly out of nowhere. He went from an afterthought quarterback that was more gimmick to thrower all the way to second behind Aaron Rodgers in MVP voting. His breakout performance made the Bills a Super Bowl contender. That will continue this season.
Tre’Davious White was the breakout star on the defense. He became one of the best cornerbacks in football and took the AFC East crown from former Bills player and current Patriot Stephon Gilmore. That makes it that much sweeter. White ended up as the second-team All-Pro cornerback behind Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard.
The Miami Dolphins are going to be even better this season. The New England Patriots spent all the money in free agency to put a better performance on the field. Zach Wilson is coming to the New York Jets. The divisional games are going to be much harder for the Bills this season. They will need every single position to contribute to get back into contention.
The Bills will need more players to become breakout stars beyond Allen and White. They have a star wide receiver in Stefon Diggs. Micah Hyde is one of the better safeties in the AFC. They have the makings of a really good situation.
Obviously, they need a little more before they have the depth of the Kansas City Chiefs, but they are on their way. They just need a few players on the roster now to step up and become the next breakout stars.
5 Buffalo Bills players who can become stars in 2021
Tremaine Edmunds
Tremaine Edmunds is already a good linebacker. He’s going into his fourth season, and he’s still only 23 years old. He’s about to go into his athletic prime, and the former first-round pick is ready to become a star.
Some are saying the Bills should count their losses and move on from Edmunds, but that’s a mistake. This kid is so young and he could turn into something special this season. He’s as old as some players are coming out of college, except he comes with three years of NFL experience.
Edmunds still made two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons. Yet, some are denying him. That’s going to turn into motivation for Edmunds as he tries to be a cornerstone to a defense that looks to win two straight AFC East titles. He is still a little inconsistent despite the gaudy tackle numbers, but an early-season shoulder injury contributed to that.
There’s a possibility the Bills decide not to pick up Edmunds’ fifth-year option this offseason, which would pay him north of $12 million in 2022. That could prove to hurt them if he takes the step it appears he is poised to make. Is Edmunds worth $12 million as currently constructed? No, but a 23-year-old linebacker with the upside of Edmunds absolutely is.
The sky is the limit for Edmunds, and the coaching staff will put him in a position to make himself a lot of money if that option is not picked up. He has plenty of motivation to take another step forward, but if the Bills miss out on signing that extension, he will make them regret it.