Roster succession issues rarely pop up unexpected for teams. A player might have their talent erode faster than anticipated. They may suffer an injury that accelerates their retirement. But overall, you can see positional issues brewing usually before they happen simply by looking at roster numbers and contracts. As an example, the Buffalo Bills currently have two wide receivers under contract for 2024: Stefon Diggs and Khalil Shakir.
But what is it that causes these succession issues to occur? It’s not usually the failure to acquire free agents at a position. Players acquired via that method frequently have the potential to be on that NFL roster for fewer years than drafted players due to age only, not even considering the nature of free-agency contracts.