Here's one point to consider. The last few years the bills have been trying to run it back with the same crew plus an addition here or there and draft picks. So a lot of our resources went to keeping the boys together and plugging apparent holes.
Obviously, in hindsight, not the best move since we did not win a Superbowl. I don't think it's about a conscious effort to not give Josh weapons, it was OBD keeping the gang together, tieing up the cash with that and uses draft picks to fill holes.