Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
14 is a viable attack stat for low levels.
longbow with 14 Dex = 1d8+2* 50% = 3.25
vs
firebolt with 18 Int = 1d10 * 60% = 3.3
Oh come on, I've seen your wonderful work in charop on Wizard's boards and here. You can't be saying that Firebolt is the expected damage of a weapon user. Yes, they are both "at-will", but weapon wielders at-will need to work out to be an average of spell slots used plus cantrips filling in.
Let's compare it to another weapon wielder.
Bards don't get longbows, they get simple and hand-xbow. So best single-attack is light crossbow w/ 14 dex. 1d8+2 * 50% = 3.25.
Anything else generic with 18 Dex: 1d8+4 * 60% = 5.1
And that's before fighting style, hunter's mark or various other methods of improving it, and definitely before extra attack.
I'm not saying bards can't gish, they definitely can. But you can't optimize away from another attack stat without impairing yourself prior to picking up shillelagh.