Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills

Thanks largely to superstar quarterback Josh Allen, an ultra-successful first-round gamble who arrived in Buffalo a year after McDermott, the Bills are perennial Super Bowl contenders. They remain on the shortlist of favorites as Week 1 draws closer, but McDermott is no longer at the controls.

Although McDermott’s nine-year reign produced 98 regular-season wins, eight playoff berths and five AFC East titles, there were several crippling January defeats and zero Super Bowl appearances. A 33-30 overtime loss to the Broncos in the divisional round last January sealed the 52-year-old HC’s fate.

After walking into the Bills’ postgame locker room in Denver and witnessing a crushed group of players, including Allen, owner Terry Pegula decided they would never get over the hump with McDermott at the helm. Two days later, Pegula fired McDermott.

General manager Brandon Beane, who worked with McDermott in Carolina and then joined him in Buffalo in May 2017, did not follow his longtime colleague out the door. Rather, Pegula kept Beane and awarded him a new title: president of football operations/GM. Pegula and Beane then embarked on a week-long, 10-candidate coaching search (which we covered in depth in our Offseason Outlook back in February), but they elected to stay in the building for McDermott’s replacement. The two settled on their own offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, who was on McDermott’s staff for four years.

The Bills’ Allen-led attack hummed along under Brady for two-plus seasons, but the neophyte head coach will have to prove he is capable of handling his pressure-packed new role. With Allen now 30 years old (just six years younger than Brady), time is running out for Buffalo to capitalize on the future Hall of Famer’s prime.

Whether or not it’s fair to Brady, the Bills are in championship-or-bust mode. Just winning one or two playoff games, let alone earning a spot in the tournament, no longer moves the needle for a franchise that rarely even flirted with a postseason berth in its 2000-16 dark period.

Trades:

• Acquired WR D.J. Moore, No. 165 from Bears for No. 60
• Sent CB Taron Johnson, No. 228 to Raiders for No. 182

Beane proved up to the task of finding effective receivers for Allen early in his run as the Bills’ GM. Cole Beasley and John Brown were shrewd additions in free agency in 2019. Gabe Davis (fourth round, 2020) and Khalil Shakir (fifth round, 2022) were nice value picks in the draft. Best of all, Beane acquired Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Vikings in 2020. Yes, it cost the Bills a first-rounder and a couple other picks, but Diggs was well worth the price.

Diggs and Allen formed a lethal combination for four years, a 66-game span in which the wideout caught a jaw-dropping 445 passes for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns. Diggs was a Pro Bowler every year who never finished with fewer than 103 catches, 1,183 yards or eight TDs in any of those seasons.

While Diggs played an important role in Allen’s development, their once-great relationship deteriorated and led to the receiver’s exit in 2024. Even though the Bills had to absorb a $31MM dead cap hit, then a record for a non-QB, they traded Diggs and two late-round selections to the Texans for a 2025 second-rounder. The swap was poor value for Buffalo and a detriment to its cap. To worsen matters, the team went two years without an adequate replacement.

A few weeks before the Bills axed Diggs, they signed Curtis Samuel to a three-year, $24MM contract in free agency. That was a total dud for the Bills, who released Samuel this offseason. They then tried to replace Diggs with 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman, whom they spent the 33rd pick on, but that has not worked out to this point. Neither did an in-season deal for Amari Cooper, for whom the Bills gave up a third-rounder.

The three-year, $30MM contract the Bills gave former Charger Josh Palmer flopped in 2025, while last November’s signing of Brandin Cooks also wasn’t the answer. Cooks has publicly pushed for a return to the Bills, but even if they do re-sign the soon-to-be 33-year-old, he would have to fight for a spot at the bottom of the depth chart.

Aside from the dependable Shakir, no Bills wideout even hit the 600-yard mark in either of the past two years. Even Shakir has yet to achieve a 1,000-yard season during his four-year career. Beane tried to bring in three-time 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle before last year’s trade deadline, but the division rival Dolphins’ asking price was prohibitive. Waddle finished the season in Miami, but its new regime shipped him to Denver in March. That was a suboptimal outcome for the Bills, who couldn’t past a Waddle-less Broncos team last winter.

Having struck out on Waddle a couple months earlier, it was clear entering the offseason Beane needed to take another big swing at an established veteran to fill Diggs’ void. It probably wasn’t going to happen in an underwhelming free agent class, though Buccaneers icon Mike Evans had interest in the Bills before he signed with the 49ers. However, it doesn’t appear the Bills were willing to wait for Evans to hit the open market; instead, they opted to take the trade route.

The Bills looked into acquiring A.J. Brown in what would have been a blockbuster with the Eagles, but GM Howie Roseman was holding out for a return no team was willing to pay. Roseman eventually sent Brown to the Bills’ main AFC East competition, the reigning division and conference champion Patriots, in June. While Roseman did end up getting a first-rounder — a requirement for him to part with Brown — he had to settle for a 2028 pick.

Unwilling to meet Roseman’s asking price, Beane swung a trade with the Bears for four-time 1,000-yard receiver D.J. Moore a few days before free agency opened. The move reunited the former Panther with Brady, who was Carolina’s offensive coordinator for all of 2020 and most of ’21.

Moore put together a couple of his best seasons under Brady, and the durable target has accrued five straight 17-game campaigns. Those are obvious plusses for Buffalo, though Moore’s stock dropped in his final two years in Chicago. The 6-foot, 213-pounder fell short of 1,000 yards in both seasons, and he didn’t come particularly close last year. Moore registered career lows in catches (50) and yards (682) in 2025, offensive guru Ben Johnson‘s first season as the Bears’ head coach.

Content to go forward with receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland as their top pass catchers, the Bears moved Moore’s four-year, $110MM deal off the payroll. While the Bills didn’t give up an exorbitant amount in draft capital for Moore, they made a puzzling financial transaction at the time of acquisition.

Moore did not have any no-trade leverage, yet the Bills immediately agreed to fully guarantee $15.5MM of his $23.5MM base salary for 2028. None of that was guaranteed prior to the trade. The Bills are now tied to Moore through his age-31 season, making it all the more imperative for this gamble to pay off and finally solve their post-Diggs woes at receiver. The Allen-Moore connection has thrived in camp, but we’ll see how it looks when the real games begin in September.

Not long after Moore became a Bill, Johnson’s eight-year tenure with the organization ended when Buffalo sent the defender to Las Vegas in a late-round pick swap. Johnson, a Bill since they took him in the fourth round in 2018, was one of the sport’s elite nickel corners earlier in his career. Injuries and age (30) took their toll on Johnson from 2024-25, though, and it was not a surprise the Bills cut the cord after McDermott’s exit.

New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard expressed interest in shifting Johnson to safety, but then a March 6 report indicated the Bills were going to release the one-time second-team All-Pro. They instead held on to Johnson for a bit longer, got something in return (albeit not much), and saved $1.9MM in cap space.

Extensions and restructures:

• Agreed to four-year, $78.4MM extension ($46MM guaranteed) with RG O’Cyrus Torrence 
• Agreed to three-year, $20MM extension ($10MM guaranteed) with TE Dawson Knox
• Restructured deals for QB Josh Allen, WR D.J. Moore, DT Ed Oliver, RT Spencer Brown to create $50MM in 2026 cap space
• Revised K Tyler Bass‘ contract; Bass accepted $1.5MM pay cut in exchange for $1MM in guarantees

One of the beneficiaries of an exploding guard market, Torrence is now among the highest-paid players in the league at his position. Whether he deserves to be in that class is debatable, but Beane has consistently shown a willingness to pay homegrown players who turn into competent or better starters.

Torrence has been a mainstay on a premier offense since he came off the board in the second round of the 2023 draft. The former Florida Gator has never missed a game, nor does he sit out many plays. While working as a starter from Day 1, Torrence has logged yearly snap shares ranging from 93.1 to 100 percent.

Although Torrence did not allow a sack, took just one penalty and helped pave the way for James Cook to lead the league in rushing in 2025, Pro Football Focus assigned him below-average marks. PFF has been bearish on Torrence throughout his career, but it is clear the Bills have a vastly different opinion of the 6-foot-5, 347-pounder. He is now the fourth well-compensated member of the Bills’ sturdy line, joining left tackle Dion Dawkins, center Connor McGovern and right tackle Spencer Brown.

Speaking of Brown, he was among a few Bills who had their contracts restructured during the winter. Considering they were several million dollars over the cap shortly before the league year began, the Bills deemed the moves necessary in order to beef up their roster.

Allen, Moore, Brown and Oliver are four of the Bills’ most expensive and valuable players, whereas Bass may end up on the outs if he struggles in his return from a hip/groin injury that shelved him for all of 2025 and required surgery.

With the Bills nearing their first preseason game, Bass is the lone kicker on their roster. In the event Bass is shaky in the coming weeks, it would make sense for the Bills to have free agent Matt Prater (and/or other available kickers) on speed dial.

The Bills turned to Prater, who will celebrate his 42nd birthday Monday, as a last-minute replacement for Bass in the lead-up to Week 1 in 2025. A few days later, Prater converted a buzzer-beating field goal to complete a stunning fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens. The two-time Pro Bowler remained steady after that, though he missed two games with a quadriceps injury later in the year. All told, Prater nailed 18 of 20 attempts (90%) and 46 of 49 extra points (94%) over 15 regular-season games. He went on to make all 11 postseason tries, including five field goals and six extra points.

Bass, a 2020 sixth-rounder, connected on 84.5% of field goals (131 of 155) and 96% of PATs (264 of 274) during his first five years in the league. The Bills would probably sign up for that type of production this season, but it is fair to wonder whether Bass will be capable of providing it after missing a season. If the Bills are concerned enough to release him, they would save $1.78MM in cap room. However, they would take on $1.27MM in dead money this year and in 2027.

Questions as to whether the Bills would retain Knox persisted leading up to the 2026 league year. The career-long Bill and seven-year vet was still under contract, but he wasn’t going to stick around without an adjustment to his deal. Otherwise, Knox would have counted an untenable $17.87MM against the cap.

With a $1.5MM roster bonus for Knox looming on the fifth day of the league year, the Bills needed to determine his future quickly. Before that deadline struck, they reached an arrangement to lower Knox’s cap hit to $8.55MM this season on a new three-year accord. It was a good outcome for the Bills, who will continue to boast the high-end, multi-skilled tight end trio of Knox, Dalton Kincaid and Jackson Hawes. Over his first 17-game season last year, Knox led Bills TEs in offensive snap share (57.7%) and pulled in 36 catches for 417 yards and four scores.

Free agency additions:

• Bradley Chubb, OLB: Three years, $43.5MM ($21.75MM guaranteed)
• Dee Alford, CB: Three years, $15.75MM ($7.88MM guaranteed)
• C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S: One year, $3.5MM ($3.02MM guaranteed)
• Kyle Allen, QB: Two years, $4.1MM ($1.8MM guaranteed)
• Austin Corbett, C/G: One year, $1.49MM ($1.26MM guaranteed)
• Lloyd Cushenberry, C: One year, $1.4MM ($1.26MM guaranteed)
• Mike Danna, OLB: One year, $1.4MM ($1.26MM guaranteed)
• Geno Stone, S: One year, $1.4MM ($188K guaranteed)
• Trent Sherfield, WR: One year, $1.3MM
• Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB: One year, $1.22MM
• Shane Zylstra, TE: One year, $1.22MM
• Ben VanSumeren, FB: One year, $1.08MM
• Mac Dalena, WR: One year, $885K
• Ian Wheeler, RB: One year, $885K

Despite finishing a slightly above-average 14th in sacks last year, the Bills ranked a woeful 27th in pass rush win rate. A team that has not had a 10-sack player since Leonard Floyd hit the mark in 2023 made an effort to change that in the offseason. Beane was in on a trade for Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby, but Las Vegas decided the Bills’ first-round pick (No. 26) was not an enticing enough headliner in a package. The Raiders then agreed to send Crosby to the Ravens for two first-rounders, but that collapsed as a result of a failed physical. Crosby is still in Las Vegas and at least positioned to open the season there, though he may be a name to watch around the November trade deadline.

A day after the Ravens backed out of ponying up for Crosby, they signed former Bengal Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112MM pact. Again, the Bills were involved in the chase to some extent. Hendrickson went through an injury-ravaged 2025, but he racked up back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in the preceding two years. When healthy, he has been a game-wrecking pass rusher, which is something the Bills have lacked since Von Miller tore his ACL 11 games into a six-year, $120MM accord in 2022.

The Bills hope Chubb, a Miller teammate in Denver from 2018-21 and a Dolphin from 2022-25, helps repair their pass-rushing deficiencies. Drafted two picks before Allen in 2018, Chubb now has a pair of double-digit-sack seasons under his belt. The 6-4, 268-pounder missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL but rebounded to start 17 games last season.

Although Chubb played 71.5% of Miami’s defensive snaps and led the team with 20 QB hits and 8.5 sacks, the rebuilding club released him in a culling of high-priced veterans. That came after PFF rated Chubb’s play an awful 103rd among 119 qualified edge defenders in his final season in Miami. Similar to the differing evaluations on Torrence, Buffalo also does not share PFF’s opinion on the 30-year-old Chubb.

The Bills’ other noteworthy investments came in the secondary, where they added a new starting safety in Gardner-Johnson and picked up Alford to replace Johnson as their No. 1 nickel corner. The Bills took an affordable but risky gamble on Gardner-Johnson, a ball-hawking trash talker who plays with an edge and gets under the skin of opposing players. At the same time, though, the eighth-year man has a spotty reputation behind the scenes and is already on NFL organization No. 7.

After serving as an integral cog on the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning defense in 2024, Gardner-Johnson divided last season among the Texans, Ravens (practice squad) and Bears. Gardner-Johnson had a short and tumultuous run in Houston, which released him after three games. The Texans cut ties after he struggled to fit into their defense and had differences with GM Nick Caserio. While Gardner-Johnson denies it, he also reportedly clashed with teammates. He finished his year on a better note in Chicago, where he played 10 games and was productive in a nickel role, but the team did not give him a second contract.

In need of a starting safety to pair with the ascending Cole Bishop, the Bills carefully vetted Gardner-Johnson before offering a contract. He had important backers in Buffalo, including Moore. The wideout vouched for Gardner-Johnson after playing with him last season. Bills defensive quality control coach Craig Robertson, who was teammates with Gardner-Johnson in New Orleans, also gave a positive review to Beane.

Undrafted in 2020, Alford took an unusual journey to the NFL. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, but then the pandemic hit and shut the league down. Alford, a Georgia native, went home to work an overnight job at FedEx as a result. He then returned to the CFL in 2021 and played well enough to catch the Falcons’ attention.

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As a member of Atlanta’s defense from 2022-25, Alford logged four straight 16-game seasons. The 28-year-old played between 53% and 69% of defensive snaps in each of his last three seasons as a Falcon, but he went without an interception from 2023-24. Although Alford broke through on the stat sheet last year with career highs in passes defensed (13), picks (three) and sacks (two), he didn’t wow PFF. The outlet graded Alford 93rd among 112 qualified corners. On the other hand, he has a fan in Leonhard, a former NFL defensive back who will be Alford’s fifth D-coordinator in as many years.

“In my opinion, Dee did a great job in Atlanta,” Leonhard said. “Did some similar things schematically to what we’re asking.”

Corbett, the Bills’ only other free agent pickup with a chance to start, is battling Alec Anderson for left guard duties. David Edwards performed admirably in the role from 2024-25, but he parlayed that stretch into a four-year, $61MM agreement with the Saints in free agency. The Bills went much cheaper at LG in the wake of Edwards’ exit (Corbett and Anderson will combine to earn a bit north of $3MM in guaranteed money in 2026), but they are hoping to avoid a marked drop-off at the position.

Corbett is making less money than Anderson, but the former Brown, Ram and Panther has a legitimate shot to win the job. Also an experienced center and right guard, the soon-to-be 31-year-old has started in 78 of 94 games, including 11 of 13 in Carolina last year. However, injuries have been a frequent problem throughout Corbett’s eight-year career. Unless that changes, Anderson could see a fair amount of playing time even if he begins the season as a backup. Anderson, who did not miss a game in either of his first two years, has gotten work as a sixth lineman in jumbo packages and made six starts.

Re-signings:

• Connor McGovern, C: Four years, $52.4MM ($26.2MM guaranteed)
• Sam Franklin, S: Three years, $7MM ($2.53MM guaranteed)
• Alec Anderson, C/G: One year, $3MM ($1.8MM guaranteed)
• Mitch Wishnowsky, P: One year, $1.48MM ($150K guaranteed)
• Damar Hamlin, S: One year, $1.27MM ($25K guaranteed)
• Phidarian Mathis, DT: One year, $1.2MM ($25K guaranteed)

As mentioned, the Bills saw Edwards walk out the door in free agency. It also appeared as if the Bills were going to lose McGovern, who said on March 4 the team hadn’t even contacted him. But three days later, the sides came together on what looks like an eminently reasonable contract. McGovern would have had a real chance to do better on the open market, especially after Tyler Linderbaum cashed in on a three-year, $81MM deal with the Raiders.

While McGovern was on track to trail Linderbaum as the second-best center in free agency, the Bills managed to lock up the anchor of their interior line before the market opened. A former Cowboy, McGovern went to Buffalo on a three-year, $22.35MM pact in 2023. After a 17-start season as the Bills’ left guard, McGovern moved inside to replace Mitch Morse in 2024 and has since been one of the game’s most reliable centers.

Over the last two seasons, McGovern started in all 32 appearances (the Bills rested him in Week 18 both years). Despite playing through hand and triceps injuries in 2025, he tied Linderbaum for third place at the position in pass block win rate and finished as PFF’s ninth-ranked center among 37 qualifiers.

Notable losses:

• Joey Bosa, DE
• Brandin Cooks, WR
• Gabe Davis, WR
• David Edwards, G
• A.J. Epenesa, DE
• Reggie Gilliam, FB
• Dane Jackson, CB (released)
• DaQuan Jones, DT
• Cam Lewis, DB
• Matt Milano, LB
• Larry Ogunjobi, DT
• Jordan Phillips, DT
• Jordan Poyer, S
• Taylor Rapp, S (released)
• Matt Prater, K
• Curtis Samuel, WR (released)
• Darnell Savage, DB
• Baylon Spector, LB
• Shaq Thompson, LB
• Mitchell Trubisky, QB
• Ryan Van Demark, T
• Tre’Davious White, CB

Edwards’ loss could sting for the Bills, but after McGovern re-signed, it was obvious he would walk out the door. The Bills were not in position to pay both of them big money and make an expensive long-term commitment to Torrence.

On the other side of the ball, the switch from a McDermott defense to a much different scheme under Leonhard led to a diaspora of veterans in free agency. A few of the defenders the Bills let walk are household names with Pro Bowls and/or All-Pro nods on their resumes, yet there has been little to no reported interest in any of them across the league. Some are on the wrong side of 30, which has contributed to their tepid markets.

Of the defenders listed above, all of Bosa, Jones, Milano, Ogunjobi, Phillips, Poyer, Rapp, Spector, Thompson and White have gone unsigned. With the exception of White, whom Beane has left the door open to re-sign, it is unclear if the Bills have interest in bringing any of them back.

Initially a Bill from 2017-23, White suffered a torn Achilles in the last of those years, got released during the ensuing offseason, and then had a rough 2024 divided between the Rams and Ravens. White returned to Buffalo on a prove-it deal last year, his age-30 season, and performed far better than expected over a 16-start campaign.

While White is no longer the All-Pro-caliber player he was before the Achilles injury and a 2021 ACL tear cut him down, teams in the market for a depth corner this summer could do a lot worse. The main question for the Bills is whether White is a fit anymore. He has played almost his whole career under McDermott in a zone-heavy scheme. If Leonhard doesn’t think White can hack it in a defense that will probably rely more on man coverage, then the longtime fan favorite will not play for the Bills in 2026.

Speaking of not playing for the Bills (or anyone else, for that matter), Bosa’s career may be over. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in June that the 31-year-old Bosa is unlikely to play again. That came a few weeks after 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said his brother was focusing more on golf than football.

To Joey Bosa’s credit, the five-time Pro Bowler and former Charger remained an effective contributor for most of his one (and only?) season in Buffalo. While playing on a $12.5MM contract and replacing the departed Miller, Bosa started in all 15 appearances, tallied five sacks and forced a league-high five fumbles across 562 defensive snaps. He also notched his most QB hits (16) since 2021 and his most tackles for loss (nine) since 2020.

Although PFF rated Bosa as the game’s 29th-best edge defender out of 119 qualifiers, it was clear he ran out of gas at the end of the season. Bosa was a non-factor in the Bills’ two playoff games, perhaps a sign that his career is over. Even if it isn’t, a second year in Buffalo seems unlikely after the team added Chubb in free agency and T.J. Parker in the second round of the draft.

Epenesa left after playing his first six years under McDermott. A 2020 second-rounder from Iowa, Epenesa was an oft-used backup for most of his time in Buffalo. After averaging 25 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed and an interception per 17 games with the Bills, Epenesa agreed to sign with the Browns in mid-March. That collapsed as a result of a failed physical, though, and he wound up catching on with the Eagles in early June.

Playing his fourth and potentially final season in Buffalo, Jones started in all 12 games and totaled three sacks — his second-highest total during his 12-year career. Although Jones has never put up gaudy stats, the former Titan and Panther has worked almost exclusively as a starter (a good one at that) in the pros. However, Jones’ age (34) clearly has not done him any favors in free agency. The Bills, who have a handful of much younger interior options (including Oliver and the rising Deone Walker), never seemed likely to re-sign Jones after he expressed dissatisfaction with McDermott’s ouster on social media.

Despite switching to a 3-4 base, Buffalo also has done little to address inside linebacker (the team may have found a fourth-round steal, though; more on that later). That could point the Bills back to either Milano or Thompson at some point, but it has been radio silence on both fronts.

While Milano has spent his entire career in Buffalo, where he began as a fifth-round rookie in 2017, his time there may finally be up. Injuries have regularly hampered the 32-year-old, including during a 12-game season in 2025, and he has never played for anyone other than McDermott. Maybe Leonhard doesn’t think Milano is right for his defense, maybe Milano is mulling retirement, or maybe it’s a combination of both.

When previewing the Bills’ offseason in February, I wrote of the 32-year-old Thompson, “He will secure a pay raise in 2026, but there is a good chance it will come in another uniform.” 

Thompson still doesn’t have a uniform almost six months later, though he was a surprisingly decent role player on a $1.26MM salary last season. The former Panther reunited with Beane and McDermott, who were in Carolina for a portion of his 10-year run there, and stayed healthier than he did over an injury-ruined 2023-24 stretch. While Thompson did miss five games with hamstring and neck troubles in 2025, he arguably outplayed higher-priced linebacker Terrel Bernard when healthy. The Bills are tied to Bernard on an extension for at least one more year, though, and appear to have moved on from Thompson.

The Bills reunited with Poyer, a member of the team from 2017-23, when they added him to their practice squad last August. Poyer excelled (mostly alongside fellow Bills great Micah Hyde) during his first stint, but he was coming off a subpar season in Miami when he returned to Buffalo.

Expectations were low when the Bills plugged the 13-year veteran in as injuries beset Hamlin and Rapp, but Poyer fared nicely with Bishop over 10 games and nine starts. Could that lead to another late-summer re-signing? For multiple reasons, don’t count on it: 1.) Poyer is 35, which is considered ancient at his position; 2.) Almost all of his success in the pros has come in McDermott’s defense; 3.) The Bills appear to have a full group of safeties. Gardner-Johnson, Bishop, Franklin (a core special-teamer) and fifth-round rookie Jalon Kilgore are roster locks, likely leaving one spot for Stone or Hamlin.

Draft:

• Round 2, No. 35 (from Titans): T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 62: Davison Igbinosun (CB, Ohio State) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 102 (from Raiders): Jude Bowry (T, Boston College) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 125 (from Bears via Chiefs and Patriots): Skyler Bell (WR, UConn) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 126: Kaleb Elarms-Orr (LB, TCU) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 167 (from Texans): Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 181 (from Lions)*: Zane Durant (DT, Penn State) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 220 (from Jets): Toriano Pride Jr. (CB, Missouri) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 239 (from Eagles via Jaguars, Browns and Bears): Tommy Doman (P, Florida) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 241 (from Bears): Ar’maj Reed-Adams (G, Texas A&M) (signed)

The Bills went into the draft with the 26th pick, but they did not make a selection on Day 1. Beane made three separate trades to move down to No. 35, explaining afterward he ran out of first-round grades, and chose Parker on Day 2.

Flashing back to May 2025, Todd McShay of The Ringer projected Parker as a potential top-10 pick in this year’s class. Parker was then coming off a season in which he amassed 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks en route to second-team All-ACC honors, but his stock fell after a less productive junior campaign in 2025. The 6-4, 263-pounder sunk to 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in his last season with the Tigers.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranked Parker as the 24th-best prospect available a few weeks before the draft, noting he could be a “real value selection” after a somewhat disappointing season. That would be ideal for Beane, who has a mixed track record when it comes to spending high picks on edge defenders. Rousseau (30th overall in 2021) has been a hit, but Epenesa (No. 54, 2020) was just a passable rotational player in Buffalo and Boogie Basham (No. 61, 2021) flopped. It’s too early to judge Landon Jackson, the 72nd pick in 2025, but he got off to an inauspicious start as a rookie.

After making no real contributions in three games, Jackson suffered a season-ending knee injury in November. Healthy again, Jackson packed on about 25 pounds in the offseason to better his chances of carving out a role along the line in Leonhard’s defense.

Meanwhile, Parker will join Chubb, Rousseau and Michael Hoecht as one of the Bills’ top four OLBs. Chubb has taken Parker under his wing, as he invited the rookie to work out with him in Miami earlier this summer. Like Chubb, Parker is a power rusher. Chubb has parlayed his skill set into a solid pro career and a lot of money. We’ll see if Parker can follow in his new mentor’s footsteps.

Beane was scheduled to make his second pick at No. 66, but he went up four spots in a trade with the Broncos and reeled in Igbinosun. The exec was determined to leave the second round with a boundary cornerback, which he identified as the Bills’ most glaring pre-draft need. The Bills have a bona fide No. 1 corner in Christian Benford, and Beane just took Maxwell Hairston in the first round last year, but a lack of quality depth at the position has been an issue in recent seasons.

Injuries at corner, including to Benford in a 2024 AFC title game loss to the Chiefs and White in the Bills’ defeat in Denver, helped derail their Super Bowl hopes during the McDermott era. Furthermore, Hairston did not establish himself as a surefire answer as a rookie. The speedster showed some positive signs, including two interceptions, but battled multiple injuries during an 11-game season and was behind the aging White on the depth chart.

Hairston was not healthy for the playoffs, which forced McDermott to plug in the now-retired Dane Jackson after White briefly exited with an injury in the fourth quarter against the Broncos. Quarterback Bo Nix immediately picked on Jackson, who gave up a go-ahead 26-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims with 55 seconds left.

The Bills are hoping Igbinosun helps solve some of their problems, whether he overtakes Hairston as a starter or emerges as a capable No. 3 this year. As a physical corner, Igbinosun earned a reputation as a penalty magnet in college, but the 6-2, 189-pounder nonetheless had a strong three years as a starter at Ohio State. He was at his best from 2024-25, a 30-game stretch in which he totaled 98 tackles and picked off four passes. Igbinosun collected first-team All-Big Ten honors after posting his second straight two-INT season last year. He allowed just 22 catches and only one for 20 or more yards in 2025, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who ranked Igbinosun as the 68th-best prospect in this year’s class.

Aside from Doman, who is competing against Wishnowsky for the punter job, Elarms-Orr may have the best chance of any Bills rookie to start right away. Despite lasting until the 126th pick, the 6-2, 234-pound thumper from TCU has joined Moore as one of the stars of Bills practices this summer.

As noted above, the Bills have not re-signed Milano or Thompson. They also didn’t bring in any starting-caliber veteran off-ball linebackers via free agency or trades, creating an avenue for Elarms-Orr to take on a substantial role if he continues to shine this month.

All Elarms-Orr has to do is beat out Dorian Williams, a three-year veteran who has been a backup for most of his career. Even if Williams starts alongside Bernard, the former is on track to reach the open market in 2027. If Elarms-Orr shows well as a reserve, the Bills may feel comfortable turning to him as a starter next year and letting Williams walk in free agency.

Other:

• Picked up TE Dalton Kincaid‘s $8.16MM fifth-year option
• Assistant GM Terrance Gray was a finalist for the Vikings’ GM job
• Claimed WR Quentin Skinner off waivers from Jets
• Signed 12 UDFAs

Injuries have stopped Kincaid from realizing his full potential, but the 2023 first-rounder flashed enough over his first three seasons to make exercising his fifth-year option an easy call. Doing so locked in Kincaid for a reasonable $8.16MM salary in 2027. The Utah product may not be an extension candidate yet, but that will likely change if he puts together a healthy, productive season this year.

Kincaid only missed one game during a 73-catch rookie season, but he tore his PCL in Week 10 of his second year and logged four absences as a result. That played a critical part in a disappointing sophomore campaign for Kincaid, who had 44 catches and 448 yards (down from 673 the prior year) in 13 games. Kincaid’s season ended on an especially sour note in a 32-29 AFC title game loss in Kansas City, where he was unable to pull in a desperation heave from Allen on a fourth-and-5 play. With just under two minutes remaining at the time, the Bills never got the ball back.

Although doctors advised against knee surgery for Kincaid, he continued to feel the effects of the injury last year. While also dealing with oblique and hamstring problems, Kincaid played just 12 games in the regular season. However, he looked like a true first-round talent when on the field.

Bills quarterbacks (mostly Allen, but Trubisky played all but one snap in Week 18) targeted Kincaid 49 times and recorded a league-best 149.2 passer rating when they threw his way. Kincaid caught 39 passes (good for an 80% success rate) for 571 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. He also registered a personal-best 14.6 yards per reception. The 26-year-old carried his success into the postseason, adding a team-high two TD catches and ranking second on the Bills in receptions (nine) and yards (111).

Gray, who joined the Bills’ front office after Beane’s hiring nine years ago, was in the running to take over the Vikings’ football operations during the spring. He became one of five candidates to receive second interviews as Minnesota sought a replacement for the fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Gray worked in the Vikings’ front office as a college scout from 2006-16, but that was not enough to tip the scales in his favor. The Vikings passed on Gray and three others to hire former Seahawks executive Nolan Teasley. 

Because Gray is a minority candidate, the Bills would have received two third-round picks as compensation for his departure. The added draft capital would have been a plus, but Beane is surely pleased one of his top lieutenants is still in the fold.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Josh Allen, QB: $44.23MM
2. Dion Dawkins, LT: $24.84MM
3. Ed Oliver, DT: $13.66MM
4. Greg Rousseau, OLB: $11.79MM
5. Josh Palmer, WR: $11.75MM
6. Spencer Brown, RT: $8.79MM
7. Dawson Knox, TE: $8.55MM
8. Christian Benford, CB: $7.4MM
9. Michael Hoecht, OLB: $7.02MM
10. Khalil Shakir, WR: $6.79MM

With arguably the best QB in the league, a top-tier running back and an improved setup at receiver, Brady’s offense should continue to pile up points in 2026. On the other side of the ball, a defense that underwent an offseason overhaul in terms of scheme and personnel is a mystery. There is also no telling how Brady will adjust to handling the umpteen responsibilities that come with life as an NFL head coach. He will try to do it while continuing to call offensive plays.

Despite the questions hanging over Brady and the defense, expectations are sky-high for a Buffalo team tied with Baltimore for Vegas’ second-highest Super Bowl odds. The Bills have a new coach and a new $2.1 billion stadium, but Beane may begin to feel the heat if his roster and handpicked head coach produce the same old results in 2026.