Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

The Bills, who were among the teams mentioned in the brief Myles Garrett sweepstakes, may be fooling themselves hoping for extended Bosa work. But they struggled to pressure Mahomes in the AFC championship game and have seen their defense fold in previous playoff brackets. Bosa will join Hoecht, Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa on the edge, with some recent draftees also factoring in. Bosa in a closer-type role could make a difference, but it should be expected he will miss time at points.

It would be helpful to the Bills if Bosa were available early, because Hoecht is set to serve a six-game PED suspension. Unlike Ogunjobi — whose six-game PED ban threatens his roster spot — Hoecht received a multiyear contract and a two-year guarantee. Buffalo had known about Hoecht’s upcoming ban (but not Ogunjobi’s), and the FA deal points to a belief the four-year Rams edge rusher can be a Rousseau wingman for at least two seasons.

Never missing a game with the Rams, Hoecht offers a decent production baseline as a supplementary rusher. He compiled six sacks and seven tackles for loss in 2023, and even after the Rams reduced his snap rate from 2023 to ’24 (85% to 57%) — leading to a mere three sacks and six QB hits — the Bills still shelled out decent cash. Hoecht, Bosa and Epenesa figure to rotate alongside Rousseau, who should lead the Bills in D-end snaps by a healthy margin. The team will hope this quartet can provide better pressure when it matters most.

On a market full of 30-something wide receivers, Palmer stood out. Going into his age-26 season, the former Chargers third-rounder commanded a $15MM guarantee. Another $3MM will come Palmer’s way if he is on the Bills’ roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year. That is a pretty good bet.

Essentially, Buffalo is hoping Palmer can provide what a 30-year-old Amari Cooper could not. Like most of the Bills’ extensions, this signing is a bet on Palmer outdoing his rookie-contract production. Marquise Brown was also likely on Buffalo’s radar, but he re-signed with Kansas City before free agency.

Nominally the Bolts’ No. 3 wideout for much of his L.A. tenure, the Toronto native filled in frequently during Mike Williams and Keenan Allen‘s injured stretches. Palmer played both outside and in the slot, spending more time near the boundary — which should continue on a team with Shakir, Elijah Moore and Curtis Samuel — and played well in spurts.

Sneaking into PFR’s top 50 free agent list (at No. 49), Palmer totaled a career-high 769 yards in 2022 and averaged a career-best 58.1 yards per game in 2023 (no Bills target bettered the latter number last season). Establishing an early rapport with Josh Allen, Palmer could be an X-factor as the Bills attempt to lean on Shakir and develop Keon Coleman on the other side.

Beane took exception during a radio interview about his receiving corps, and Moore came over shortly after that exchange. The Bills’ draft board not aligning with their WR prospect values led Moore to Buffalo. While the group may not have a true No. 1 wideout, it oozes depth. Mostly a slot player, Moore averaged more than 12 yards per catch in both Jets seasons — mostly with Zach Wilson targeting him — and ran into more bad QB luck in Cleveland. Even as Deshaun Watson faceplanted, Moore combined for 1,178 yards last season.

At 25, the former A.J. Brown/D.K. Metcalf Ole Miss teammate presents intriguing upside. It is worth wondering how much room the Bills have for his talents, though, given Shakir and Samuel’s presences. The latter remains rostered due to a fully guaranteed 2025 salary ($6.91MM) — and perhaps because Beane helped draft him in Carolina. Samuel totaled just 253 yards last season and, even with an $12.1MM dead money sum (which would be spread over two years), is not a roster lock following the Moore signing.

Somehow still flowing in Year 9 of the McDermott-Beane era, the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline brought Thompson as well. The former Super Bowl 50 starter will attempt to mix in behind Bills regulars Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. Thompson, 31, joins Dorian Williams and Joe Andreessen as Buffalo backup LBs.

White’s November 2021 ACL tear began the run of Bills corners not being at full strength in key playoff matchups, and White could not shake off injury issues until his March 2024 Buffalo release. After an unimpressive stint as a Rams starter, White wound up a Ravens backup. The former All-Pro is now nearly two years removed from his October 2023 Achilles tear, and the Bills have him readying to start while Maxwell Hairston‘s LCL injury heals.

CB2 could remain an issue for the Bills, given White’s recent form. The team also circled back to Jackson — a primary White 2022 fill-in who spent last season in Carolina — as a midlevel option in case White cannot recapture starter-level form. The Bills discussed a trade for Jaire Alexander before bringing back White but were not closely connected to the former All-Pro — who wound up a Raven — post-draft. Hairston’s arrival likely affected the Bills’ Alexander interest.

Re-signings:

• Ty Johnson, RB. Two years, $5MM ($2.49MM guaranteed)
• Reid Ferguson, LS. Four years, $6.5MM ($2.37MM guaranteed)
• Damar Hamlin, S. One year, $2MM ($2MM guaranteed)
• Reggie Gilliam, FB. One year, $2MM ($50K guaranteed)
• Ryan Van Demark, T. One year, $1.03MM ($9K guaranteed)

Hamlin being a viable free agent at all represents a remarkable achievement considering the circumstances. The Bills retained the inspirational defender on a low-cost contract, pointing to a depth role after he spent 2024 as a starter. Hamlin, 27, started all 14 games he played last season. PFF did not grade the former fifth-rounder’s contract-year work well, slotting him 85th at safety. But Hamlin has experience as a backup, spending most of the 2023 season in that role after his miraculous recovery.

Revealing on Hard Knocks a full Bo Jackson tweet is tattooed on his back, Hamlin also spent his rookie season and the early part of 2022 — before a Micah Hyde neck injury — as a reserve. Cole Bishop, who saw his workload increase due to starter injuries last season, is poised to supplant Hamlin as a starter. The Bills used a second-round pick on Bishop, pointing to an early-career starter role. Still, Hamlin — who said he wants to finish his career in Buffalo — could become one of the most popular players in franchise history.

Notable losses:

• Jake Camarda, P (waived)
• Amari Cooper, WR
• Rasul Douglas, CB
• Tommy Doyle, T (retired)
• Mack Hollins, WR
• Micah Hyde, S (retired)
• Quinton Jefferson, DT
• Austin Johnson, DT
• Sam Martin, P (released)
• Von Miller, DE (released)
• Quintin Morris, TE (nontendered)
• Jordan Phillips, DT
• Dawuane Smoot, DE
• Baylon Spector, LB (waived via injury settlement)

For a few months in Miller’s first Bills season, he looked to be adding a significant chapter to one of this century’s best defender resumes. A Thanksgiving 2022 ACL tear — Miller’s second as a pro — changed the Bills’ pass-rushing outlook. Miller looked a shell of himself upon returning in 2023, registering no sacks, and had shifted into situational-rushing form last season. While the impending cap casualty bounced back with six sacks (on just eight QB hits) in 13 games, the Bills could not justify carrying his nonguaranteed salary.

Due $17.5MM on his six-year, $120MM deal, Miller became a predictable cut. Miller’s Buffalo tenure did boost him to 16th in career sacks, but the decorated pass rusher’s knee setback effectively ended his prime. The Commanders picked up Miller — on a one-year, $6.1MM accord — this summer. Not released with a post-June 1 designation, Miller counts $15.42MM in 2025 dead money on Buffalo’s payroll.

I wondered in March if Douglas would become the glut of third-contract-seeking cornerbacks’ line of demarcation in free agency. That has been proven true to a greater-than-anticipated degree, as the 1 1/2-year Bills starter remains unattached. This came after the other members of that late-20s CB contingent — D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Charvarius Ward, Carlton Davis — all found homes on Day 1 of free agency on deals averaging at least $16MM per year. It is clear Douglas, 30 this month, was dissatisfied with his market.

The early-career nomad-turned-starter gave the Bills excellent coverage work after a 2023 deadline deal, but his metrics regressed last season. Rather than reinvest in an eight-year veteran, the Bills drafted Hairston in Round 1 and re-signed Tre’Davious White as insurance. This is a riskier plan compared to the two-year Benford-Douglas partnership on the outside.

Cooper, 31, joins Douglas in being unsigned after a Buffalo post-trade stop. Acquired for a third-round pick weeks before last year’s deadline, Cooper never took off in the way the Bills hoped. He totaled just 297 receiving yards in nine Bills games. Even though Cooper collected $100MM on his second contract, the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver agreeing to a five-year Cowboys deal in 2020 proved a mistake value-wise.

Cooper hit free agency again at a bad time, given his uninspiring 2024 showing. Had he agreed to a three- or four-year free agency accord, he would have commanded a much better market as a 2023 or ’24 free agent.

Reuniting with Josh McDaniels (three years after their Raiders partnership), Hollins fetched a two-year, $8.4MM Patriots deal early in free agency. Coming through as Allen’s most reliable receiver in the latest Bills-Chiefs duel, Hollins’ role limited Cooper’s usage. Hollins logged a surprising 66% snap rate with the Bills, limiting Cooper to 46% — a sharp decline from his usage elsewhere.

Hyde and Phillips made what look like final stopovers in Buffalo, with neither being asked to contribute much. Phillips logged 109 snaps upon rejoining the Bills, after short stops in New York and Dallas, while Hyde — who had re-signed with the Bills on a practice squad deal late in the season — did not make any appearances.

Hyde’s exit — unless the Bills call on Jordan Poyer, as the longtime starter would prefer — closes the book on one of the NFL’s best 21st-century safety tandems. The two played together for seven years, combining to make 202 starts as instrumental pieces during the Bills’ late-2010s turnaround.

Trades:

• Dealt CB Kaiir Elam, No. 204 to Cowboys for No. 170, 2026 seventh-round pick

Adding spice to the Buffalo-Kansas City rivalry, the Bills were believed to be eyeing Trent McDuffie in the 2022 first round. After the Chiefs traded up (via the Patriots), the Bills chose Elam. A stark disparity emerged between the first-round corners chosen two picks apart. Elam could not hold off Benford despite the latter’s low-end prospect profile and, following a midseason rookie-year stretch, never earned an extended starter look.

Benford’s early-game exit in Kansas City, as Tony Romo foreshadowed, provided a significant advantage for the Chiefs. Elam gave Mahomes a much less imposing matchup compared to the sixth-round success story, and the Bills cut bait barely a month later. The Cowboys predictably declined Elam’s fifth-year option, but with Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel uncertain for Week 1, Elam could be poised to handle a starting role in Dallas opposite DaRon Bland.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 30: Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 41 (from Bears): T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 72 (from Bears): Landon Jackson (DE, Arkansas) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 109 (from Bears through Bills and Bears): Deone Walker (DT, Kentucky) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 170 (from Cowboys)*: Jordan Hancock (CB, Ohio State) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 173*: Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 177 (from Giants): Dorian Strong (CB, Virginia Tech) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 206: Chase Lundt (T, UConn) (signed)
• Round 7, 240 (from Vikings through Browns and Bears): Kaden Prather (WR, Maryland) (signed)

Steady Bills cornerback connections preceded the team choosing Hairston as an Elam makeup call. Blazing to the fastest 40-yard dash at this year’s Combine (4.28 seconds), Hairston will be asked — once he recovers from his LCL injury and ramps up — to complement Christian Benford. Hairston’s rookie deal will overlap with Benford’s guarantee years, giving a Bills team carrying a eight-figure-per-year slot corner (Taron Johnson) on its books.

The Bills were believed to be in on Ole Miss’ Trey Amos, but he fell into the late second round. Instead, our Ely Allen’s mock draft nailed the Hairston-Buffalo match. A Kentucky-record three pick-sixes placed Hairston on the map in 2023, but he followed up the five-INT campaign with only one pick and five passes defensed in an abbreviated 2024. (Though, that singular pick was also returned for a score.) After White and Elam, Hairston is Buffalo’s third first-round CB pick under McDermott.

A shoulder injury led to five 2024 absences, and the Bills have not ruled out a season-opening IR stint regarding the LCL sprain. While the team dodged a bullet with the speedster avoiding an ACL tear, it could be a while before he is ready for starter work. A future Hairston suspension — due to a civil suit alleging sexual assault — may also be on the radar. Hairston denied the allegation, and Beane insisted the Bills did extensive background work on the promising CB.

The Bills traded up 15 spots for Sanders, illustrating the confidence in the South Carolina product. Sanders has impressed already, putting Larry Ogunjobi on the roster bubble. Packages featuring Sanders and Ed Oliver rushing together would stand to provide a boost on passing downs. Sanders combined to tally 8.5 sacks and 17 TFLs during his final two Gamecocks seasons.

If nothing else, the interior rusher gives the Bills important depth behind Oliver — after the team trotted out mostly older veterans alongside its DT centerpiece last season. Walker also became Buffalo-bound after a trade-up move, highlighting the team’s commitment to this position.

The Bills’ view of Sanders contrasted from both the Dane Brugler and Daniel Jeremiah big boards, which respectively had the SEC D-tackle ranked 70th and 98th in this year’s class. Conversely, NFL.com and The Athletic big boards ranked Jackson 43rd and 47th.

Jackson combined for 13 sacks and 24 TFLs during his final two Arkansas seasons. A big Senior Bowl showing did not end up vaulting Jackson into Round 2, but the power-based rusher profiles as an interesting value play to potentially serve as a long-term Rousseau complement — with Bosa on a one-year deal and Epenesa in a contract year.

Other:

• Holding QB2 competition between Mitch Trubisky, Mike White
• Discussed extensions with C Connor McGovern, G David Edwards
• Joe Brady interviewed for Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Saints’ HC jobs; OC withdrew from New Orleans search
• Fired special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley; Chris Tabor named replacement
• Hired Ryan Nielsen as senior defensive assistant
• Assistant defensive line coach Matt Edwards joined Jaguars’ staff; rehired Jason Rebrovich as replacement
• Promoted Terrance Gray to assistant GM; Gray interviewed for Jaguars’ GM job
• Assistant director of college scouting Lake Dawson joined Oklahoma staff
• Claimed DT Casey Rogers off waivers from Giants
• Retained WR KJ Hamler on reserve/futures deal
• Signed 12 UDFAs

The Bills will need to have a post-Brady plan in the near future; another strong offensive season — which seems likely — probably catapults the 36-year-old staffer into a top job. Brady and his Buffalo OC predecessors have not needed to have an Allen backup plan since the durable QB’s rookie season, but the Bills need to at least establish a depth chart.

The loser of the Trubisky-White battle could either be retained on a practice squad deal and stashed as the emergency QB3 or kept as a third active-roster passer — a less likely proposition due to Allen’s health run. Trubisky held the job last year, but White now has a full offseason in Brady’s offense — after the ex-Jets starter and Dolphins backup joined the team just before last season. Entering his age-31 season, Trubisky still appears the favorite. It will be interesting to see if the Bills chance cutting White, as another gig could await over another year on Buffalo’s P-squad.

Considering all the extension work the Bills did this offseason, some performers were bound to be left out. While time remains for McGovern and/or Edwards to re-sign before hitting free agency, the Bills have another season to evaluate right guard O’Cyrus Torrence for a possible 2026 extension.

This becomes a pivotal year for Edwards, who has not been paid commensurate with his starting experience. The former Super Bowl LVI starter saw a 2022 concussion sidetrack his 2023 market. After playing out a $1.77MM Bills deal, Edwards received a raise (two years, $6MM) to move into the starting lineup after Mitch Morse‘s exit slid McGovern to center. Edwards, 28, will probably be the more affordable option compared to McGovern as far as an extension goes.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

1. Josh Allen, QB: $36.34MM
2. Dion Dawkins, LT: $19.98MM
3. Dawson Knox, TE: $14.57MM
4. Matt Milano, LB: $12.19MM
5. Ed Oliver, DT: $11.24MM
6. DaQuan Jones, DT: $9.41MM
7. Connor McGovern, C: $9.39MM
8. Curtis Samuel, WR: $9.07MM
9. Spencer Brown, RT: $8.18MM
10. Taron Johnson, S: $8.01MM

While bad injury luck (and a controversial ball spot that helped usher long-overdue technology into measurement proceedings) has undoubtedly played a key role in the Bills’ playoff struggles, they continue to come up short in the biggest spots. The Bills have not done well to capitalize — in a loaded AFC, that is — on their Hall of Fame-level QB talent in the way a sturdy Chiefs infrastructure has with theirs.

After last year’s retooling project nearly brought a Super Bowl berth, the Bills join the Ravens in being unable to supplant a Chiefs dynasty atop the conference. Will the recently extended players finally change the guard in the AFC and produce the Bills’ first Super Bowl berth in 32 years? Anything less — barring major injury trouble — will probably be deemed another letdown, representing how much the measuring stick has changed in Buffalo as the McDermott-Beane duo nears a second decade in charge.