Bills, CB Dee Alford Agree To Deal
The Bills’ secondary will have a number of new faces in 2026. One of them will be veteran cornerback Dee Alford.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year pact, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is worth $21MM, he adds. Alford will collect $10MM in guarantees.
This agreement, which includes $7.88MM fully guaranteed (per OverTheCap), comes after the Bills agreed to trade slot staple Taron Johnson to the Raiders. Alford’s 2027 base salary includes a partial guarantee, with the rest locking in on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. That gives the Bills some flexibility as they make a slot cornerback change for the first time since 2018.
Johnson had resided as Buffalo’s slot corner for eight seasons. As boundary defenders and safeties came and went, Johnson was the constant in Buffalo’s secondary. But the team needed to make significant changes to move under the salary cap, especially with D.J. Moore‘s salary coming onto the payroll. As of Monday night, the Bills are still $15MM-plus over the cap.
Alford’s contract will come in a bit cheaper, though not by too much. The former Falcons slot defender’s AAV is just less than $3MM south of Johnson’s. But the Bills are also implementing a new defensive system for the first time since Sean McDermott‘s 2017 arrival. Alford will be part of Jim Leonhard‘s vision.
A former UDFA, Alford played for four defensive coordinators in four Atlanta seasons. Not being tendered as an RFA in 2025, Alford — who played for $1.5MM in 2025 — will secure a big raise after his fourth season. That slate under Jeff Ulbrich included a career-high six tackles for loss. After being charged with eight TDs allowed as the closest defender in 2024, Alford was tagged with four in 2025. His passer rating-against and completion rate-allowed numbers plummeted, though Pro Football Focus only ranked him 94th among corners last season. Nevertheless, the Bills like him for Leonard’s defense — where he will be expected to play alongside boundary CBs Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Raiders To Acquire CB Taron Johnson
The Raiders are involved in their second trade before the start of free agency. They have acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Bills in a late-round pick swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Bills will receive a sixth-rounder, and the Raiders will add a seventh-rounder, per Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post.
It had initially been reported that the Bills would release Johson, but the Raiders will prevent him from hitting the open market. Meanwhile, Buffalo will get some value out of his departure.
This will officially end Johnson’s eight-year tenure in Buffalo, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The Weber State product played for head coach Sean McDermott during his entire run in Western New York.
Johnson generally thrived under McDermott during his first six seasons, leading general manager Brandon Beane to hand the defender a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The agreement temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the league, but injuries have contributed to a drop in performance since he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
Johnson has totaled nine absences since 2024, including four last year. Across 13 games and eight starts in 2025, Johnson picked up 57 tackles and four passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranked his play 74th among 112 qualifying corners.
The Bills fired McDermott in January and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach. Brady brought in an outside defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, to overhaul the unit. That left Johnson’s future up in the air. Shifting the longtime nickel corner to safety was under consideration, but the Bills elected to cut ties with Johnson instead.
The Raiders weakened their defense in the short term when they agreed to ship superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens on Thursday. Nevertheless, the team has ample cap space and draft capital to upgrade the rest of its roster. The Raiders and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will count on Johnson to help improve their slot corner situation. If Johnson doesn’t rebound in 2026, the Raiders would save $10.04MM in releasing him while taking on no dead money next offseason. That makes Johnson a worthwhile flier for a Las Vegas team with a slew of needs to address.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
DB Rumors: Bryant, Bucs, Flott, Pierre
Joining Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe as Seahawks DB regulars less than a day away from free agency, Coby Bryant will be expected to draw extensive interest once the legal tampering period begins Monday. PFR’s No. 28-ranked free agent, Bryant is part of a crowded safety market that could see several starter-level players need to take lesser-value deals. Bryant may come in above that line, and the Seahawks are attempting to keep him off the market. The defending Super Bowl champs — who made a summer effort to extend Bryant last year but had not circled back as of Super Bowl LX — are interested in re-signing the converted corner, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The Seahawks already have Julian Love on a three-year, $33MM deal, and even though the team once employed Love and Quandre Diggs alongside Jamal Adams‘ then-record deal, that came under Pete Carroll. Bryant started 26 games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons. While Ty Okada moving into the lineup alongside Love could serve as a Seattle contingency plan, it appears the team wants to keep Bryant from reaching the market. At 11am CT Monday, the Seahawks will need to compete against other teams for him.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries.
- After removing a year from Jamel Dean‘s contract — as a pay cut also took place — the Buccaneers are expected to move on from the seven-year veteran, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Dean was tied to a four-year, $52MM deal entering September but was given a pay cut. The 29-year-old cornerback still excelled, allowing just 49.5% of the passes thrown his way to be completed and earning a fifth-place CB ranking from Pro Football Focus. As discussed in the Buccaneers’ Offseason Outlook, this will sever ties with Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-era CB corps. The team will have Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish positioned to start on the outside in 2026, Stroud adds.
- The Giants were believed to have been the runners-up for Trent McDuffie, pointing to heavy cornerback interest. This effort may have been overblown, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets, expressing some doubt about the team’s interest in paying top dollar for a cornerback. No free agent on this year’s market will draw that kind of offer, but Duggan notes Cor’Dale Flott is expected to land somewhere from $8-$14MM per year. PFR’s No. 42 free agent, Flott started 37 games as a Giant. John Harbaugh identified the former third-round pick as a player the team would like to keep. With Paulson Adebo on an $18MM-per-year contract, how much will Big Blue be willing to spend to ensure he stays?
- James Pierre delivered a surprising season, based on his past as a part-time starter in Pittsburgh. PFF ranked Pierre second among corners last year, though he only logged 408 snaps. A six-year Steeler who has only started 13 career games, Pierre played well in spot duty (five starts) last season. As a result, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson hears eight or nine teams have shown preliminary interest. This would be a nice development for Pierre, a former UDFA who played on a veteran-minimum deal in 2025. Pierre’s market will be hindered, to a degree, by his age. The Lamar Jackson cousin turns 30 this offseason.
- The Bills‘ recent Sam Franklin re-signing is for $7MM over three years, according to OverTheCap. The veteran special-teamer will see $2.53MM guaranteed.
2026 NFL Trades
The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. Early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. As the NFL resides in window No. 1 for 2026, it is a good time to check in on what has already transpired on the market.
Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2026:
February 26
- Titans trade DT T’Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson
March 2
- Browns acquire OL Tytus Howard from Texans for No. 141
- Texans obtain RB David Montgomery from Lions for OL Juice Scruggs, No. 128, 2027 seventh-round pick
March 4
- Rams acquire CB Trent McDuffie from Chiefs for Nos. 29, 168, 210, 2027 third-round pick
March 5
- Bills acquire WR D.J. Moore, No. 165 from Bears in exchange for No. 60
March 6
- Bears acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 fifth-round pick
- Ravens to land OLB Maxx Crosby from Raiders for No. 14, 2027 first-round pick
Ravens nixed trade March 10, failing Crosby on a physical
March 7
- Packers add LB Zaire Franklin from Colts for DT Colby Wooden
March 8
- Raiders obtain CB Taron Johnson, No. 228 from Bills for No. 182
March 9
- Jets acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for No. 238
- Cowboys land OLB Rashan Gary from Packers for 2027 fourth-round pick
- Steelers add WR Michael Pittman Jr., No. 230 from Colts for No. 214
March 10
- Jets acquire QB Geno Smith, No. 228 from Raiders for No. 182
- Texans obtain P Kai Kroeger, 2028 seventh-round pick from Saints for 2028 sixth-rounder
March 11
- Titans add DL Solomon Thomas, No. 225 from Cowboys for No. 218
- 49ers acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa from Cowboys for No. 92
March 16
- Chiefs acquire QB Justin Fields from Jets for 2027 sixth-rounder
March 17
- Broncos land WR Jaylen Waddle, No. 111 from Dolphins for Nos. 30, 94, 130
March 18
- Eagles obtain QB Andy Dalton from Panthers for 2027 seventh-round pick
March 20
- Falcons acquire S Sydney Brown, Nos. 122, 215 from Eagles for Nos. 114, 197
April 7
- Texans land LB Marte Mapu, 2027 seventh-round pick from Patriots for 2027 sixth-rounder
NFL Restructures: Singletary, Stingley, Packers, Banks, Bills, Browns, Jaguars
Teams need to move under the $301.2MM salary ceiling by 3pm CT Wednesday, and many will be completing restructures to create funds ahead of Monday’s legal tampering period. Here are the latest moves clubs have made to clear cap space:
- Devin Singletary loomed as a cut candidate, as the Giants have been linked to a Kenneth Walker pursuit. But the veteran running back is accepting a notable pay cut to stay. Singletary agreed to reduce his salary from $5MM to $1.3MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. The former Bills and Texans starter has been a role player in New York, being usurped by both Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo. But it looks like Singletary will be staying on the roster after this change, which Raanan indicates also comes with a $1MM incentive package.
- The Texans created roughly $20MM in cap space by moving the majority of Derek Stingley Jr.‘s $21.59MM 2026 base salary into a bonus, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. This move, which will inflate future cap hits on Stingley’s three-year, $90MM extension, has slid Houston past $33MM in cap room as of Sunday afternoon. Also contributing to that total: a Jalen Pitre restructure, per Wilson. The versatile DB’s base salary is at the veteran minimum, freeing up nearly $9MM.
- Tied to a four-year, $77MM Packers deal, Aaron Banks will see his contract restructured as well. It is not known how much cap space the Packers will save here, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team is adjusting Banks’ 2026 numbers to create room. This will make a future release a bit more difficult while freeing up funds now.
- Taking on D.J. Moore‘s salary in a trade with the Bears, the Bills are still nearly $13MM over the cap. They continue to move toward the limit, though, with OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald noting Ed Oliver‘s deal has been restructured. That move creates more than $10MM in space.
- The Browns have been known to adjust a contract or two under GM Andrew Berry, who has completed four restructures on the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal. They are restructuring Denzel Ward‘s contract, but it is a limited change. This move will only bring Ward’s cap hit down $2MM, per Fitzgerald. It still sits at $30.89MM — second-highest on the team. Cleveland is using Ward’s $2.5MM roster bonus to make the conversion.
- The Jaguars adjusted three deals to create space recently. Patrick Mekari, Eric Murray and Jourdan Lewis‘ 2026 salaries have been reduced via simple restructures, according to Fitzgerald, Spotrac and the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran. The Mekari and Murray move created $10.72MM in cap space, per Fitzgerald. The Lewis restructure adds $7.7MM to that total. The Jags are barely $100K under the cap, however.
Bills To Re-Sign C Connor McGovern
Re-signing veteran interior offensive lineman Connor McGovern was a huge priority for the Bills this offseason, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two parties reached an agreement on a new four-year, $52MM contract today to avoid free agency. A report from Ian Rapoport claiming the team was closing in on this four-year pact preempted the final news, but Schefter broke the deal with details, including a guaranteed amount on the new contract of $32MM. 
McGovern came into the NFL as a third-round pick for the Cowboys in 2019. After sitting out his entire rookie season with a torn pectoral muscle, he served as a backup behind an impressive Dallas duo in Zack Martin and Connor Williams. McGovern found eight starts in his first season of play, filling in a couple times when Martin filled in at tackle and getting the rest of his starts as Martin sat with a concussion or a calf injury. In Year 3, he returned to a backup role but stole a few starts as Williams was benched for a short time due to a tendency to commit too many penalties. McGovern earned the starting left guard job in the last year of his rookie contract and, in addition to allowing just two sacks and committing one penalty he continued to show his versatility with some spot starts replacing center Tyler Biadasz.
Off of a strong final year in Dallas, McGovern landed in Buffalo on a three-year, $22.35MM deal as the Bills looked to replace veteran left guard Rodger Saffold. Starting all 17 games, McGovern was part of an offensive unit that allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL in 2023, but individually, McGovern left plenty of room for improvement in the run game. Part of the Bills’ solution for this was a position shift.
Buffalo pursued some cost-cutting moves in 2024 and opted to release veteran center Mitch Morse, shifting McGovern inside to fill the newly vacant role. Starting 16 games at this new position, McGovern looked much more balanced with his pass-pro and run-grading duties. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he graded out as the 10th-best center in the NFL as he earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. In his second year as a full-time center, McGovern continued to improve, grading out as PFF’s ninth-best center in 2025.
After McGovern’s Pro Bowl campaign, the team began extension discussions with him and fellow interior lineman David Edwards. As those discussions continued, it became clear to that it may end up being one or the other between McGovern and Edwards. McGovern didn’t seem confident that it was going to be him sticking around. Just a few days ago, he told The Athletic’s Tim Graham that the team hadn’t contacted him once and that the feeling in his gut was that his time with the Bills was “over and done.” In the end, though, McGovern got the deal, and the consensus opinion remains that Edwards will be bound for free agency, likely to land a bit more money than his presumed former linemate.
In what looks to be a decent crop of free agent centers this offseason, McGovern was largely seen as the No. 2 option. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum has not reached a new deal with the team that drafted him 25th overall in 2022, despite Baltimore’s best attempts. Linderbaum is expected to set a new market at the position with some reports claiming an aim of $25MM per year, a jump of $7MM from the reigning highest-paid center Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM annual average value. Seeing where the market could’ve ended up, the Bills were smart to lock McGovern in at the time and rate that they did.
With McGovern off the market, all eyes will be on Linderbaum now. There’s a bit of a dropoff in quality after Linderbaum as Panthers center Cade Mays, Browns center Ethan Pocic, and Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry round out the pack of free agent options at the position. The Ravens had kept an eye on McGovern in case they couldn’t hold on to Linderbaum, but McGovern cashes in here with Buffalo as the NFL’s third-highest paid center, and the Bills secure a key piece of the interior of an offensive line that has helped Buffalo see the 2024 MVP and the 2025 leader in rushing yards.
Bills Release Taylor Rapp, Dane Jackson
As Buffalo continues to make room for D.J. Moore‘s contract, the team will release two more veterans. Taylor Rapp and Dane Jackson have been cut, per a team announcement.
The Bills released cornerback Taron Johnson and wideout Curtis Samuel earlier today, confirming those cuts now. Rapp’s release will save the Bills more than $3MM, while Jackson’s exit creates $1.2MM in additional funds.
As Connor Byrne’s Bills Offseason Outlook indicated, Rapp was an expected cut after missing much of last season due to injury. The Bills had retained Rapp — a former second-round Rams draftee — on a two-year, $10.63MM deal. This came on the same day as Buffalo’s initial Jordan Poyer release (in March 2024). Poyer, however, made his way back to Buffalo last year and ended up playing extensively in place of Rapp.
Rapp, 28, underwent knee surgery in October and did not return last season. The Bills used Rapp as a reserve in 2023 — behind the longtime Poyer-Micah Hyde duo — and as a regular starter alongside Damar Hamlin in 2024. A 48-game Rams starter, Rapp started 24 games in Buffalo. While the veteran should draw interest elsewhere, this is a crowded safety market. A host of veteran starters are available, potentially pointing to some needing to accept below-market deals.
Buffalo, which has 2024 second-round safety Cole Bishop under contract for two more seasons, brought Jackson back after the veteran DB spent a season in Carolina. A former Bills seventh-round pick, Jackson only saw action in three games last season.
Rounding up the Bills’ wave of Friday cuts, the earlier Johnson release is expected (per The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia) to be a standard cut as opposed to carrying a post-June 1 designation. The Bills announcing the release effectively confirms Buscaglia’s account, as players designated as post-June 1 cuts cannot officially be jettisoned until March 11.
Bills To Release WR Curtis Samuel
As the Bills continue to move toward cap compliance, they are releasing another veteran. Following the Taron Johnson cut, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Buffalo is moving on from Curtis Samuel.
This has been expected, as the veteran wide receiver has not lived up to expectations with the team. Releasing Samuel will save just more than $6MM in cap space.
The Bills gave Samuel a three-year, $24MM contract in free agency; the 2024 deal did not pan out as the team has whiffed on some wide receiver investments over the past two years. One of many ex-Panthers to come through Buffalo during Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott‘s time in western New York, Samuel totaled just 38 receptions for 334 yards over two seasons. He tallied 81 yards in 2025.
Samuel, 29, may have resided on Buffalo’s roster bubble last year were it not for a fully guaranteed 2025 salary. The Bills indeed kept the slot receiver but later placed him on IR due to elbow and knee injuries. Although the Bills used an IR activation on Samuel, he was a nonfactor for a team that struggled to generate wide receiver production. The Bills have since agreed to acquire ex-Samuel Panthers teammate D.J. Moore via trade.
Playing for Joe Brady in Carolina and Buffalo, Samuel initially relocated from Charlotte to Washington in free agency back in 2021. Samuel played out a three-year, $34.5MM Commanders deal, with two solid seasons alongside Terry McLaurin paving a path to Buffalo. Samuel eclipsed 600 receiving yards in 2022 and ’23, despite the Commanders’ QB troubles in those years, and became an attractive free agent. The former second-rounder’s 2026 market will not rival his 2024 interest.
Bills To Release CB Taron Johnson
Entering Friday more than $31MM over the cap, the Bills are releasing a longtime staple. They are cutting cornerback Taron Johnson, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
While boundary cornerbacks have come and gone in Buffalo during the Brandon Beane era, Johnson has patrolled the slot for nearly all of the franchise’s resurgent period. The 2018 fourth-round pick was tied to a three-year, $30.75MM contract. Two years remained on the deal. By moving on now, the Bills avoid a $1.18MM advanced salary guarantee — which would have vested next week.
[RELATED: Examining Bills’ Offseason Blueprint]
This release is not slated to produce much in the way of cap savings — unless Buffalo designates the cornerstone defender as a post-June 1 cut. A post-June 1 designation would save the Bills $8.67MM in 2026 cap space. Otherwise, the club would save less than $2MM this year and incur more than $8MM in dead money. Teams are allowed two post-June 1 designations annually.
The Bills used the same defensive system throughout Johnson’s tenure, but with Sean McDermott being fired and Jim Leonhard coming in as DC, a big change is on tap. Buffalo will be expected to deploy Christian Benford and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston as its boundary starters, but a hole now exists in the slot.
Johnson, 29, started 87 games with the Bills and had played at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps since the 2020 season. He signed a three-year, $24MM extension in 2021 and topped Kenny Moore‘s then-slot-record deal in 2024. That pact has since been surpassed — though, not by too much — but Johnson will be an interesting free agent after being tied to an eight-figure AAV for the past two seasons.
A recent report indicated the Bills were considering moving Johnson to safety. Jordan Poyer became needed at the position, and Taylor Rapp is expected to be released. While the Bills will need help at that position — with Damar Hamlin joining Poyer as unsigned — they had been able to count on Johnson inside for nearly a decade. Pro Football Focus, however, had viewed Johnson as slipping recently. The advanced metrics site graded him outside the top 70 in each of the past two seasons.
49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Giants Could Pursue Mike Evans
MARCH 6: A new Buccaneers deal remains something to watch for in this case, Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reports. He adds the Titans and Raiders could also be in play provided the “right deal” can be worked out, though.
MARCH 4: Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has established himself as a franchise icon over his 12-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler could continue his career in Tampa Bay next season, but he will at least hear other teams out in free agency.
In 2024, the last time Evans was on the cusp of free agency, the Buccaneers stopped him from reaching the open market with a two-year, $52MM offer. Evans was then coming off one of the best seasons of a potential Hall of Fame career. He caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and a personal-high 13 touchdowns in his lone 17-game campaign.
Soon to turn 33, Evans is now looking for a new deal on the heels of his worst year. Multiple injuries – including a hamstring strain and a broken clavicle – held Evans to eight games, 30 receptions, 368 yards and three scores. His nine absences prevented him from a 12th straight 1,000-yard season, which would have given him the all-time record. He instead will remain tied with the legendary Jerry Rice for that honor.
Although 2025 fell well short of a typical Evans year, he will have no shortage of interest on the open market. Evans may not do as well on his next deal, but a pact in the range of $20MM per year is realistic, sources told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The 49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders and Giants are among potential suitors for the 6-foot-5, 231-pounder, per Jones.
The 49ers, Bills and Chargers were all playoff teams last season, which should appeal to Evans. As part of an 8-9 Bucs squad, the one-time Super Bowl winner missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2019 last year.
San Francisco could lose pending free agent Jauan Jennings, who led the team’s wide receivers in catches (55), yards (643) and touchdowns (nine) last season. The 49ers will also finalize a divorce from Brandon Aiyuk sometime soon.
The Josh Allen-led Bills are in dire need of at least one high-end outside complement to reliable slot man Khalil Shakir. The 2024 second-round selection of Keon Coleman has not worked out, and neither have recent free agent signings Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel. Odds are the Bills will cut Samuel this offseason. They are also facing the possible departure of Brandin Cooks in free agency.
The Chargers have wideouts Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and 2025 second-rounder Tre Harris under contract for next season. Perennially productive 33-year-old Keenan Allen is unsigned, which leaves room for a venerable veteran pass catcher. That could still be Allen, but Evans is at least on the Chargers’ radar.
The Commanders and Giants were miles from the playoffs last year, but both teams at least have prized young quarterbacks. Washington’s Jayden Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during a dazzling NFL introduction in 2024. He helped lead the Commanders to 12 wins and an NFC title game in his first season, but they skidded to 5-12 during an injury-ravaged 2025. Daniels missed 10 games, and No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin sat out seven.
Adding Evans to a healthy Daniels and McLaurin could make for a potent Washington passing attack in 2026. Whether it’s Evans or someone else, the Commanders will add to a receiving corps that could see Deebo Samuel walk away in free agency.
As a rookie last season, Giants signal-caller Jaxson Dart impressed despite losing No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4. Wan’Dale Robinson stepped up as Dart’s go-to target, but he is now nearing free agency. There is reportedly a good chance the Giants will re-sign Robinson, but he primarily works from the slot. There would still be room for Evans on the outside. That would give Dart and the new head coach-offensive coordinator duo of John Harbaugh–Matt Nagy a formidable receiver trio.
Among wideouts scheduled to hit the open market, the Colts’ Alec Pierce should have the most earning power on a long-term contract. No soon-to-be free agent has a better resume than Evans, though, and that will help him secure another strong payday on a short-term agreement.