Buffalo Bills' secondary reshaped through free agency
Here is a glance at the Buffalo Bills secondary depth chart, with insight from general manager Brandon Beane and coach Joe Brady, both of whom sat down with The Buffalo News this week for wide-ranging interviews.
Taron Johnson, one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL a few seasons ago, left the Buffalo Bills last week in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson totaled 66 tackles, five for a loss, and four passes defended with one interception in seven games last season.
Kamil Krzaczynski, Associated Press
Taylor Rapp, a Super Bowl-winning safety, got released. Jordan Poyer is unlikely to return. Tre'Davious White remains unsigned, and his second stint in Buffalo may be over. Cam Lewis, who joined the Bills as an undrafted defensive back from the University at Buffalo and carved out a role, signed with the Chicago Bears.
The departures left the Bills short on experience and leadership in their secondary. Safety and nickel cornerback were priorities in free agency. Christian Benford, a quiet yet passionate leader, is set to return as their top cornerback. It is possible, if not likely, that general manager and president of football operations Brandon Beane will continue to add talent to the position groups, either through the draft or free agency.
Here is a glance at the depth chart, with insight from Beane and Bills coach Joe Brady, both of whom sat down with The Buffalo News this week for wide-ranging interviews.
Boundary cornerback
Returning players: Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Dorian Strong, M.J. Devonshire.Unsigned players: Tre'Davious White.
Hairston's development did not go as planned during his rookie season. The 2025 first-round draft pick missed most of training camp and six games because of a knee injury. He appeared in 11 games, including three starts, and had two interceptions, with five passes defended. There were some exceptional plays, but he also had some difficult moments. According to Pro Football Focus, Hairston allowed 15 catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He is a perfect fit for coordinator Jim Leonhard's defense. The Bills just need to keep Hairston healthy.
Benford will enter his fourth season as a starter, and the Bills will want to see him make more plays on the ball. Benford had just two pass breakups in 545 coverage snaps, according to PFF. Buffalo's defense will still use zone coverage, but Benford has to prove that he can consistently shut down receivers when Leonhard calls man-coverage plays.
Unfortunately, it is still unclear whether Strong can play football again. He had a promising start to his rookie season, before he suffered a neck injury that forced the team to shut him down and cast doubt on his career. Strong, who started the season opener, underwent surgery recently, but he faces a long road in his recovery. Specialists will continue to monitor his progress, and the Bills must plan as if he cannot play in 2026.
White, meanwhile, earned a raise with his performance last season. Though White may not fit the Bills' new defense, Beane has kept in touch with White's agent in case it eventually makes sense for him to return.
"I love Tre," Beane said. "The dollars and cents always have to work for both sides. I've actually seen him. Tre's still in town. I've seen him in the building, and I've obviously kept open dialogue. ... Nothing imminent either way. Just continue open dialogue. If something makes sense for him and us, we wouldn't hesitate to bring Tre White back."
The Bills' first free-agent signing on defense, nickel cornerback Dee Alford, started games on the boundary last season in Atlanta, and his versatility was one reason why he was a top target for Buffalo. The Bills still need depth on the boundary, though, and they will likely add through free agency or trade.
Nickel cornerback
Signing: Dee AlfordReturning players: Jordan Hancock, Te'Cory Couch.
Departures: Taron Johnson (trade to the Raiders), Cam Lewis (signed with the Bears).
Alford's arrival gives the Bills the option to keep Hancock at safety or prepare him to serve as their backup nickel cornerback. Hancock, a fifth-round draft pick in 2025, appeared in 13 games as a rookie, and most of his defensive snaps occurred on third down or obvious passing situations.
You may not have heard of Alford before free agency, but he is a prominent part of the Bills' plan on defense. Johnson did not fit at nickel cornerback in Leonhard's scheme because Buffalo needs someone who can cover in space. Last October, as the Bills were playing the Falcons, Brady jotted Alford's name down because the offensive coordinator was so impressed by the former Canadian Football League standout. Alford intercepted Josh Allen and allowed just two catches on five targets.
The Bills were not sure whether they could afford Alford; however, they signed him to a three-year contract worth up to $15.75 million. Brady high-fived his defensive coaches when the staff learned Alford agreed to the deal.
"I love the patience that he played with," Brady said. "I told Dee, 'You are going to run a lot.' You guys are going to see him in training camp, and it's just like, 'Oh, Dee Alford is running again.' It's a different type of way that we're utilizing the nickel, without getting into the scheme. It's different from how it's been utilized here. It's more of a corner position. ... You get a guy that's your nickel that could be your third corner. Might be your fourth corner. But you get that flexibility."
Safety
Signings: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Geno Stone.Returning players: Cole Bishop, Hancock, Wande Owens, Sam Franklin, Daryl Porter Jr.
The Bills needed to get better at safety. Poyer can no longer cover in space. Hancock is too much of an unknown to rely on him as a starter. Rather than spending big on one player, Buffalo identified two low-risk, high-reward signings who have already proven they can make plays.
Gardner-Johnson is the leading candidate to start opposite Bishop. The Bills did not need to pay much because Gardner-Johnson has bounced around a bit in recent seasons. They gave him a one-year, incentive-laden contract. He has rubbed teammates the wrong way with his tenacity in practice and, admittedly, he can cross the line at times because he is so competitive.
Before the Bills made a contract offer, they wanted to meet Gardner-Johnson. After hearing a recommendation from assistant linebackers coach Craig Robertson, who mentored Gardner-Johnson during their time as teammates in New Orleans, the Bills flew the veteran safety to Buffalo to meet the staff.
"He’s a competitive dude," Beane said. "He and I talked about how I grew up in this business with Steve Smith, and Steve played the game with an edge like no one I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t scare me to add a guy like that, as long as it’s under the right deal, and we understand, and we have things that I can say, ‘Remember when you came in? We talked about this.’ I think our locker room, our culture, can handle that. I think there are certain times when you’re selective with an outside-the-box type of hire or signing, in this case, but the competitiveness, the edge he plays with was attractive to me as a piece to add to our defense."
Two years ago, Gardner-Johnson helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Twice in a season, he has intercepted six passes. He is a hard-hitting, playmaking safety who will give Leonhard the freedom to play Bishop near the box or deep as a free safety. Gardner-Johnson can also play nickel if Alford is needed on the boundary or there's an injury. Brady was thrilled to add someone with Gardner-Johnson's personality. He's going to bring a different intensity to practices and games. The signing represents a pendulum swing away from the Bills' recent trend of reuniting with defensive players who understood Sean McDermott's defense.
If the experiment doesn't work, the Bills protected themselves with Stone, who, at 26 years old, has started 53 NFL games in six seasons. In 2023, he intercepted seven passes for the Baltimore Ravens. In 2025, he had 104 tackles with fewer plays on the ball. A change in scenery and scheme could bring out the best in Stone. He is a different type of player, though. Stone is at his best when he is playing the post. The Bills can use him and Gardner-Johnson at the same time when they're in dime personnel. Stone needs to improve as a tackler − he has missed 40 tackles over the past two seasons − but he is good in coverage.
Stone, like Bishop and Gardner-Johnson, can play as a free or box safety. The Bills can still add a safety/nickel through the draft − there are several intriguing options, especially in the middle rounds − but the signings allow Beane to prioritize other positions on defense. Though the contract may not show it, the Bills viewed Gardner-Johnson as the type of player they need.
"I was in Carolina going against him, and I hated going against Chauncey Gardner-Johnson," Brady said. "... The personality that he plays with, the style that he plays with, the energy he plays with, he was another guy that I was like, 'Man, if I can ever coach this guy.'
"He's won everywhere he's been. He's been in winning locker rooms. He knows what it looks like. I think he's going to elevate the way that we practice. I don't need everybody to be leaders, but I need to continue to elevate our locker room. I told him I want him to be himself. 'If you're going to talk, talk, but you need to be consistent with who it is.' His skill set, for what we're looking for in that safety position, was a really big get for us."