Bills free-agency wrap-up: Bradley Chubb was a start, but Buffalo still has work to do
The Bills could be in line for a rare compensatory pick. Will that alter their approach to a roster that still has holes to fill?
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Bradley Chubb, shown pass rushing against Josh Allen last season, was a needed addition on defense. Jeff Romance / Imagn Images
With the NFL heading to the weekend after a frenzied week of free agency, cap space has been filled and the vast majority of significant moves before the 2026 NFL Draft have all been made.
Compared to some other offseasons under president of football operations and general manager Brandon Beane, this initial Buffalo Bills free-agent week was a bit muted. They traded for wide receiver DJ Moore, re-signed center Connor McGovern, and the only external free agents they signed were outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, nickel corner Dee Alford and backup quarterback Kyle Allen. They also agreed to terms with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
What should we make of Chubb, the Bills’ free-agent moves on the whole, some other motivating factors, where the roster goes from here and some names they could target? Here’s where things stand with the Bills as NFL transactional business begins to slow down to a crawl:
The Bills got a pass rusher in Chubb, and it was desperately needed
The Bills addressed a gaping hole on their roster Wednesday when they signed pass rusher and outside linebacker Bradley Chubb. Chubb, 29, has extensive NFL starting experience as an edge rusher in an odd-man front, which the team did not have until Wednesday. Before Chubb signed, the group consisted of Michael Hoecht, who is coming off a torn Achilles, Landon Jackson, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury with some questions about his fit into the scheme, special teams asset Javon Solomon and 2025 practice squad player Andre Jones. Greg Rousseau could fit there if they need him, but the Bills said Rousseau’s role will ultimately be decided by their offseason business. On the surface, his frame, length and run defending ability make for a fascinating fit as an odd-man front defensive end.After reviewing a good portion of Chubb’s 2025 season on film, there is still a lot to like about Chubb’s game. While he certainly isn’t a game-wrecking presence, this is a starting capable player who is sound on the edge and against the run, while taking advantage of the mistakes of the offensive lineman in front of him as a pass rusher. In 2025, Chubb was in his first full season back after sitting out 2024 with a torn ACL, and there is a chance Chubb can reach a different gear another removed from the major injury. Chubb lined up the vast majority of the time on the defensive right side, and was used as a stand-up rusher and occasionally dropped back into coverage. The Miami Dolphins used him on an even-man front in a three-point stance occasionally, which translates well to the multiple fronts that defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard wants to deploy. Chubb is a good addition to the Bills operation and will instantly help the transition to Leonhard’s defense.
However, by no means should the Bills be done at edge rusher this offseason. Signing Chubb is a good start, but this is a position that still needs an infusion of young talent. It’s a deep year for edge rushers in the draft, and there should be someone there worth taking at No. 26, or even a little lower if they make a slight trade down. It would give the Bills a starter in Chubb, a potential starter in the rookie, allow them to use Hoecht in more of a rotational role and they could shift Rousseau down to the defensive line in base formation, where his skill set is likely to be utilized best. Chubb is a start on answering the edge-rusher question, but he shouldn’t be the entire thing.
Did the Bills miss an opportunity at safety?
With Cole Bishop as the Bills’ only clear-cut starter and top safety, the position raised several questions and became a major need this offseason. With a ton of turnover, it left only Bishop, Jordan Hancock and Sam Franklin at safety, and Franklin is effectively a special teams-only asset. Hancock, a 2025 fifth-round pick, had some in-game experience last season and showed some nice moments at times, but entrusting him with a starting job outright with so little experience isn’t usually something Beane heads into a season with on his roster. There’s also the question if the Bills view Hancock more as a safety or a nickel in the new defensive scheme.That’s what made the Gardner-Johnson signing so important, as the Bills couldn’t head into the draft without someone who could potentially be their starting safety. Until they signed him, it was interesting that they sat out the first four days of what looked like a pretty deep free-agent class at that position. While going for a top-of-market safety likely was never in the cards, pairing Bishop for the final two years of his rookie deal with a middle-tier contract for an experienced safety seemed like a doable path given the Bills’ cap situation. There were a handful of safeties who signed in the $5-$8 million-per-year range who seemed like a fit before landing on Gardner-Johnson, who, because of how his 2025 season unfolded with being on four different teams over a calendar year, gives it a bit of a mercurial air. The middle tier group of safeties who went before him included Reed Blankenship ($8 million, signed with Houston Texans), Nick Cross ($7 million, Washington Commanders), Jaylinn Hawkins ($5 million, Baltimore Ravens) and P.J. Locke ($5 million, Dallas Cowboys).
The Gardner-Johnson move appears to be a bit more of a swing for the fences type, which is commendable in a vacuum. Though with a heightened risk of striking out, the safety spot could get hairy in a hurry, making it wise for the Bills to consider spending a draft pick on the position as well. As defensive needs go, they at least addressed safety, which puts inside linebacker as one to keep an eye on in free agency because, at the very least, the Bills need a dependable third player to go with Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, and they may even want to replace one of those two in the projected starting lineup.
If the Bills get the 2024 version of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, he’ll be a great addition.
Michael Hickey / Getty Images
Are the Bills now veering toward moves to protect a compensatory pick?
As things have unfolded, the Bills are in a position they haven’t been in since the 2024 offseason. Over the Cap projects potential 2027 NFL Draft compensatory picks, and as of right now, the Bills are in line to get one. Former starting left guard David Edwards signed with the New Orleans Saints on a deal with an average value of $15.25 million, which Over the Cap projects to yield a fifth-round compensatory pick value. They also have another qualifying free agent lost in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, though the signing of the nickel corner Alford nullifies any compensatory pick that could have come from Trubisky.It’s important to note the basic rules of a complex formula. The projected fifth-round pick for Edwards is not guaranteed at this point. If the Bills were to sign another qualifying free agent, without having another of their outgoing free agents signed to a qualifying deal by another team, the Bills would be at risk of losing the projected pick for Edwards. The lowest average value on a qualifying contract so far this year is at $3.22 million, according to Over the Cap, which is an important piece to remember. If the Gardner-Johnson deal, which is reportedly “up to” $6 million falls below that marker, the Edwards compensatory pick will remain intact. The “up to” deals are always misleading, so it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bills kept the compensatory threshold in mind.
If the Bills are intending to protect that compensatory pick, they still have the opportunity to add free agents, but they have to fall into one of three categories. First, re-signing someone from their 2025 team does not impact their compensatory pick formula. Second, any player released from their contract this offseason, rather than allowing it to naturally expire, does not affect the compensatory formula. And third, they can target external free agents whose deals naturally expired, but the average value has to stay below the qualifying threshold, which, as of now, stands at $3.22 million. That threshold could rise if more deals get signed. The last thing to remember is that contracts signed after the NFL Draft do not impact the compensatory formula, so that could yield another wave of Bills signings if they intend to protect the pick and any others they accrue for their free agents who sign elsewhere.
Chubb did not touch their compensatory formula because he was released by the Dolphins this offseason. Don’t be surprised if the Bills target other players like that to fill out their roster. It could also pave the way for the return of some of their own, with cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Shaq Thompson making the most sense.
Speaking of released players, here are two who make a ton of sense
With the obvious benefit of not impacting the compensatory formula, two recently released players would fit their vision and improve their overall roster in areas of need.On offense, although the Bills traded for Moore, they still are likely one wideout shy of completing the room. Ideally, the final piece would have enough ability and past production to push for playing time, with some versatility in where they line up. Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney fits all of those parameters. Mooney had a disappointing 2025 season, but he’s just one season removed from gaining 992 yards in 2024. He can play on the outside and give them some reps at slot receiver, which would enable slot receiver Khalil Shakir to move around the formation a bit more. Mooney also has speed to push deep and win on the intermediate as a secondary option, so it helps what they needed last year. If signed, Mooney would enter into a competition with Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman to be the starter, along with Moore and Shakir. Those five players, plus Tyrell Shavers when he returns from a torn ACL, would make for a much-improved receiver room from 2025.
On defense, one released player who would make some sense is former Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore suffered a torn ACL in November, likely putting his return to action around the start of the 2026 season or slightly before it. The Bills have a definite need for an experienced third cornerback, as second-year player Maxwell Hairston had a rookie season with uneven results when in the lineup. For Lattimore, who turns 30 in May, it serves as a chance at a starting job once healthy and on a potential championship contender, while getting a chance to hit one last sizable contract in free agency the following season. Washington released Lattimore, keeping the compensatory formula aspect in check.