Grading the Buffalo Bills’ Free Agency Signings So Far

· Yahoo Sports

Since the NFL’s legal tampering period started at noon on Monday, March 9, the Buffalo Bills have managed to fill most of their positional needs. 

As expected, acquiring wide receiver D.J. Moore via trade was their big move. But they still brought in a few more impactful players alongside him.

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Between re-signing key starters from last year’s team and bringing in a few new names, the Bills are off to a good start in the offseason. More will likely be made from now until the beginning of the season, but the team seems content with filling the rest of their needs in the upcoming draft.

Connor McGovern, Center — A

Before free agency started, the Bills were faced with the decision of re-signing their starting center, Connor McGovern, or starting left guard, David Edwards.

On Saturday, March 7, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bills were re-signing McGovern to a four-year deal worth up to $52 million, with $32 million in guarantees.

This deal makes the 28-year-old the fourth-highest-paid center in the league. The money sounds like a lot, but he’ll be making less than half of what the highest-paid center in the league, Tyler Linderbaum, is. To bring a former Pro Bowler back for less than what he would’ve received on the open market helps create the continuity on the offensive line the Bills have prided themselves on recently.

Just last season, McGovern allowed zero sacks. Furthermore, over the course of his Bills career, he has played in 49 of the possible 51 games at both guard and center. But what makes this an “A” signing isn’t just bringing McGovern back — it’s doing it at a reasonable price tag. 

The talent is undeniable, and the team made the right decision bringing McGovern back instead of Edwards.

Bradley Chubb, Edge — B

The Bills’ other big acquisition this offseason was edge rusher Bradley Chubb. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Chubb signed a three-year deal with the Bills for up to $43.5 million and $29 million guaranteed.

In 90 career games, Chubb has racked up 48 sacks, including 12 in his rookie season in 2018. He also has two Pro Bowl selections.

The worry with Chubb is the wear and tear from two previous ACL tears during his time in the NFL. Chubb first tore his ACL during the 2019 season, and again in Week 17 of the 2023 season.

Historically, however, he has recovered from the injuries well. After his first ACL tear, he returned during the 2020 season and made his first career Pro Bowl. And after missing the entire 2024 season with the ACL tear he suffered toward the end of the 2023 season, Chubb returned in 2025 and had 8.5 sacks on a struggling Dolphins team.

Chubb is obviously a talented football player. But what makes it difficult to give the signing anything higher than a “B” is the term. To commit the amount of money the Bills are paying over three years is a risky move for a team that’s going to struggle for cap space. 

The upside is that Chubb still has the ability to play to the price tag. If the Bills receive anything close to the production he’s had when healthy, the grade on this signing could be even better.

Dee Alford, Cornerback — B-

The Bills’ first signing of free agency was cornerback Dee Alford. Alford comes over from the Falcons on a three-year deal worth up to $15.75 million, with $10.12 million guaranteed. 

It was initially reported that the Bills had signed Alford on a deal worth up to $21 million, which would’ve made this grade much lower. Once the official details were made public, however, the signing made more sense. Alford will be replacing longtime Bills slot cornerback Taron Johnson. 

In Alford’s career, he’s played over 1,700 snaps in the slot, as opposed to only 230 on the boundary. He’s struggled to find his footing in the past, but bounced back during the 2025 season, posting a career-high three interceptions. 

This signing will likely fly under the radar until Alford actually suits up for the Bills. But if Alford can give the defense anything like he did during the Bills and Falcons Monday Night Football game from this past season, then fans will quickly warm up to him.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Safety — B+

After bouncing around a few teams last season, C.J. Gardner-Johnson found success with the Bears. Enough so that he landed a reported one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million with the Bills. He brings a lot of playoff experience and success to a Bills team that hasn’t been able to make it over the hump.

Gardner-Johnson will likely play opposite Cole Bishop in the defensive backfield next season. This arguably gives the Bills an upgrade over last season’s starter, Taylor Rapp.

In 2022, he started at safety on the Eagles team that lost 35-38 against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Following that season, he joined the Detroit Lions, helping them reach an NFC Championship, and later returned to the Eagles in 2024, where he won his first Super Bowl.

This signing marks a new type of winning culture for the Bills. Gardner-Johnson brings a good arrogance on the field that the team never had under Sean McDermott. Gardner-Johnson has also been very active on X, which has already made him a fan favorite.

The only reason this grade isn’t higher is that he’s only signed for a year. If he has a successful year in Buffalo, it would be great to have him back for the vibes he brings alone.

The Rest of the Offseason

The Bills managed to fill a lot of their positional needs in just over a week of free agency. However, there are still more moves to be made. They could still use some veteran insurance at positions where they lack depth, like linebacker and left guard. Expect Buffalo to utilize the 2026 NFL Draft for some of these roles. 

What they’ve done so far hasn’t been flashy. However, there’s been a clear movement to bring in new players to establish the kind of culture Joe Brady wants.

There’s a ton of upside in the new-look roster so far. Perhaps it will be enough to finally get Buffalo over the hump. 

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