Bills-Bears Trade Grades: Josh Allen Gets a Legit No. 1 WR at a Huge Cost

Buffalo’s latest playoff failure might have been the final wake-up call for GM Brandon Beane to add more skill-position talent like DJ Moore.

Former Bears wide receiver DJ Moore will now catch passes from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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The Bears’ scrambling to get under the salary cap has led the Bills to finally add a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver for Josh Allen. 

Chicago is reportedly sending star wideout DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for a ’26 second-round pick. Thursday’s trade can’t be officially finalized until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. 

The Bills’ latest playoff failure, ending on a drop from Brandin Cooks in the divisional round against the Broncos, might have been the final wake-up call for GM Brandon Beane to add more skill-position talent for Allen. It’s debatable whether Cooks actually completed the controversial play, but it says plenty that Allen was forced to trust a 32-year-old wide receiver on the biggest play of the season. 

As for the Bears, it likely wasn’t easy giving up on a player who made a handful of clutch plays for Caleb Williams last season. But it was a necessary move because Chicago entered Thursday $7 million over the salary cap. 

Here are the trade grades for the latest notable trade in the NFL. 

DJ Moore is heading to Buffalo! Here’s my fantasy football spin on a trade that has winners all the way around. @sinow pic.twitter.com/qDOUnMLkC1

— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) March 5, 2026

Allen lands a much-needed clutch playmaker 

The Bills sniffed around on potentially adding A.J. Brown and Alec Pierce, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But a package for Brown was likely too steep, and Pierce could soon be breaking the bank as the most coveted free-agent wide receiver. 

So, it seems the Bills got the best fit when considering all the circumstances. Moore may not be as good as Brown, but he’s a reliable playmaker with a manageable contract for the production that he provides on a consistent basis. 

Moore, who will turn 29 next month, has a guaranteed salary of $24.5 million for this year and $15.5 million for 2027 that becomes guaranteed next week. Compared to other wideouts of his caliber, that’s a bargain for the next two years. Brown has an average salary of $32 million, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Pierce could see a deal north of $25 million per year on the open market. 

But there are some downsides to adding Moore. It’s a red flag that the Bears began cutting Moore’s playing time last season and prioritized more of their young pass catchers. Moore recorded 50 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns, and saw only 85 targets, the lowest since his rookie season in 2018.

And it wasn’t a good look that Moore didn’t complete his route on the game-ending interception in the divisional loss against the Rams. But it was obvious how much trust Williams had in Moore in the biggest moments, especially in the thrilling games vs. the rival Packers, including the game-winning touchdown in the wild-card round.

The Bills don’t need Moore to catch 100 passes for 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns. Allen just needs him to be available when it matters most for the Bills to finally get to a Super Bowl as the former MVP heads into his age-30 season. Let’s not forget that Buffalo has at least averaged 28 points per game in the two seasons since trading Stefon Diggs. 

Relinquishing a second-round pick to a player approaching 30 is a steep price for most teams, but the Bills could afford this risk with a roster that’s ready to contend for a Super Bowl. This seems to be a good fit for Moore and the Bills.

Grade: B

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Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze had 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Bears put more trust in their young pass catchers 

Chicago prioritized moving Moore to become cap compliant because of its depth at the skill positions. 

In the past two years, the Bears have used first-round picks on tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Rome Odunze, and a second-round pick on wideout Luther Burden III.

Loveland appears to be headed for superstar status based on the flashes he showed in his rookie season. Odunze and Burden are still finding their footing as consistent playmakers, but the upside was noticeable last year. However, Odunze will need to be available as the new No. 1 wideout for Williams, as he missed five games last season. 

Chicago will miss Moore’s clutch plays, but it wasn’t a bad idea to put more trust in its ascending pass catchers. The team will also free up $16.5 million in cap space by trading Moore to Buffalo. And the second-round pick will help the team fill a need on defense or find center Drew Dalman’s replacement, who abruptly retired on Tuesday. 

If the Bears can trade linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and move his hefty contract, they’ll be in good shape to continue building off their memorable 2025 season. 

Grade: A

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