Bills Deserve Better Than Savage Ranking Revealed by NFL Analyst After Free Agency

Much like everything the team does nowadays, the Buffalo Bills’ movement in free agency received a polarizing reaction.

However, one NFL analyst was not a fan of what Brandon Beane and his front office staff pulled off over the past few weeks. Benjamin Solak ranked the Bills’ additions during the free-agency period as the 29th-best among 32 NFL teams in a recent article posted to ESPN.com.

Within his piece, Solak explained that, while he liked what the Bills did in retaining one of their most important players, what they brought in via a splash trade left a bit to be desired. But I feel Buffalo’s standing on his list is a bit unfair.

His issue

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The ESPN analyst writes how, while he “loved” the Bills hanging onto center Connor McGovern, their trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore was not his favorite move of the offseason.

Solak is lower on Moore than many others seem to be, even dating back to his days with the Carolina Panthers under then-offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who is entering his first year as the Bills’ head coach.

According to the article, Moore is “fast but not fast enough” to transform the Bills’ vertical passing game. Solak also believes that Moore has exhibited “mental lapses” on the field in recent years, which he says limited his ability to take over the reins as the Chicago Bears’ top wide receiver.

The bright side

Buffalo Bills center Connor McGovern (66) looks on before an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The one saving grace of the Bills’ offseason was the re-signing of McGovern. While Buffalo saw former starting left guard David Edwards depart for the New Orleans Saints in free agency, the key for Solak was that it didn’t also lose its starting center, instead signing McGovern to a lucrative four-year contract.

Now, the Bills have four of five returning starters in tow for the 2026 campaign, while the hole left behind by Edwards’ exit will have to be worked out during offseason workouts and training camp. As it stands, Alec Anderson is the leading candidate to take over a starting role.

Unfair ranking

Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) reacts after a play against the Washington Commanders in the fourth quarter during the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I am not the biggest proponent of everything the Bills did this offseason. I felt many of the moves the tea made were half-measures, rather than fully going for it, entering a make-or-break season.

With that said, placing the Bills just two slots ahead of the Miami Dolphins, who were ranked 31st after taking a hatchet to their roster over the past several months, is a bit cruel. While understanding the point Solak made about the Moore trade, Buffalo did better than fourth-worst in the league in terms of its action pre- and post-free agency.

Bradley Chubb should deliver a modest boost to the pass rush, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an upgrade from what the Bills ran out there at safety last season. Edwards is a tough loss, but there are young players in the pipeline who may be able to fill his shoes.

We’ll see how everything plays out, but I think the Bills deserved more than 29th on this list.