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Bills' Early Free Agency Moves Perfectly Summed Up in One Word

The Buffalo Bills might not have made huge splashes this offseason, but their moves made a lot of sense.
Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore gestures to the crowd after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.
Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore gestures to the crowd after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills had one goal this offseason, figure out how to get to the Super Bowl.

To accomplish this, they decided to move on from head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons. They replaced McDermott by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coach position, but there was still work to be done.

Buffalo needed to improve their aerial attack, pass rush, and get better in the secondary. They believe they accomplished this by trading for DJ Moore and signing free agents Bradley Chubb, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Geno Stone. Just as important was the re-signing of starting center Connor McGovern, who is the leader of the offensive line.

Of course, to pull these moves off, Buffalo needed to free up salary cap space. They did this with a few restructures, as well as getting tight end Dawson Knox to take a pay cut.

With all these moves wrapped up, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine summed up the Bills' offseason with one word, calling their work "prudent."

"The Bills made two calculated bets for their two biggest needs in D.J. Moore and Bradley Chubb. Throw in their ability to retain Dawson Knox and Connor McGovern and they feel like a reloaded contender."

Prudent describes the Buffalo Bills' offseason perfectly

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Buffalo looked into making a huge move this offseason, with reports linking them to superstar EDGE Maxx Crosby. Initially, Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, but that deal was negated when Crosby failed a physical.

With Crosby off the table, the Bills turned to Chubb, which could prove to be a better move for them. That's not to say Chubb is going to be a better player than Crosby, but he's still a strong option for them and didn't break the bank.

The same is true of Moore, who was a more affordable option than some of the biggest names out there. Moore comes with questions following two consecutive seasons of declining production, but the Bills believe he's the player they need to open up their offense.

The one true negative from that deal is the fact that Buffalo sent their second-round pick to Chicago. While Moore will produce more than anyone they could have chosen at No. 60, it puts more pressure on general manager Brandon Beane to hit on the team's first-round pick.

Thankfully, his work thus far gives them a talented enough roster to contend, meaning they won't have to reach due to a need.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.