Grading Buffalo Bills Moves on Day 1 of NFL Legal Tampering

The Buffalo Bills weren't terribly active during the first day of NFL tampering, but that shouldn't be too surprising.

They already addressed their biggest need by trading for D.J. Moore, who will be their new No. 1 wide receiver. They can use more help at that position, and have multiple needs on defense, but they were never going to be big players with the high-priced free agents.

Instead, the Bills made a couple of cost-effective agreements and brought back a familiar face. Let's recap their work on Monday and assign a grade for Day 1.

Dee Alford agrees to free agent deal

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The biggest move for the Bills was agreeing to a deal with former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford. While Alford isn't a household name, he's a player coming off his best season, and the deal was very affordable.

Alford will make $15.75 million over three years. He gets a signing bonus of $4.5 million and can see his full contract increase to $21 million by hitting his incentives. This was a smart move since it didn't break the bank and gives Buffalo an option in the slot.

Mitchell Trubisky replaced by Kyle Allen

Detroit Lions quarterback Kyle Allen throws a pass against the Miami Dolphins. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Early in the day, the Bills learned that backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky won't return. He agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans, where he rejoins former Bills' offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

With Trubisky out, Buffalo turned to a familiar face by landing Kyle Allen. The journeyman backup spent the 2023 season in Buffalo and returns to backup Josh Allen. During his career, Kyle Allen has started 19 games, and his teams are 7-12 with him under center. He has completed 62.5 percent of his attempts for 4,753 yards with 26 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

His deal is reportedly for $4.1 million over two seasons, which is less than what Trubisky got from Tennessee. Not a bad move for the Bills, who saved a little money and still landed a decent QB2.

Bringing back their punter

Buffalo Bills punter Mitch Wishnowsky punts against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Buffalo had to cycle through multiple punters last season, but Mitch Wishnowsky brought stability to the position. He was excellent with his hangtime and limited returns because of it. Bringing him back is a smart move and will be an overlooked one as well.

Overall grade: B-

Again, the Bills were never going to be huge players in the early part of free agency. Seeing them address one need was good, but it wouldn't have been bad to see them getting a little more aggressive. There's still time for them to make moves, but this wasn't the worst start.