Identifying the Buffalo Bills Best and Worst Offseason Moves

Which offseason move was the best for the Buffalo Bills, and which was their worst?

Buffalo Bills center Connor McGovern against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

With training camp starting at the end of the month, the long offseason is finally coming to a close. For the Buffalo Bills, it's been an offseason full of change as they have a new head coach, three new coordinators, and will be playing in a brand new stadium for the first time since 1973.

There were also plenty of changes to the roster, as the Bills tried to tweak things to fit their new coaching staff. As is always the case, those moves come with plenty of praise as well as criticism and now, we look at what stands out as the best move for Buffalo and the worst move during the 2026 offseason.

Bills best offseason move: Re-signing Connor McGovern

Buffalo Bills center Connor McGovern hugs quarterback Josh Allen before the Bills home game against the New Orleans Saints. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Buffalo lost starting left guard David Edwards in free agency, as he signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints. They were in danger of also losing starting center Connor McGovern, but were able to work out a four-year $52 million extension. Not only did that limit the amount of change the offensive line will have to undergo this year, but McGovern's contract was quickly proven to be a steal.

McGovern will average $13 million per season, while fellow center Tyler Linderbaum just signed a deal worth $27 million per year with the Las Vegas Raiders. Linderbaum will make a total of $81 million over three years, which highlights just how team-friendly McGovern's deal is. That's why this move stands out as the biggest win for general manager Brandon Beane and the Bills.

Bills worst offseason move: Trading a second-round pick for DJ Moore

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore runs onto the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is an interesting one, because I believe DJ Moore could actually help the offense tremendously. He might not be the player that he was when he racked up 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chicago Bears in 2023, but he's an ideal fit in Buffalo's offense. Moore also has experience working with head coach Joe Brady, who was Moore's offensive coordinator for two years while they were both with the Carolina Panthers.

That said, Moore is coming off back-to-back declining seasons and his value has never been lower than it was entering the 2026 offseason. Despite that, Brandon Beane gave up a second-round pick for Moore, which is a hefty price to pay for a receiver who has been on a downward trajectory.

Buffalo reworked Moore's contract, freeing up $17.7 million in cap space in 2026. In doing so, they added a voided year to his deal, which means he'll be on the books for another season following the end of his contract which runs through 2029. His cap hit in each of the following three seasons will be just under $29 million per year, which is a lot to be paying for somebody who might not threaten to record 1,000 yards per year.

The Bills likely understand this, but believe having Moore and Khalil Shakir together will be enough for Josh Allen to reach his full potential and take the team where they want to go. If they do end up winning a title, the move will look much better, but for now it looks like a desperate attempt to fix a position of great need.

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