Three Things We Thought We’d See from Buffalo Bills This Offseason, But Didn’t

No one can accuse the Buffalo Bills of a boring offseason.

In fact, the days and months that followed the devastating (and somewhat controversial) playoff loss to the Denver Broncos have been nothing short of wild.

It started with the dismissal of ninth-year head coach Sean McDermott after another postseason meltdown, and it continued with the Bills taking a gamble on young first-year head coach Joe Brady.

Subsequently, Buffalo welcomed back former safety Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator, and even added former Super Bowl head coach John Fox to the mix in an emeritus type role.

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady gives instructions during drills during day six of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University Tuesday, July 29, 2025 in Pittsford, NY. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Rather than grossly overpay in free agency, the Bills traded for DJ Moore to fill the WR1 spot that's been vacant since Stefon Diggs's unceremonious departure.

The Bills also agreed to terms with a proven edge rusher, signing free agent Bradley Chubb to a three-year contract. Continuing to beef up Leonhard's tool box, they used their first two draft picks on defensive talents — Clemson edge rusher TJ Parker and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun.

While Bills' brass was highly active this offseason, there are three particular moves that were never made. Here are three things we expected to see prior to training camp, but didn't.

Bills trade Keon Coleman

While Bills' brass has attempted to reshape the narrative after owner Terry Pegula suggested that Coleman was not general manager Brandon Beane's preferred draft pick in 2024, it's hard to believe that they still have confidence in underachieving receiver for the long term.

After Pegula's jarring comments in January, it appeared as if Buffalo would explore cutting bait on Coleman even if it only received a Day 3 draft pick in return. Coleman, who struggled with both punctuality and production in 2025, must not have attracted significant interest, hence the fact he remains with the Bills.

Keon Coleman fumble — Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) makes a catch and then fumbles the ball against the New England Patriots | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Having used the No. 33 overall pick on Coleman in 2024, the Bills are likely hesitant to completely give up on the wide receiver and release him outright. While Brady sounds optimistic about Coleman's potential moving forward, not only will the player have to mature, he'll be forced to compete with Joshua Palmer and Skyler Bell for WR3 reps.

Bills re-sign Tre'Davious White

White turned out to be extremely valuable as a low-cost veteran last year when first-round rookie Maxwell Hairston suffered a MCL injury during training camp. He went on to start 16 regular season games, finally returning to form after ACL and Achilles injuries threatened his career.

Considering new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard's emphasis on the importance of cornerback depth, it's surprising that the Bills have not taken White back off the free agent market. After Christian Benford and Hairston, the Bills will rely on second-round rookie Davison Igbinosun as the next man up.

At the least, White provides valuable injury insurance and a positive locker room presence. Although the is past his prime physically, the 2017 first-round draft pick showed sufficient tread on the tires in 2025.

Performing admirably, White totaled nine pass break-ups, one interception and 6.0 tackles-for-loss. He limited opposing passers to a 51.1 completion percentage when targeted.

Although seemingly unlikely at this point, a realistic chance of White returning still exists, especially should an injury pop up during training camp.

Tre White INT — Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bills use Top 100 draft pick on safety

With Cole Bishop as the lone guaranteed returning safety, the Bills had to make multiple moves at the position heading into the offseason.

The idea of using an early draft pick on a running mate to pair with Bishop certainly seemed appealing, but the pieces never fell into place. Dillon Thieneman looked like a perfect fit, but he went off the draft board one selection before the Bills were initially set to pick at No. 26 overall.

Instead, Buffalo added two free agents with starting experience in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone along with re-signing veteran Damar Hamlin.

The Bills eventually took a swing at safety in the NFL Draft on Day 3, using the No. 167 overall selection on South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore. It'll be interesting to see if Buffalo views Kilgore as more of a nickel back as opposed to traditional safety.

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