Buffalo Bills WRs Tyrell Shavers, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel
Getty
Buffalo Bills WRs Tyrell Shavers, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel
There was no question heading into the offseason, upgrading the wide receiver room was priority No. 1 for the Buffalo Bills.
The team took a big step in doing so on Thursday when it traded a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for firmer 1,000-yard wideout DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
The 28-year-old Moore has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark four times in his NFL career, and he’s scored 6 or more touchdowns in each of the last four seasons. He’s a big upgrade at the WR1 position over Khalil Shakir, but multiple reports indicate that Buffalo is looking to add another top-tier WR to complement Moore on the other side.
Bills Release Struggling WR to Clear Cap Space
Former Buffalo Bills WR Curtis Samuel
GettyFormer Buffalo Bills WR Curtis Samuel
The Bills WR room was already shaping up to look much different than it did last season with both Gabriel Davis and Brandin Cooks set to hit free agency in a few days.
On Friday, the team made another move in its revamping, cutting ties with Curtis Samuel, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with Buffalo back in 2024.
“Just in: The #Bills have informed WR Curtis Samuel that he is being released, per
@AdamSchefter,” the 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov reported. “Samuel had 38 catches for 334 yards in two seasons with Buffalo. The team will save $6M in cap space with the move.”
Samuel failed to make a real impact in his time in Buffalo. After back-to-back seasons of 60 or more catches with 600 yards or more with the Washington Commanders, his production dropped off quite a bit in Year 1 with he Bills, and he was limited to just 6 games last season.
Because Samuel is a pre-June 1 release, the Bills will save $6.055 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. Had Buffalo designated him as a post-June 1 release, it would have saved an additional $1.78 million in cap space.
The Bills WR room now consists of Moore, Shakir, 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman, and Mecole Hardman.
Buffalo has been linked to several free agent wideouts including Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans and Indianapolis’ Alec Pierce, and the team has also been floated as a possible landing spot for disgruntled Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
Who Could Bills Target Next?
Given the absurdly high cost to trade for Brown — a first-round pick, a second-round pick and a player — it seems like he’s no longer a viable option.
Buffalo tried to trade for New Orleans’ Chris Olave and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle before the trade deadline back in November, but both had a high asking price then, and it’s unlikely the Saints and Dolphins are coming down on that ask anytime soon.
Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. is an intriguing name to watch. He was limited to just 48 catches, 707 yards, and 2 touchdowns last season because of injury, and he’s seemed to fallen out of favor with new head coach Liam Coen.
Many also believe Buffalo will address the WR position in the NFL draft. The team currently has the No. 26 overall pick, and the Bills could target one of Washington’s Denzel Boston, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, or Alabama’s Germie Bernard.