DJ Moore
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The Buffalo Bills' trade for DJ Moore is their signature offseason move at the moment.
The Buffalo Bills were active in the first week of NFL free agency. But their moves weren’t as roundly praised as some inside 1 Bills Drive would hope.
The Athletic named the Bills a free-agency loser in its post-first-week grading story that was published Tuesday by NFL reporter Mike Jones.
The Bills acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore to bolster their wide-receiving corps and give Josh Allen a bona fide weapon to throw to. Buffalo also signed EDGE rusher Bradley Chubb and Super Bowl-champion safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Buffalo was 12-5 and finished second in the AFC East but fell to the Denver Broncos 33-30 in the AFC Divisional Round playoffs.
The Athletic Panned the Bills’ Moves in Free Agency
There still are free agents available on the open market, but the initial flurry to scoop up the best players has come and gone. Despite Buffalo’s high-profile moves, Jones panned the deals, especially Moore, who struggled in 2025 and cost Buffalo a second-round pick too.
“The AFC East’s second-best team did trade for former Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore and the ninth-year veteran can benefit from a change of scenery,” Jones wrote. “[Moore] recorded three straight 1,100-yard campaigns from 2019 to 2021. He did so again in 2023, but his production has declined in each of the two previous seasons.
“Last year, he managed just 50 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns. Parting with a second-round pick and taking on $62.5 million in guaranteed money for Moore feels like a steep price.”
Buffalo took a swing by signing Joey Bosa in 2025, a move that backfired since he had just five sacks and nine tackles for loss for the Bills. This year, they signed former Miami Dolphins EDGE rusher Bradley Chubb to a three-year contract that could be worth $43.5 million but will cost no less than $29 million in guaranteed money.
Chubb played all 17 games for the Dolphins last year, and 16 for them in 2023, though he did miss the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL. Chubb will turn 30 on June 24 and has 48 sacks and has made the Pro Bowl twice over his seven years with the Dolphins and Broncos.
“The Bills also signed pass rusher Bradley Chubb,” Jones wrote, “although given his injury history, $29 million guaranteed over three years feels like a reach.”
The Bills Have ‘A Lot of Work to Do’
It’s been an odd offseason for Buffalo. It was in the AFC’s final four again, yet fired its coach. The now-infamous Terry Pegula/Brandon Beane press conference has loomed as the signature offseason moment, which isn’t good.
But the Bills can still salvage their offseason by making further upgrades, especially on their defense. Yet, Jones rightly noted they missed out on some potential impact players, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“The Bills missed out on other defensive reinforcements last week and still have a lot of work to do,” Jones wrote.
That work may now need to come at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, where Buffalo will have seven picks starting at No. 26 overall in the first round April 24.