There’s a level of hope among Buffalo Bills fans that the team isn’t content with the current state of the wide receiver group. Yes, the trade for D.J. Moore was a step in the right direction of solving the problem, but it isn’t likely to be enough on its own.
Of course, the question remains how exactly general manager Brandon Beane will go about adding to the room further. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, most fans have begun turning attention to the players likely to be on the board when the Bills make their first-round selection at No. 26 overall.
However, there are still some free agent options that may be worth an extra look now that the dust has settled with the top available names landing in their new homes. The market has shifted for those still available, opening the door for a veteran option if the Bills are interested.
Buffalo Bills may benefit from 49ers FA WR Jauan Jennings’ changing free agency market
ESPN Washington Commanders reporter John Keim had previously connected the Commanders to San Francisco 49ers free agent wideout Jauan Jennings, but that possibility seems to have fallen through. Keim had fellow ESPN 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner on his podcast recently, who suggested that Jennings’ camp may have misread his market, which may now be limited to a one-year, prove-it deal being his last option on the open market.
“My suspicion would be that he probably was expecting to cash in something closer to what, you know, Romeo Doubs got in New England,” Wagoner said last weekend. “And if his expectations were above that, and this is hypothetical, I don't know this for a fact, but if his expectations were above that, we’re now at a point in free agency where you're just not seeing those kind of contracts given out– Not that the money has completely dried up, but you're just not seeing it… Maybe he ends up signing a one-year deal that is worth 14, 15 million bucks and gives him some incentives that could take him up to something like that, and then he tries it again next year.”
Obviously, that $14-15 million number carries some sticker shock for Bills Mafia. The Bills only have $12 million in cap space as of this writing, so Beane would have to move a lot of numbers around to make any sort of push for Jennings, and even then, Bills fans would like to see a cheaper final number if they do pursue him.
Jennings has been one of the more impactful receivers for San Francisco in recent years, but his numbers don’t jump off the page. He’s yet to record a 1,000-yard season, though he came close in 2024. For a receiver who turns 29 this summer, it shouldn’t come as a shock that Jennings didn’t find the deal he was hoping for this offseason.
Still, if his market has changed, especially if Buffalo can swoop in with a more manageable number, the Bills offer a spot that should be alluring to a talent like Jennings. If he has to sign a one-year, prove-it deal, landing with a contender who needs reliable pass catchers more than anything should be enticing.
For Buffalo, they would get a player with Super Bowl experience and a nose for the endzone, having caught 15 of his 22 career touchdowns over the past two seasons. Plus, Jennings comes from the like-minded Kyle Shanahan scheme out west, where receivers know the value of blocking in the running game.
There’s value in adding another veteran over throwing a rookie into a tough spot, especially a receiver selected anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the third. Landing Jennings or a similar talent like De’Andre Hopkins would also afford Buffalo some wiggle room if they want to trade down from their No. 26 overall selection. Still, the price has to be right. But if Jennings is down to earn the fat contract he’s chasing by catching passes from Josh Allen in 2026, then the Bills should see if they can come to an agreement to bring him to Orchard Park on a manageable one-year deal.