The Buffalo Bills have been about as active as general manager Brandon Beane could afford to be this offseason, which is to say not very active at all. Beyond a splash trade of sorts for wide receiver D.J. Moore, Beane has had to play a frugal game to retool his roster for the 2026 season.
That means the weaknesses on defense, particularly against the run, where the Bills ranked 28th in the NFL a season ago, are still lingering.Â
With the NFL Draft next up on the league calendar, that’s where Bills Mafia expects the team to address those concerns. But, if Beane wants to show his aggressive nature with another trade, a familiar piece of the defensive equation for Jim Leonhard back in Denver could be worth the effort.
Buffalo Bills may find run defense help in Denver Broncos veteran D.J. Jones
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently highlighted trade targets for each of the league’s top championship contenders to consider this offseason, and for the Bills, they could look to reunite Leonhard with a defensive captain from the Broncos’ defensive front in D.J. Jones.
Jones, 31, wouldn’t cost a fortune in a trade, though the Bills would have to consider the weight of parting with more draft capital to make such a move. Buffalo holds just seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and five of them are on the final day of the draft. That’s where it could make some sense to move a late pick in exchange for Jones.
The Bills could feasibly move one of their fifth-round picks for Jones and then restructure his contract to lessen the burden financially. Jones is set to have a $14.6 million cap hit in 2026, but there are still two seasons remaining on the three-year, $39 million deal he signed with Denver last offseason.Â
Jones, of course, wouldn’t solve every issue for the Bills' front seven, as he offers little as a pass rusher (just 15 sacks in nine seasons) and played just 40% of Denver’s defensive snaps a season ago. However, his veteran status and strength as a run defender would give Buffalo two positive additions up front in one move. Even with his limited usage last season, Jones logged 39 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks, which were all still on par with his usual production throughout his career.
The Bills have a lot of promise in Deone Walker and T.J. Sanders as they enter their second seasons, and veteran Ed Oliver will still serve as the beacon of leadership up front. If Jones were added to the mix, it would certainly go a long way to strengthening the unit up front, especially against the run.
All things considered, the Bills will be hard-pressed to find someone who can immediately step in and help out at a comparable level with those late-round picks. At the very least, it’s a move worth pondering for Bills Mafia as the offseason continues to roll on.