The Buffalo Bills were not a super active team during the league’s legal tampering period, but they atleast some moves. Their first move was agreeing to terms with former Falcons cornerback Dee Alford on a three-year deal where he essentially will become Taron Johnson’s replacement in the slot on defense.
Alford has been with the Falcons for the past four seasons, and he is coming off a 2025 season where he had career-highs in interceptions (3) and pass deflections (13). He also added in two sacks as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Even with the Bills switching up their defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, the team still needs a corner who can line up in the slot. Ideally, the Bills should have their 1-2 punch at the starting cornerback position with Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston. Now, it’s just a matter of getting their slot taken care of and adding depth.
Alford officially signed his contract on Thursday, despite agreeing to terms on Monday and he might very well be the most impactful free agent signing for the Bills.
Dee Alford has great opportunity to become Bills' biggest free agent splash in 2026
After officially signing his contract with the Bills, Alford spoke with the media and according to Maddy Glab, Alford talked about how his journey to where he is at today has “defined him as a person.” Glab mentioned that Alford “always has a chip on his shoulder and is a hard worker.”
Glab then talked about the journey that Alford has been on, which includes walking on at Tusculum University (a Division II school), then went on to play in the CFL in Winnipeg, and was eventually signed as an undrafted free agent by the Falcons.
Alford says the journey that he’s been on has defined him as a person, always has a chip on his shoulder & is a hard worker
— Maddy Glab (@MadGlab) March 12, 2026
Alford walked on at Tusculum (D2), then played in the CFL for Winnipeg & was undrafted by the Falcons. Now he signs a 3-yr deal with the #Bills
Now, with him coming off a solid season with Atlanta, Alford will get his big shot with the Bills who are Super Bowl contenders. Knowing the path that Alford has had to take in order to get to where he is at, he may have that same chip on his shoulder to prove that he was overlooked early on in his NFL career and in free agency.
Alford’s contract is not expensive at all, and the Bills will have the chance to see what he can do in a new-look defense in a conference that is super competitive. It would not be surprising to see Alford show Bills Mafia that he was Buffalo’s best free agent signing from this offseason.