The Buffalo Bills invested a ton in acquiring wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears, as they traded a second-round pick (No. 60 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft) to acquire Moore and a fifth-rounder. Given the state of the wide receiver room, something better had to be done.
The Bills needed to give Josh Allen a major boost on the offensive side of the ball, as he needs some more reliable targets on the outside if he is going to consistently put up the MVP-level numbers Buffalo expects to see from him. Now, Brandon Beane must turn his attention elsewhere.
Buffalo invested some top NFL Draft picks in their defensive line last season, but they didn't seem to take the step forward that many imagined they would. As such, the lack of a mighty pass rush managed to bite them in the rear end during their push for the postseason.
Be it with what limited cap space they have in free agency or with one of the few 2026 NFL Draft picks they have in the first two days, the Bills need to announce that they are serious about turning this defense around by investing as much as they can in the pass rush.
Bills must add a pass rusher after DJ Moore trade
Joey Bosa is a free agent, and his performance didn't make him seem like someone Buffalo should trip over themselves to retain. Greg Rousseau is a quality player, but he can't be the best defensive lineman on a team that has eyes on competing for a Super Bowl.
Even if the Bills are taken out of the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, free agency could be a very fruitful time. Role players like Seattle's Boye Mafe or Atlanta's Arnold Ebiketie could be cheap alternatives that could be a bit more robust than what Buffalo was rolling out last year.
It seems more likely that the No. 26 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will be used on a pass rusher at this point. Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, Clemson's TJ Parker, and Miami's Akheem Mesidor are just a few of the names that Bills fans should try to familiarize themselves with.
Buffalo's acquisition of Moore shows that Brandon Beane is willing to go all out to address a problem ahead of the 2026 season. Similar aggression and wise drafting could land the pass rusher Buffalo has been begging for over the last few years.