It is a new era in Buffalo as the Bills continue forward into the offseason under the direction of general manager and president of football operations Brandon Beane. Of course, new head coach Joe Brady is his right-hand man in making the moves that have been made so far.
The trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore is a solid example, with Brady and the eight-year veteran having a great history together in Carolina. It was a somewhat aggressive move, and it’s not without its risks– but it was a welcome departure from the gambles on Curtis Samuel and Josh Palmer in recent offseasons, nonetheless.
Beane made one more move on the first full day of the new league year on Thursday that was a clear departure from the Sean McDermott era, though. There’s an argument to be made that signing C.J. Garder-Johnson in free agency was one of the most ‘anti-McDermott’ moves he could make.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson brings personality Bills rarely embraced under Sean McDermott
It’s no secret to Bills Mafia what they’re getting in Gardner-Johnson. His sometimes abrasive persona precedes him as he enters his eighth season in the NFL with his sixth different franchise. Outside of his stints with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles, Gardner-Johnson has had an up-and-down career. Detroit and Houston didn’t get more than three games out of him before moving on, though injury played a role in the Motor City.
That timeline may well have kept him from ever joining Sean McDermott’s defenses in Buffalo. But in this new chapter of Bills football, where Beane has the final say on roster decisions, the GM is willing to take a shot on Gardner-Johnson unopposed.
Gardner-Johnson’s personality is probably best labelled as misunderstood. Like players such as George Pickens, Gardner-Johnson plays with high emotion and uses trash talk to play the mental game. He doesn’t get in real trouble off the field, though. He isn’t above calling out his teammates, coaches and organization publicly, of course, but there’s a certain level of respect that comes with that when things are going well.
Gardner-Johnson did play a key role in two Super Bowl trips with the Philadelphia Eagles, after all. And his play in Chicago was in line with the best of his production through his first six seasons as he helped get them back to the postseason. And that highlights how his antics benefit him and his team when things are going well.
Sometimes, having someone on your defense who has a few screws loose but has every intention of using that in the pursuit of victory and championships is a good thing, as crazy as it sounds. Even if Gardner-Johnson rubs you the wrong way, it’s hard to deny his impact when it all comes together, as it well should in Buffalo.
That’s where Beane deserves his praise for stepping outside the box to take a chance with Gardner-Johnson. It’s a one-year deal, giving Buffalo a cushion if it isn’t a fit to break away from him early, as the Lions and Texans did. But Buffalo gets to reap the full benefit in 2026 if it is a fit, and it’ll only cost $6 million.
If Gardner-Johnson can find the same groove he found in Philly and Chicago, manning the back end of the secondary and allowing Cole Bishop to play a roaming safety role in the intermediate levels of the defense, this move could prove to be a stroke of genius. If not, Beane can simply cut his losses and move on to the next project.