With the NFL combine now in the rearview mirror, teams are putting the finishing touches on their offseason plans of action before the legal tampering window opens on Monday, March 9, at noon.
Heading into next season with a new head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, the Buffalo Bills could look more different than they have in almost a decade in terms of philosophy, scheme and roster personnel.
As free agency looms right around the corner and the proverbial hand on the draft clock ticks closer, here is a complete mock offseason for the Buffalo Bills, where everything from contract restructures, trades, free agent signings, the draft, and a completed depth chart will be showcased.
*This mock offseason was completed using sticktothemodel.com*
Notable transactions already made by the Bills
- Restructured OT Spencer Brown's contract
- Re-signed OL Alec Anderson to a one-year contract.
- Re-signed DL Phidarian Mathis to a one-year contract.
- Re-signed DB Sam Franklin to a three-year contract.
- Traded a 2026 2nd round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for WR D.J. Moore & a 2026 5th round pick.
- Released CB Dane Jackson, CB Taron Johnson, S Taylor Rapp & WR Curtis Samuel.
- Restructured DL Ed Oliver's contract
- Re-signed C Connor McGovern to a four-year contract
Mock Offseason
The Bills are currently around $21.1 million under the salary cap, which needs to be adjusted to eat the newly acquired $24.5 million contract of DJ Moore before the new league year officially starts on Wednesday at noon. Thankfully for GM Brandon Beane, he has a few simple triggers he can pull to get these numbers in order.
It is important to note that only the top 51 highest contracts on the team count against the cap. It will be important for the front office to become cap compliant while also leaving room to spend on players that will come in and contribute to the team.
Contract restructures
- QB Josh Allen: Standard restructure, +$15.6 million in cap space
- EDGE Greg Rousseau: Standard restructure, +$4.4 million
- EDGE/LB Michael Hoecht: Standard restructure, +$2.3 million
- TE Dawson Knox: Minor pay cut to stay with the team, +$3.5 million
- (Once officially acquired on Wednesday 12 p.m.) WR DJ Moore: Standard restructure, +$14.7 million
Projected cap room after contract adjustments: $24.1 million
Re-signings
- QB Mitchell Trubisky: 2 years, $8.8 million
- FB Reggie Gilliam: 2 years, $4.0 million
Trubisky has proved to be one of the better backup QB's in the league and provides a steady presence behind Josh Allen. Trubisky will make $4.4 million per year with an out in his contract for 2027, if need be. The Bills have been a run-heavy offense ever since Joe Brady took the reins, and having a fullback like Reggie Gilliam at a low price has proved to be valuable for this offense.
Free agent signings
- LB Leo Chenal: 3 years, $30.0 million
There might not be a more obvious fit for the Buffalo Bills this offseason than linebacker Leo Chenal. Jim Leonhard has previous experience with the linebacker, having coached him at Wisconsin, and Brandon Beane has said before that he is "Trying to find as many positionless players as you can, whether it’s a backer who’s at some place, he’s off the ball and he’s playing like a true stacked linebacker and then sometimes he’s walking up as a rusher.” In this deal, Chenal will have two void years added for cap purposes, bringing his cap hit for this season to just $4.5 million.
- S P.J. Locke: 2 years, $6.4 million
With this signing Leonhard brings in another defender he has familiarity with as recent as this past season in Denver. With the release of Taylor Rapp, the Bills bring in another veteran safety with experience as a rotational player, but could easily compete for the starting job next to Cole Bishop.
- LB Logan Wilson: 1 year, $3.5 million
The Bills reportedly checked in on Wilson around the trade deadline, and they revisit the player here in free agency. Wilson is coming off a down year after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, then being released at the end of the season, but the Bills will need a new type of linebacker, and Wilson will be a reclamation project on a 1-year prove-it deal.
- DL Khyiris Tonga: 1 year, $2.1 million
The Bills sign a big nose tackle who will allow Deone Walker to be more of an athletic disruptor rather than just a pure space eater, which fits Walker's game better.
CB Chidobe Awuzie: 1 year, $1.5 million
With Christian Benford and Max Hairston locked in as the starting cornerbacks for the foreseeable future, the Bills add some veteran experience with Awuzie on a veteran deal.
Projected salary cap space post free agency: $8.2 million
2026 NFL Draft
Projected draft pick selections entering the draft (pending compensatory picks):
26, 91, 126, 166, 167, 221, 229.
TRADE
The Buffalo Bills have traded picks #26 & #167 to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for picks #32 & #96
#32: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Despite signing P.J. Locke in free agency, after trading back and acquiring an extra 3rd round pick, Thieneman was simply the best player on the board at a position of need. He did nothing except improve his draft stock at the NFL combine, and with the Bills, he will slot in as a rangy playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. While I was targeting EDGE here, the value simply wasn't good enough. Thieneman joins Cole Bishop, Christian Benford, and Maxwell Hairston in the secondary.
Lance Zierlein's analysis of Thieneman: Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He’s an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. He has a good feel for play design and route concepts in zone, but has average change of direction to match breaks in man. He’s not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary.
#91: Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn
The Bills decide to use their first 3rd rounder on Keyron Crawford out of Auburn. Crawford fits the mold of the type of EDGE rusher that Jim Leonhard will want on this defense. Athletic, aggressive, and versatile. Crawford didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school, so the Auburn product is certainly still a project that has to be refined.
#96: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
Bryce Lance provides the Bills with a boundary threat who can challenge Keon Coleman at the boundary receiver position. The upside that Lance carries over the other wideouts in this range is that in the time he is not getting snaps on offense, he can also provide quality time on special teams, filling in as a replacement for Tyrell Shavers while the latter recovers from his torn ACL suffered in the playoffs.
#126: Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss
Analysis from Lance Zierlein: Harris is a disruptive, alignment-versatile interior defender with mismatch traits and untapped potential. Though he lacks the contact balance/hand usage to cleanly control block engagements, he consistently recovers and often reemerges to help finish the play. He often overwhelms single blocks and disrupts run schemes from a gap away. He wasn't asked to two-gap at Ole Miss very often, but has the tools for the task. He’s a pocket-pushing rusher, but with better hand work, he should see a boost in pressure production. While Harris can play 3-,4- and 5-techniques, his best NFL fit might be nose tackle.
#164: Devon Marshall, CB, NC State
The Bills add more depth to the CB room with the addition of Devon Marshall. While he was primarily a boundary corner this past season, his size suggests he could handle the responsibility of a slot cornerback. Marshall earned a PFF defensive grade of 90.1 in the previous season with the Wolfpack.
#219: Febechi Nwaiwu, OG, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma guard provides quality depth and competition to both O'Cyrus Torrence and Alec Anderson. There are plenty of new coaches on the staff who have recently come from OU who know the kind of player Nwaiwu can be for the Bills.
#227: Brett Thorson, P, Georgia
The Bills have had a revolving door at the punter position in recent years, but that stops here with the addition of Brett Thorson. There is not currently a punter under contract for the 2026-2027 season, so a late-round flier shouldn't be something the Bills shy away from. PFF ranks Thorson as the best punter in this year's draft class.
Offseason summary & final depth chart
Looking back at this mock offseason, I prioritized defense as well as filling some depth holes I thought were necessary. The addition of DJ Moore loosened the pressure for me to make huge swings at the WR position, but the addition of Lance adds some youth and upside that I think is needed for the group.
Chenal earned the largest contract for external free agents, but as a young player who can play in many different positions on the defensive side of the ball, I believe he is well worth it. The 25-year-old's talent can be siphoned even more under his former coach Jim Leonhard.
Projected 2026-2027 Buffalo Bills depth chart
*Depth chart does not include undrafted free agents or potential training camp signings. This is a look at the candidates who could be on the final 53-man roster and how that could shape up*
Offense
QB: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Shane Buechele (Emergency third QB)
RB: James Cook, Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Frank Gore Jr.
FB: Reggie Gilliam
WR: DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, Bryce Lance, Mecole Hardman Jr., Tyrell Shavers (IR)
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jackson Hawes
LT: Dion Dawkins, Tylan Grable
LG: Alec Anderson, Nick Broeker
C: Connor McGovern, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
RG: O'Cyrus Torrence, Febechi Nwaiwu
RT: Spencer Brown, Chase Lundt
Defense
LDE: Greg Rousseau, Tyquan Lewis, Phidarian Mathis
RDE: Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders, DeWayne Carter
DT: Deone Walker, Khyiris Tonga, Zxavian Harris
EDGE/LOLB: Michael Hoecht, Javon Solomon
ILB: Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen
ILB: Leo Chenal, Logan Wilson
EDGE/ROLB: Keyron Crawford, Landon Jackson
CB: Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Chidobe Awuzie, Dorian Strong, Devon Marshall
FS: Cole Bishop, Jordan Hancock, Sam Franklin
SS: Dillon Thieneman, P.J. Locke
Special teams
K: Tyler Bass
P: Brett Thorson
LS: Reid Ferguson