The Buffalo Bills had many holes to address heading into the new NFL season. General manager Brandon Beane did not hesitate in making a move. He acquired WR D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears along with a 2026 fifth-round pick for a 2026 second-round pick.
The move has been met with a mix of positivity and derision alike. The simple fact of the matter is that this move is a fantastic one from Beane. Let’s look at the number of reasons why this makes so much sense for the Bills.
3 reasons Brandon Beane nailed Bills trade for Bears WR D.J. Moore
Moore fills an immediate need
The plan at receiver heading into the offseason was an unknown. Despite battling local radio personalities over the matter prior to the 2025 season, it became clear to everyone that Beane thought the receiver room needed an upgrade.
The biggest issue is that no one could separate or push downfield on a regular basis. Moore does both of those very well, making him a natural fit for what head coach Joe Brady and quarterback Josh Allen are trying to do.
Those citing Moore’s down numbers from 2025 – 50 catches for 682 yards – are missing a few things. For instance, his 8.0 yards per target were the second-best for him in the last five seasons. The same goes for his 22.4% explosive-play per target rate.
His numbers dipped in 2024 because the Bears' offense was abysmal. They slid in 2025 because Ben Johnson went with high draft picks Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, instead. Moore can still be a great separator and opens up a factor in the offense that wasn’t there in 2025.
Moore's contract for 2026 is reasonable
The thing that jumps out as scary to most fans is Moore’s 2026 cap charge of $24.5 million. That seems like an untenable number because it is. Thankfully, there is a logical step that Brandon Beane will follow to remedy that issue.
The trade won’t be processed officially until the start of the new league year. After that, a full restructure would bring his base salary down to $1.215 million, with $22.27 being converted to a signing bonus spread over four years. With roster bonuses included, his new cap hit comes in at roughly $7.5 million.
Pushing charges into future years is something that most of the top teams do (looking at you, Philly). The same will be true with Moore and other large contracts in an effort to free up cap space for this summer.
The trade cost is negligible up front
Some Bills fans were up in arms with a second-round pick being sent to Chicago. An “overpay”, some have called it. But the simple fact of the matter is that it is nothing to acquire someone who has a proven history of success. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Moore’s two best years in Carolina came under Brady.
A second-round pick is more than likely not going to be the level of player Moore is now, let alone the player he has shown himself capable of being. While there is always the chance to find a cheap, cost-controlled gem, the odds are lower than going with the proven option.
The Bills are also in “win now” mode, so picks should be handled in a way similar to the Los Angeles Rams. One Super Bowl in Buffalo is worth five anywhere else, and Beane is rightfully leveraging those assets into something tangible now.
A fantastic move by Brandon Beane and the Bills
There are more than a few logical options to help shore up the defense, but Beane was proactive about making the receiver room better. He did just that and got another pick back that will likely be used on an interior offensive lineman or linebacker who can compete in camp.
Combined with a cap hit that doesn’t hamper them this offseason, it is as good a move as Beane could have made. Another addition through free agency or the draft, and the Bills' receiver room could look awfully formidable.