With training camp at St. John Fisher University about two weeks away, the Buffalo Bills are heading into camp with a noticeably different look. Brandon Beane and Joe Brady will have plenty to sort through as the roster gets put through its paces, and the offseason brought in help on both sides of the ball.
The biggest swing of all came at wide receiver. The Bills sent a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears for D.J.
Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick, landing the kind of No. 1 target Josh Allen has not had since Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in 2024. Buffalo had gone years without adding another top receiver, but Moore gives them that true headliner.
He and Brady already have history from their time together with the Carolina Panthers, where Moore put up three 1,000-plus yard seasons while Brady was the offensive coordinator. Moore’s production dipped some with the Bears last year, but he still delivered when it mattered, including a game-winning overtime catch from Caleb Williams against the Green Bay Packers in December at Soldier Field.
On the edge, the Bills added Bradley Chubb on a three-year, $43.5 million deal in March. Beane again went after a veteran pass rusher on a more manageable contract, and Chubb fits the profile the Bills seem to want: power over pure speed.
At 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, he has the frame to hold up against the run and get after the quarterback in late-down situations. He’s also comfortable in aggressive defensive systems, which should make the transition smoother in Leonhard’s defense.
Chubb has played in similar setups with the Miami Dolphins and as a rookie with the Denver Broncos under former head coach and current defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The secondary got a makeover too, starting with C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
He signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal in March and brings the kind of versatility that lets a defense move him around. The 28-year-old has shown throughout his career that he can handle multiple roles in aggressive schemes like the one run by Jim Leonhard.
He gives the Bills energy, range and the ability to play from single-high or split-safety looks, reading the quarterback and covering ground. Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone will be fighting for the starting safety spot opposite Cole Bishop.
Stone arrived on a one-year, $1.4 million deal in March after the Bills moved on from veteran safety staples, including Taylor Rapp. He comes over from the Cincinnati Bengals and adds experience plus competition to the room. Stone is a tough, hard-nosed safety, and like Gardner-Johnson, he’ll be in the mix for that job next to Bishop.
Buffalo also used the draft to add size and style that fit the new direction. Davison Igbinosun went in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, giving the Bills another long corner with the traits to handle bigger receivers in man coverage.
At 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, he has the physicality and coverage ability to match up with the tougher wideouts he’ll see in the league. He’s a man-coverage corner by trade, which matters more now because Leonhard’s defense will lean on it more than the Bills did over the past nine seasons under McDermott.
Igbinosun can be grabby with his hands, something that drew penalties in the first half of his season at Ohio State before he cleaned it up after the break.
The Bills also added a linebacker who looks built for the kind of work that comes with a new scheme. Kaleb Elarms-Orr was taken in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he brings the old-school thumper profile Buffalo had largely passed over in recent years.
At 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds, he has the size to take on powerful backs, especially against 12-to-13 personnel. With the new scheme calling for a middle linebacker who can bring that physical edge, Elarms-Orr looks the part.
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Bills Fans May Not Love Who's Emerging As Buffalo's Breakout Pick
Training camp is bringing a fresh look on defense for Buffalo, with Jim Leonhard installing a new scheme that could change how the front seven is used. For a team that spent last season sorting through roles and fit, the shift to a 3-4 setup is creating a new set of questions about which young players can grow into bigger responsibilities.
One name drawing attention is T.J. Sanders, the second-round defensive tackle from last year who had a modest rookie season but now looks like a possible leap candidate in the new system. His ability to line up inside and spend time at defensive end gives him a path to more snaps, and if the scheme unfolds the way some around the league expect, Buffalo may be hearing a lot more about him by 2026. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge is that Buffalos interior rotation is crowded, and Logue is trying to hold his ground at nose tackle while the Bills evaluate other options in the same lane. The added bulk he has brought into camp suggests the team sees a specific role for him in Leonhards odd-front defense, but the final answer will depend on how he stacks up against the other linemen fighting for those same snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Already Know This Final 53 Cut Will Sting
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That matters even more with Jim Leonhard installing a new base 3-4 defense, because scheme changes tend to reshape the back end of the roster as much as the top. There will be plenty of attention on the usual training camp standouts, and rookie receiver Skyler Bell is one name drawing early buzz, but the real sting for Buffalo could come from how many familiar faces end up squeezed out once the competition gets serious. [Read more 🡒]