The Buffalo Bills spent their offseason making changes that could reshape the way this team looks by September, and most of the heavy lifting came on defense. That fits the bigger picture in Buffalo: a contender that keeps getting close, keeps making the playoffs, and keeps searching for the right mix to finally get over the hump.
Once Sean McDermott was fired, the next major move was Joe Brady’s promotion. From there, Brady took on the task of assembling a new coaching staff and working with Brandon Beane on what the roster would become.
The result was a busy offseason with plenty of new faces, including a new No. 1 receiver in DJ Moore on offense. But the most intriguing additions are the ones on the other side of the ball.
Bradley Chubb is the headliner. The Bills made their biggest free-agent splash by signing the edge rusher shortly after he was released by the Miami Dolphins.
There’s no ignoring the injury history here, but when Chubb has been available, he’s been a difference-maker. He piled up 19.5 sacks across his last two full seasons with Miami, and Buffalo also added enough help around him that he shouldn’t have to carry the load snap after snap.
The draft brought its own surprise when the Bills traded back into the second round for Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun. That pick raised eyebrows because cornerback didn’t look like a major early need, but the appeal is obvious once you look at his game.
He plays with a physical edge and thrives in press coverage. If Buffalo shifts away from its heavy zone looks, Igbinosun could slide in naturally.
He also gives the Bills another option if Maxwell Hairston doesn’t make the leap in his second season.
Another under-the-radar move was the addition of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
It’s the kind of signing that can change the feel of a secondary. The Bills already had some solid pieces, but this defense seemed to be missing a little bite.
Gardner-Johnson, alongside Cole Bishop, should help inject more intensity and aggression into that back end.
And then there’s the new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard. That hire ties the whole thing together.
Leonhard is back in Buffalo as a coach, and now he gets the chance to run the defense himself. He comes over after the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, where he was part of the league’s best defense.
Buffalo is counting on him to bring that knowledge to Western New York and help turn this unit into something better.
In Other News...
Keon Coleman Just Reached A Turning Point Bills Fans Feared
Keon Coleman enters his third season in Buffalo with the kind of pressure that comes when potential starts running out of runway. The Bills have reshaped the receiver room and put a new staff in place under Joe Brady, which means every snap, every practice rep and every detail matters more than it did a year ago. For Coleman, who has flashed enough to stay in the conversation but not enough to lock anything down, the next step is no longer about upside. It is about holding onto a role on a team that has made it clear competition will sort out the depth chart.
The challenge is bigger because the Bills have already seen enough uneven play and off-field friction to wonder whether he can be counted on week to week. Coleman has had moments that hint at a useful future, but the overall body of work has left the door open for others to push past him. With Buffalo adding more talent and the coaching staff looking for reliability, this season has become the one that will define whether Coleman is part of the long-term plan or just another receiver trying to survive a crowded room. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Brady Could Change The Bills Where It Matters Most
Joe Bradys promotion earlier this year gave the Bills a new voice at the top, and the biggest change may not come from the play sheet. The conversation around him has centered on how his style could reshape the feel of the building, from the way players carry themselves to the way the team handles pressure after years under Sean McDermotts steadier, more controlled approach.
Brady is viewed as more player-driven and more willing to let personality show, which is why his influence could reach beyond scheme and into the teams confidence. For Buffalo, that matters because Josh Allen has often been asked to conjure something special when games tighten, instead of simply settling into the rhythm the defense gives him, and the hope is that a different tone in the locker room could help the Bills play with a little more freedom in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Have Another Big Play Receiver Fans Need To Watch
Quentin Skinner arrived in Buffalo in July after a winding start to his pro career, giving the Bills another long-bodied receiver to evaluate as camp competition heats up. The former Kansas standout came in via waivers after a stop with the Jets, and his profile is easy to understand: he can stretch the field, he has size, and he adds another different look to a receiver room that already has plenty of bodies fighting for attention.
The challenge is just as clear. Skinner is one of 14 receivers on the roster, and that kind of crowd usually means a player spends most of his time working behind the top groups while trying to carve out a niche wherever he can. For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious if he can translate that deep-threat ability into something more dependable, but his route to the 53-man roster still feels like one of the more difficult ones to sort out. [Read more 🡒]