Since the end of last season, the Buffalo Bills have made 47 transactions. They released, signed, extended and drafted players to improve and fill out a roster that reached the AFC championship game.
Back are 10 of the 11 offensive players who started against Kansas City, including reigning NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen. Arriving after an emphasis on defense are linemen Joey Bosa, Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi and first-, second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks.
Following the draft, here are six topics and the projected impact on the Bills, immediately and for the future:
Joey Bosa signing
Immediate impact: Significant … if Bosa Version 2021 appears. Bosa, who turns 30 on July 11, has 14 sacks in the last three years combined, playing 28 of a possible 51 games) after reaching 10½ in 2021. The Bills admittedly acquired him for December and beyond, but they also need him to provide a full-season burst. Last year, the Bills had a sack in 19 of 20 games, but they had two or fewer sacks in 13 games.
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In his Chargers finale, new Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa chases down Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in January’s wild-card game.
Future impact: None. The Bills-Bosa flier is similar to 2022, when they signed Leonard Floyd to a one-year deal. Floyd led the team with 10½ sacks. If Bosa can get to seven, eight sacks, this move should be labeled successful.
Extending core players
Immediate impact: By extending defensive end Greg Rousseau, linebacker Terrel Bernard, cornerback Christian Benford and wide receiver Khalil Shakir, the Bills got each at a price potentially lower than if the team had waited until the cusp of free agency next March. Outside of winning and proper communication, nothing increases locker room morale more than draft picks being rewarded. These were smart deals for both sides.
Future impact: If all four players maintain their level or reach a new level in production, these contracts will be wise moves. For Rousseau, it’s double-digit sacks (his current career high is eight). For Benford, it’s four, five interceptions per year (he has five total in his first three years). And for Bernard and Shakir, it’s keep on keeping on. These are core players who should help Allen carry the Bills into the second half of this decade.
Allen’s record contract
Immediate impact: Allen’s $330 million contract (with a record $250 million guaranteed) is darn near a bargain at $55 million per year, currently tied for second with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Green Bay’s Jordan Love and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. Allen could have demanded more, but the signed rate doesn’t handcuff the Bills with the salary cap.
Future impact: The Bills coaching staff, upper management and ownership can wake up each day knowing they have Allen as the face of the organization and the new stadium opening in 2026. They have a durable QB (no missed starts since 2018) who is still getting better as a player. Name a better steward for a franchise, in any sport. He is the Bills’ equivalent of Steph Curry with the Golden State Warriors, Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers and Aaron Judge with the New York Yankees.
James Cook situation
Immediate impact: Cook, the Bills’ fourth-year running back, wants a contract extension after consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and having tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024. The Bills have expressed no urgency to extend him, which creates a distraction, at least outside the building. The first concrete clue of Cook’s level of angst will be if he shows up for mandatory minicamp June 10 (I expect he will).
Future impact: A new starting running back in 2026. The Bills drafted Devin Singletary in 2019 (third round) and his replacement, Cook, in 2022 (second round), allowing them to let Singletary depart in free agency. The Bills didn’t draft Cook’s eventual replacement last week, but they did draft Ray Davis last year.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane talks to reporters about No. 30 draft pick Maxwell Hairston's coverage skills on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Drafting for defense
Immediate impact: The Bills used their first five draft picks and six of their nine total selections on defensive players. The time should be now for cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and edge rusher Landon Jackson. Hairston and Sanders should start in Week 1, and Jackson should be a heavy rotation player. These were the Bills’ top three needs entering the draft.
Future impact: The Bills are transitioning into a new era on defense, and they will expect these players to join Rousseau, Bernard and Benford, plus defensive tackle Ed Oliver and possibly safety Cole Bishop as the core of the defense in 2026 and beyond. In 2026, it’s easy to project that nine of the 11 starting players are under contract, the lone vacancies outside linebacker and safety.
Running it back
Immediate impact: Ten of the 11 projected starters on offense return from last year, the lone change being receiver Joshua Palmer, who will replace Amari Cooper. The Bills averaged 30.9 points per game in 2024 – second-best in the NFL – so I get general manager Brandon Beane saying he didn’t need to emphasize offense, in general, and receiver, in particular. There is no reason why the Bills shouldn’t feel comfortable about their skill-position group if second-year receiver Keon Coleman takes a step forward and if tight end Dalton Kincaid stays healthy.
Bills receiver Keon Coleman will be expected to take the next step in his production after debuting with 29 catches in 2024.
Future impact: This year will paint the picture for Beane in terms of how much he needs to address offensive skill positions in the 2026 offseason. If Shakir again is by far the leading pass-catcher – he had 32 more receptions than any other teammate last year – it should be back to the drawing board at receiver.
