2026 Buffalo Bills Free Agency: Addressing the Defense
The 2026 offseason represents a major turning point for the Buffalo Bills. For the first time in nearly a decade, Buffalo will operate under a new defensive vision following the departure of longtime head coach Sean McDermott. With offensive coordinator Joe Brady stepping into the head coaching role and the team bringing in Jim Leonhard to run the defense, the Bills are entering a transitional period that will likely reshape how the unit is built.
Scheme changes often require different skill sets at key positions, making free agency an especially important tool this offseason. Rather than simply maintaining the roster that fit the previous system, Buffalo now has the opportunity to target players whose traits better align with Leonhard’s defensive philosophy while helping the team remain competitive in the AFC.
Buffalo still has work to do to get cap-compliant. Just because a player is on this blog does not mean I expect them to sign with the Bills next week. These are players that I could see as fits for what the team is looking to do moving forward under Leonhard and would help the defense. In each group, I will break down the players from a cost standpoint and provide their market value, as provided by Spotrac. This is not a prediction of what I think will happen, but players that I believe should be under consideration at each position.
Defensive Line Reinforcements
Jonathan Allen - Allen was a cap casualty for the Vikings as they shed salary after firing their GM. He was one season into the three-year contract he signed last offseason, which guaranteed him $31 million. Is he looking to cash in again or play for a contender? He played in a 3-4 defense early with Washington before switching to a 4-3 defense after his 3rd season. Allen proved productive on both fronts, which would be an added bonus with the Bills' defensive change coming under Leonard.
Market Value AAV - $10 million+
John Franklin-Myers - Franklin-Myers played in Denver the last two years, which were two of the best he’s had in his seven-year career. The concern I have is that there seems to be a strong interest in the 29-year-old, which will most likely drive that $7.9 million AAV into double figures, pricing the Bills out of his services.
Market Value AAV - $7.9 million
Khyiris Tonga - a true nose tackle (6’2”, 335 lbs) that will turn 30 before the start of the season. The Patriots tried to re-sign him unsuccessfully before free agency started. It would be nice to add a player that fills a need while also hurting a division rival. Tonga won't fill the stat sheet, but he takes on blocks and clogs the middle, opening the lanes for tacklers.
Market Value AAV - $3.1 million
Foley Fatukasi - Fatukasi has experience playing up and down the line in a 3-4 front and would be a low-cost veteran option for the Bills that could help keep some pressure on their young defensive linemen to learn behind him.
Market Value AAV - $2.1 million
Fixing the Pass Rush
Bradley Chubb - Chubb had a good bounce-back season after missing the 2024 season with a torn ACL. The Dolphins cut ties with the eight-year veteran as they enter rebuild mode, but he’s coming off an 8.5 sack season for a seven-win team. Will Chubb be looking to cash in one last time, or is he looking for a chance to join a team with a chance at winning the Super Bowl?
Market Value AAV - $10 million+
Arden Key - Key looks to be putting it all together, coming off the best stretch of his career with the Titans, where he put up 16.5 sacks and 94 tackles as an OLB for the first time in his career. This could be an opportunity for the Bills to sign a pass rusher on the cusp of breaking out. He will turn 30 before the season starts, so this may be a one or two-year option.
Market Value AAV - $6.7 million
Jadeveon Clowney - Clowney has played well as a DE and OLB in his career and still has a knack as a pass rusher. He has 23 sacks, 130 tackles, and 40 TFL over the past three seasons in Baltimore, Carolina, and Dallas.
Market Value AAV - $5.7 million
Clelin Ferrell - Ferrell is a cheaper option who would be a good backup pass rusher. The soon-to-be 29-year-old racked up four sacks in 8 games with the 49ers last season and has experience playing on the line and as an OLB in a 3-4 front.
Market Value AAV - $4.7 million
Linebacker Depth and Coverage Help
LB Tremaine Edmunds - the former 2018 1st round pick of the Bills was a cap casualty with the Bears heading into the final year of his four-year contract. He will turn 28 before the season starts, heading into his 9th NFL season. Edmunds averaged 112 tackles over his three seasons in Chicago and may fit the 3-4 defense better, allowing him to take advantage of his downhill tackling. The pricetag may be too high for what the Bills are looking for at the position, but it would be nice to see the reunion between the two.
Market Value AAV - $10.4 million
LB Leo Chenal - Jim Leonhard was Chenal’s Defensive Coordinator in college at Wisconsin. The fit just makes sense from a scheme and need standpoint. Leonhard will need some familiar faces to help with the transition in Buffalo, and Chenal could be the best player for that.
Market Value AAV - $4.6 million
LB Devin White - White’s coming off the best season of his career with the Raiders that reminded people why he was the 5th overall pick in the 2019 Draft. White’s time in Tampa ended due to “locker room” issues and an ego that developed after their Super Bowl LV victory. That would be my only concern with signing the 28-year old LB.
Market Value AAV - $2.8 million
S Ifeatu Melifonwu - Melifonwu will be 27 this season. The lengthy (6’3”) safety could be a nice sidekick to pair with Cole Bishop and let the tandem grow together over the next few seasons. The Bills saw him twice against the Dolphins last season, so they have firsthand experience of what he can do on the field.
Market Value AAV - $3.7 million
S P.J. Locke - Locke has spent his whole career in Denver and enters free agency looking for the chance to be a full-time starter. This could be a good player for new DC Jim Leonhard to bring in to have a familiar face in the room, as well as a veteran playing next to Cole Bishop in the secondary.
Market Value AAV - $3.6 million
S/LB HYBRID Isaiah Simmons - Simmons was a top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL draft and racked up 258 tackles in three seasons with the Cardinals. He was released after the 2022 season when Arizona moved on from Kliff Kinsbury and hired Jonathan Gannon. The last three seasons have been spent between the Giants and Panthers as a Safety, with limited success compared to his days in Arizona. This would be a low-cost, high-reward possibility for a player who is a very talented athlete requiring a specific role on defense.
Market Value AAV - $1.2 million
