Five bold predictions for the Bills' 2026 NFL offseason — and more

With the 2025 NFL season and another Division round playoff exit in the rear view mirror, the Buffalo Bills are seeing changes and looking to improve.

The team's former offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, is their new head coach, and GM Brandon Beane has been promoted to an additional role as President of Football Operations.

With a new-look coaching staff in tow, what might the front office do with the time between now and the start of their 2026 campaign to help give them the talent they need to get to the Super Bowl?

Here are five bold predictions for the Bills' offseason:

Brandon Beane Uses 1st Bills Draft Pick on pass rush

The Bills have several key position needs this offseason to strengthen, and three of those are on their defense. Buffalo has needs at linebacker, edge rusher, and safety. Beane has drafted defensive ends in the first two rounds before and has since added Landon Jackson alongside Greg Rousseau and current free agent A.J. Epenesa. Joey Bosa joined the group on a one-year pact, and with his and Epenesa's next moves not yet known, it could be a position they add to in free agency, by trade, or in the draft, which is deep at the position.

The same can be said for linebacker and safety; both positions are deep in the upcoming draft, though outside the top 10, LB talent drops off. Adding at the position for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonard's group could be in line one way or another, as there are good options in free agency. Receiver is the only position of greater need for Buffalo, and while there is depth at the position in this year's draft class, it lacks elite talent, so the GM could go after one via trade to secure a proven talent over a development project, and still select one with the second or third pick. All that could suggest the first selection Buffalo makes could be a position in their pass rush.

Quality Over Quantity Draft Picks

Hitting on their draft picks in Buffalo's key positions adds more value to the current team than finding developmental talent, especially because those players will be on more cap-friendly contracts. Beane has a knack for finding value talent in the middle and later rounds, yet with QB Josh Allen turning 30, this is an offseason he can afford to push some more chips in via future picks and later-round draft capital to be aggressive and trade and move their early-round picks further up the board to secure those more immediate contributors.

Depending on what positions Beane prioritizes first in free agency, receiver, defensive end, linebacker, and safety are the most pressing needs. Those are positions the team could target in the early rounds of the draft for the type of talent they need at a cap-friendly cost. Ultimately, they'll take the best players available once on the clock, but if the team can bundle assets to secure talent at those positions who can contribute in their rookie seasons, their draft will have been a success.

Bills Add A Speedy Perimeter Threat

It's completely within the realm of possibility that the Bills add to the receivers group in the early rounds of the draft, though this year's class is deep, it lacks elite talent. That wouldn't necessarily fit the profile of their receiver group of veteran pass catchers in their mid-to-late 20's, but Keon Coleman (22) and Brandin Cooks (32) could suggest a receiver could still be taken early, or some free agent veterans added on short-term pacts.

The receiver room needs upgrades in free agency, Alec Pierce on a multi-year agreement, and Mike Evans on a one-year deal profile as fits for the depleted Bills WR corps if Beane can free up the cap space to get deals done. Pierce could solve their downfield threat needs, and Evans can fill an area of need while helping to provide veteran mentorship and development for Coleman.

It's worth noting that some of the GM's best work during his tenure has been on the trade market, and he could find an answer there by way of talent like Justin Jefferson, Jaylen Waddle, or A.J. Brown should their teams make them available.

Here's what each Buffalo Bills WR Trade Target would cost against the cap in 2026:

Justin Jefferson: $25.5M
DK Metcalf: $25M
DJ Moore: $24.5M
Drake London: $16.8M
Chris Olave: $15.4M
Courtland Sutton: $5.5M
Terry McLaurin: $4.2M
Marvin Harrison Jr: $4M
Jordan Addison: $2.6M…

— Dan Mitchell (@realdanmitchell) February 20, 2026

QB Josh Allen has entered his prime and achieved his first NFL MVP-winning campaign. At age 30, the Bills can no longer afford to value shop for short-term solutions at WR1 and WR2 or bet on player development. If they are looking to make it to the Super Bowl, it's time to find a long-term solution that can solidify the position for the foreseeable future and revive the Bills' downfield air attack with reliable rotation support and depth behind them.

Bills Trade For A Key Position Need

While the team doesn't have many players that could be considered potential trade chips, and while there are no reports suggesting they might move any personnel in a swap with another club, they do have their current and future picks to work with.

Receiver figures to be the best bet as far as what position they would target, as suggested by offers they made at last season's deadline. There are some good linebacker options in free agency and early in the draft if they want to trade up, but if new DC Jim Leonhard has a player on another roster in mind that a trade could be swung for, it could happen. Edge rusher seems like a good bet for the team's first pick in the first round, unless they package it in a deal for a current NFL player or position at the top of the draft if they see a talent they like in the top 10-15 selections. The team could address their need at safety in free agency or the draft.

Beane has found good value and some of Allen's best receivers via trade; he may do so again in a win-now move.

A Familiar Face Returns to Buffalo

The Bills have areas of need to fill, but can also aggressively look to solidify and upgrade positions.

Could a free agent like Wyatt Teller or Von Miller find themselves back in a Bills uniform?

Both could fit areas of need, and Buffalo would present them with a better situation than they found themselves in with other teams last season. Teller would figure as a versatile add and switch to left guard. At safety, Jordan Poyer had a successful return last year and could help at the position again. And it would give them a chance to win.

Miller was said to be discussed in trade talks at the deadline between Buffalo and Washington. He saw the Bills as providing the best chance to compete year to year to reach the Super Bowl and had a good rapport with Beane.

If a free-agent deal could be struck and amiable terms reached to do so, we could see some former Bills back.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Five bold predictions for the Bills' 2026 NFL offseason

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I bailed on the drive up to Albany for Saint Peter’s-Siena on Sunday, and Bashir Mason is probably never going to forgive me for it. The Peacocks are 6-0 when I’m in attendance this season, and Mason has been seriously superstitious about trying to get me to their other games.

Luckily for him, I’ll be at the MAAC Tournament from start to finish.

Speaking of the MAAC Tournament, we now know who the No. 1 seed is going to be – the Merrimack Warriors. Joe Gallo has won 30 of his first 38 MAAC games since the program moved from the NEC. It’s tied for the most wins by a coach in his first two years with a school in the MAAC since at least 1996-97, and he can move past Tom Pecora if the Warriors win one of the two games in Buffalo next week.

Every other seed is up for grabs. As I wrote in Friday’s MAAC Report, we know that Canisius, Niagara, and Rider won’t be joining us in Atlantic City. I’ll have plenty more on seeding and scenarios over the course of the week – and will have a spreadsheet full of every possible scenario for the last day of the season when the games end next Friday night.

Anyway, here’s what happened on Sunday.

Siena 72, Saint Peter’s 63: Siena only attempted six three-pointers, but attempted 34 free throws in a nine-point win over Saint Peter’s. The Saints led for double digits for much of the game, including getting the lead all the way up to 20 in the final eight minutes before the Peacocks went on a garbage time run.

Riley Mulvey came off the bench for 27 minutes of 13 points and nine rebounds. In the first meeting of these two teams, Francis Folefac had seven assists and was the fulcrum of the Siena offense for much of the first half until Gavin Doty went off. On Sunday, it was Mulvey that played most of the minutes at the five. Doty once again shined, scoring 21 points on just eleven field goal attempts.

Saint Peter’s did not have TJ Robinson this weekend, and lost two road games. SPU is 9-0 in MAAC play at home, but now just 3-6 on the road. Lucas Scroggins returned and played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds, but the Saints went wire-to-wire. It keeps Siena in play for the second seed.

Fairfield 85, Quinnipiac 79: Brandon Benjamin labored through parts of this game holding onto his right side. He checked out after just seven minutes in the first half, and was only able to play four more in the second half. In his stead, Isaac Munkadi played his best game of the season with 11 points and two blocks in 21 minutes off the bench.

Benjamin’s absence is a storyline, and hopefully he’ll be fully ready to go when the Stags take on Siena on Friday, but the Fairfield bench has really stepped up as of late. Tony Williams missed this game, but Eric Mejia had a season-high 16 points, a season-high six assists, and a season-high five rebounds starting in his place.

With approximately seven minutes left in the game, Amarri Monroe committed his fourth foul. He didn’t like the call, and made a gesture of frustration. He was assessed a technical foul, which functioned as his fifth foul, disqualifying him from the game. That’s not how Monroe imagined his final ever game at M&T Bank Arena ending. Fairfield was down three before the fouls, and ended up winning the game by six.

The Stags are 7-2 in the last nine, 10-4 in the last 14 after an 0-4 start to MAAC play. Quinnipiac lost just three MAAC home games in Tom Pecora’s first two seasons at the helm, both regular-season titles. This season, Quinnipiac lost four MAAC games at home.

Mount St. Mary’s 68, Canisius 47: I wrote earlier in the year about how difficult Mount St. Mary’s schedule was in the early portion of MAAC play. I said I wouldn’t be in panic mode if they were 2-5 headed into the Buffalo trip, and they were 2-5 heading into the Buffalo trip. Since then, the Mount is 8-3, including four wins in a row.

Yes, the Mountaineers haven’t beaten one of the teams ahead of them in the standings since January 9, but even then, the front-loaded schedule gave way to a late season run up the standings. Now 10-8 in the MAAC after sweeping Niagara and Canisius at home, the Mount controls its own destiny for a bye, and even has a chance to work its way into the fifth seed.

The senior night victory was the Mount’s best defensive performance of the season by points per possession, holding Canisius to .75 PPP. The Mount is now 9-1 when in the MAAC when it scores more than a point per possession. Arlandus Keyes had six steals, helping the Mount win the turnover battle, 17 to 13. It’s just the third time all season that the Mount won the turnover battle.

Canisius had yet another poor offensive performance, scoring a MAAC season-low 47 points. The Griffs have only scored 70-plus points twice in the last 13 games. Welcoming in Merrimack and Quinnipiac to the Koessler Center, where Canisius has lost six in a row, is a tough way to finish the season as well.

Marist 65, Sacred Heart 63: With the shot clock off down by one, Marist could’ve held for one final shot. Instead, Justin Menard came off a dribble handoff at the top of the key and isolated himself against Nyle Ralph-Beyer with about 20 seconds to play. He took a dribble in, and launched a deep three from about 4 feet behind the line, and connected.

Menard is Marist’s leader in off the dribble jumpers per game, ranking in the top 10 in the MAAC with 3.6 attempts. Among the 17 players in the conference with at least three OTD jumpers per game, he is at the very top of OTD points per possession.

The Foxes attempted a season-high 37 three-pointers and made 13 of them. It’s the eighth time that SHU has allowed double-digit made threes in MAAC play. It is 2-6 in those games. Perhaps even more notably, the Pioneers haven’t won a MAAC game all season long without making double-digit threes. 0-7.

Sacred Heart point guard Mekhi Conner was instrumental in the team’s five-game winning streak in January. In the five games that he’s played since – all losses – he’s averaging just seven points and four assists. The Pios need the best version of Conner in order to make a run in Atlantic City. It is worth noting that he missed two games with a dental injury – both SHU wins – and returned for this weekend. Both Anthony Latina and Chris Casey credited his toughness for even being on the floor on Friday night.

Merrimack 88, Iona 86 (2OT): Since Merrimack’s transition to Division I in 2019-20, the Warriors have won three outright conference championships and a share of another. They have never finished below .500 in conference play. They are 87-36 in conference games, a near 71% win rate. That ranks 22nd in all of Division I.

Over the last four seasons, they’re 55-15 in conference play, with the 78.6% win rate ranking 10th in the country. They’ve done that in two different leagues and had a different player in the running for Player of the Year each season.

This win was the eighth in a row, finishing an 11-0 season at home, 10-0 at home in MAAC play. Perhaps even more impressively, the Warriors are 9-1 in overtime conference games as a Division I program, and haven’t lost a conference game in overtime since February 8, 2020 against LIU.

Iona battled in this game, nearly knocking Merrimack off for the second time this year. The Gaels came from 15 points down as CJ Anthony was incredible in the second half and both Toby Harris and Luke Jungers made a bunch of threes. But Merrimack was able to get the job done, as Andres Marrero drew a foul on a three in overtime, tying the game at the stripe.

Kevair Kennedy may have sealed the MAAC Player of the Year with 20 points, seven assists, five steals, and six rebounds.

Rider 67, Niagara 62: Rider will not become the first MAAC team to win fewer than three games in league play since 2012. Just like last season, Flash Burton came through with a huge shot late in the game against Niagara. He finished with 20 points for the third consecutive game and the eighth time in the last 14 games.

Niagara went on a 15-0 run to flip the game from down eight to ahead by seven, each team’s largest lead respectively, but the final five minutes were all Broncs. Rider grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and forced 18 turnovers. Niagara will finish the season winless away from Western New York in MAAC play, with the only road win coming against Canisius.

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