3 sneaky good NFL free agents Bills must sign in 2026 offseason

The Buffalo Bills are in win-now mode more so than any other team in the NFL in 2026. With Joe Brady now in the head coach seat, Buffalo must add talent to a roster that has dipped in recent years thanks to questionable free agent moves and middling draft picks. Here are three sneaky good NFL free agents the Bills must sign in the 2026 offseason.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane got a promotion this offseason despite a series of failures during his tenure. These include drafting just two Pro Bowl players out of his last 47 picks, including high-round busts like Kaiir Elam and possibly Keon Coleman (although owner Terry Pegula threw Coleman and other coaches under the bus in saying Beane did not make that pick despite video evidence to the contrary).

He also signed big-name free agent pass rushers Von Miller and Joey Bosa for good money despite being on the wrong side of 30. These two, unsurprisingly, struggled with injuries and weren’t able to step up when it counted most in the playoffs. Plus, Beane’s last two big free agent additions—Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi—were popped for six-game drug suspensions almost immediately after the signings were announced.

So, on this list of the three sneaky-good NFL free agents the Bills must sign in the 2026 offseason, the main rules are: no players over 30 and no players with a looming PED suspension. While we won’t totally know about the latter, we will assume that if we stick to the first rule, the second one will take care of itself.

WR Alec Pierce

Wide receiver is arguably the team’s biggest need this offseason. Bills Mafia would be totally fine if the front office completely cleaned house in the WR room outside of Khalil Shakir. The franchise needs to add in both free agency and the draft, and they should start with Indianapolis Colts free agent Alec Pierce.

Pierce will be 26 when the 2026 season kicks off, so check on rule one. He’s also a 6-foot-3, 211-pound pass-catcher with all the physical tools and abilities to become a WR1 in this league.

Why hasn’t he become one already? Well, since the Colts drafted him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Cincinnati Bearcat has caught passes from Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard, and Philip Rivers.

Outside of Cleveland, that might be the worst run of QB play in the league over the last four years. The fact that Pierce had a 1,000-yard season this year and has led the league in yards per catch over the past two seasons is a minor miracle.

With Josh Allen, Pierce can develop into more than just an incredible deep threat. And even if he didn’t, the wideout would immediately become the field-stretcher that Allen and the Bills’ offense desperately needs.

EDGE Arnold Ebiketie

With the hiring of Jim Leonhard as defensive coordinator, the Bills are switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defensive alignment. That means they need outside linebackers who can rush the passer, cover, and defend the run. That last piece is generally least important in a 3-4, as there are generally three larger interior defenders and two inside linebackers on the field as well to deal with the run.

Atlanta Falcons OLB Arnold Ebiketie seemed destined to switch teams this offseason. After back-to-back 6.0-sack seasons, the former Penn State Nittany Lion dropped to 2.0 in 2025 after the team drafted James Pierce Jr. and Jalon Walker in the last NFL draft. But after Pierce’s arrest and uncertain future, the Falcons will be more motivated to keep Ebiketie in the ATL.

For Buffalo, the team can give him the playing time he needs to continue to develop. He’s still just 27 years old, and in limited time last season, he finished 27th in the league out of 119 OLBs, per PFF grades. His 73.4 coverage grade (albeit on 22 snaps) was particularly interesting. Overall, he could be a good fit for this scheme and really help the transition to the Leonhard defense.

S Kamren Curl

Cole Bishop was the breakout star for the Bills this season. The second-year safety developed into a premier backend DB, justifying his second-round draft status. However, no other safety was able to hold that second spot, and now Jordan Poyer, Damar Hamlin, and Darnell Savage are free agents, with Taylor Rapp likely right behind them as an offseason cut candidate.

Enter Kamren Curl, a veteran safety who is still just 26 years old. He had a career year in 2025, posting two interceptions, 2.0 sacks, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a career high 122 tackles. He also finished 11th among 91 qualified safeties in the PFF grades this season.

Curl is a hard-hitting enforcer who could be the perfect complement to Bishop’s athletic finesse. He is a tone-setter whom Leonhard can rely on to make the D tougher and more physical from Day 1.

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