Second Wave: Possible late free-agent additions for Buffalo

The start to the new league year has hit a bit of a lull for the Buffalo Bills.

With the bulk of free agency over with — make sure to catch up on some of the team’s signings here, here, and here — the Bills are most likely done meddling in the business of shelling out any large contracts for the rest of the offseason.

However, as the days drag on toward the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, which takes place from April 23 to April 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there may be a few more bargain free-agent signings to come from President of Football Operations and General Manager Brandon Beane, especially considering the team just recouped $3.52 million on Saturday when the team refused to match the offer sheet that reserve offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark signed with the Minnesota Vikings last week. 

Van Demark, a 2022 undrafted free agent out of the University of Connecticut who originally entered the league with the Indianapolis Colts, had been with the Bills since September of that 2022 season, appearing in 46 games (regular season and playoffs combined) with six starts during his career thus far. His one-year, fully-guaranteed contract with the Vikings is for $4.2 million.

So, with that said, the Bills now have a little bit more unexpected cash to their name, leaving the team’s current cap space total somewhere in the range of $13.2 million according to various outlets.

And, considering Buffalo still has plenty of holes remaining on its roster, albeit some bigger than others, there will undoubtedly be a trickling of names still to come onto the roster in the days and weeks leading up to the eventual start of training camp and the opening of the 2026 NFL season.

So, with that in mind, here are a few of those names that could eventually find their way onto the Bills’ roster when all is said and done.

Offense

Ben Bartch, Offensive Guard, Age: 27 (San Francisco 49ers in ‘25)

Entering March, it was anticipated by many outside observers that Buffalo would have some damage control to do along the offensive line this spring.

With starting left guard David Edwards and starting center Connor McGovern expected to hit the open market, the team was likely bracing for the idea of having to fill two positions in front of quarterback Josh Allen this offseason.

However, luckily for Allen and the Bills, McGovern decided to accept an incredibly team-friendly deal prior to the start of free agency, which locked in Buffalo’s pivot man on a four-year deal worth up to $52 million.

The same could not be said for Edwards, though, as the longtime veteran managed to ink a four-year deal of his own with the New Orleans Saints that included $45 million in guaranteed money along with a $20 million signing bonus — not bad for a 29-year-old who started just four games combined from 2022 to 2023 before finally cementing himself at left guard the past two seasons in Buffalo.

With all that said, the Bills presumably still have a vacancy sign hanging above the left-guard position as we creep toward April, despite already securing backup Alec Anderson’s services for another season when the team came to an agreement on a one-year deal in late February with the former undrafted free agent.

And although Anderson will likely be given every chance to step into that starting role next season,  the team will also presumably be on the lookout for affordable competition to bring in to compete during OTAs and training camp. 

Enter Ben Bartch.

A former 2020 fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Division III’s Saint John’s University in Minnesota, Bartch has started 24 of 55 games over his first six seasons, including four starts over the last two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. 

With incredible size and athleticism at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, Bartch has the makeup of a starting offensive lineman, but unfortunately his career has been riddled with injuries to go along with some inconsistent play at times.

Last year alone, the former small-school standout served two stints on injured reserve due to a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 2 and a foot sprain sustained in Week 13. 

It’s been a frustrating start to Bartch’s career, but the interior offensive lineman recently visited the Detroit Lions last Monday, so there’s certainly still some interest amongst league circles regarding the guard’s services, and the Bills might be wise to poke their heads in on the McMinnville, Oregon, native.

Bartch would likely come cheap and would provide solid competition for Anderson.

Mekhi Becton, Offensive Guard, Age: 26 (Los Angeles Chargers in ‘25)

The 11th-overall pick of the New York Jets in the 2020 NFL Draft out of the University of Louisville, Becton has had an up-and-down start to his NFL career.

Originally entering the league as an offensive tackle, Becton’s size (6-foot-7, 363 pounds) proved to be a detriment early on in his career as his conditioning was often called into question along with his durability.

After starting 13 of 14 games for the Jets in his rookie campaign, Becton went on to appear in just one game in 2021 and missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to various knee ailments. 

However, since then, the former first-round pick has finally found some stability in his career as he has started 45 of 46 games from 2023 to 2025 while playing for the Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Chargers, which is where he spent all of last season after signing a two-year, $20 million deal with the team during free agency last spring.

Since 2024, Becton has found a home at guard at the professional level, which seemingly highlights his strengths of size and power while minimizing his deficiencies as a limited mover in open space. 

And, although his play took a dip with the Chargers last year compared to his impressive season with the Eagles in 2024 — which ended with a Super Bowl title while blocking for quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley — there’s certainly still plenty of intrigue surrounding Becton.

Released by the Chargers for cap purposes this offseason, if he could somehow manage to regain his form from just two seasons ago, then any team willing to take the plunge to sign the behemoth offensive lineman might be reaping significant rewards come this fall.

Daniel Faalele, Offensive Guard, Age: 26 (Baltimore Ravens in ‘25)

A native of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Faalele attended the University of Minnesota from 2018 to 2021 after starting his football career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, in 2016.

Faalele parlayed his international sporting ventures into becoming a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming the heaviest player rostered in the NFL at the time with his 6-foot-8, 384-pound frame.

Despite entering the league as an offensive tackle and starting just one game over his first two seasons in Baltimore, the former Golden Gopher standout went on to crack the starting lineup as a guard for the Ravens during his third season, proceeding to start 34 of 34 regular season games in the interior over the past two years, while adding two postseason starts for the team in 2024, which included the memorable matchup between the Bills and the Ravens in the AFC divisional round at Highmark Stadium that season.

The gigantic offensive lineman, now listed at 370 pounds, has worked hard to keep his weight in check since entering the league, and has proven to be an incredibly durable player, as well.

And, although his play on the field has fluctuated in his time as a starter, there’s certainly something to the old adages that you can’t teach size and the best ability is availability.

Faalele has those two things in spades, and adding the interior lineman at this point of free agency would provide incredible depth and competition along the offensive line for Buffalo.

Deebo Samuel, Wide Receiver, Age: 30 (Washington Commanders in ‘25)

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has had quite the career since coming into the league as a second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft, tallying 406 receptions for 5,519 yards and 27 receiving touchdowns on top of carrying the ball 219 times for 1,218 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns in 97 career regular-season games.

Starting 85 of those contests, Samuel has also added 638 receiving yards, 288 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns in 12 career postseason appearances, which included trips to Super Bowl LIV during the 2019 season and Super Bowl LVIII during the 2023 campaign. 

However, since breaking out for 77 receptions, 1,405 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and a league-high 18.2 yard-per-catch average in 2021, the former South Carolina Gamecock has failed to reach the 900-yard receiving mark in each of the last four seasons.

Traded from San Francisco to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick on March 12, 2025, Samuel appeared in 16 of 17 games with 12 starts last season in Washington en route to registering 72 catches on 99 targets for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns — the third-highest scoring output of his career. He also added 75 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 attempts.

However, despite those respectable numbers, Samuel did not re-sign with Washington following the season, and the versatile receiver has yet to find a new home nearly three weeks into the 2026 new league year.

Rumors swirled around the trade deadline last November that Samuel could be of interest to general manager Brandon Beane and the Bills, but ultimately a deal was never consummated between Buffalo and Washington, leaving the door open for a possible free-agent union this spring.

Still just 30 years old, Samuel presumably has some gas left in the tank, so to speak, and could provide the Bills with another veteran option in a room that is still looking for answers even after the team acquired D.J. Moore in a trade two weeks ago. 

The veteran might not be in a hurry to find his next NFL stop, so a signing likely isn’t imminent. However, if Buffalo ultimately strikes out in the draft when it comes to finding another playmaker in the passing game for quarterback Josh Allen, then a match between Samuel and Bills could make plenty of sense depending on the wideout’s price tag.

Brandin Cooks, Wide Receiver, Age: 32 (Buffalo Bills in ‘25)

This should be a name that is very familiar to members of Bills Mafia, and one that shouldn’t surprise anyone to see on this list. 

A 12-year veteran, Cooks joined the Bills in late November last year after he was granted his release from the New Orleans Saints, which is where he had been since inking a two-year, $13 million deal with the team in late March last offseason.

After a slow start, Cooks and quarterback Josh Allen seemed to have quite the connection with one another, particularly late in the year.

For the 2025 season, Cooks finished the year with 29 receptions for 357 receiving yards on 47 targets, which included 114 receiving yards in five regular-season games with Buffalo and 78 receiving yards on five receptions in two postseason appearances. 

Cooks’ most infamous play of the season came in the AFC divisional round against the Denver Broncos when he either did or didn’t make “the catch”, which ultimately cost Buffalo its season.

Despite that unfortunate fact, the veteran wideout was one of Buffalo’s most reliable targets down the stretch, and one would think that the chemistry between Cooks and Allen could even  reach a greater level next season if the two were to have an entire offseason to work together.

However, with the receiver turning 33 in September, it’s unclear whether or not he would like to continue playing. 

If he does, then a reunion between the wideout and Buffalo on a cheap, one-year deal could make sense for both sides regardless of what the team decides to do at the position in the upcoming draft in April.

Keep an eye out for this one, folks.

Michael Burton, Fullback, Age: 34 (Denver Broncos in ‘25)

The Bills have been one of the few remaining teams in the NFL that have utilized the services of a fullback over the last couple of seasons, and, now that the team is without former starter Reggie Gilliam, Buffalo could be on the lookout for another player at the position heading into 2026.

That’s where Michael Burton comes into play.

A former fifth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2015, Burton has spent time with the Lions, Bears, Commanders, Saints, Chiefs, and Broncos since entering the league out of Rutgers University in New Jersey.

The 6-foot, 247-pounder has appeared in 147 regular-season games and 10 postseason games in his career, including all 18 of the Broncos’ contests last season.

While some may question why the team would bother adding an aging player like Burton, the fact that the former Scarlet Knights standout has spent time with longtime head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans and Denver during his career provides an obvious connection to the Bills and new head coach Joe Brady, who is a disciple of Payton. 

Should the Bills be looking to continue using a fullback in their offense next season, then Burton would appear to be an obvious option that probably wouldn’t cost much.

He recently met with the Cleveland Browns on a free-agent visit.

Other Options

Noah Brown, WR, Age: 30 (Washington Commanders in ‘25); DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Age: 33 (Baltimore Ravens in ‘25); Tyreek Hill, WR, Age: 32 (Miami Dolphins in ‘25); Braxton Berrios, WR, Age: 30 (Houston Texans in ‘25); James Daniels, OG, Age: 28 (Miami Dolphins in ‘25); Dylan Parham, OG, Age: 26 (Las Vegas Raiders in ‘25); Max Scharping, OG, Age: 29 (Pittsburgh Steelers in ‘25); Austin Corbett, OG/OC, Age: 30 (Carolina Panthers in ’25).

Defense

Bobby Okereke, Inside Linebacker, Age: 29 (New York Giants in ‘25)

A recent cap casualty of the New York Giants in recent weeks, Okereke spent the first four seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts after being selected in third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Stanford University.

After racking up 269 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three interceptions in his first three seasons, Okereke went on to parlay a career-high 151 tackles with Indianapolis in 2022 into a four-year, $40 million free-agent deal with the Giants during the 2023 offseason.

In his three seasons in New York, the veteran inside linebacker tallied 385 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 19 pass deflections, nine quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles, five-and-a-half sacks, and three fumble recoveries in 46 games played.

He finished 2025 with 143 tackles, six pass deflections, two tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery in 17 starts.

Despite those solid numbers, the veteran linebacker has yet to find a home so far in the 2026 offseason, and it may just be a matter of time before the Stanford product winds up making a decision on his next NFL home.

And while some might question whether or not the Bills would pursue an established linebacker like Okereke this offseason, there are a few factors that might persuade the team to kick the tires on the 29-year-old.

For starters, the former Giant wouldn’t count against the compensatory pick formula should Buffalo choose to sign him due to his previous release from New York, which makes the idea an intriguing one right off the bat. 

Add in the fact that the Santa Ana, California, native has ties to the Bills’ newest inside linebackers coach, John Egorugwu, who was Okereke’s positional coach with the Giants from 2023 to 2025, and it’s not hard to see why there might be a future free-agent marriage impending between the player and team.

In the end, it will likely come down to the player’s cost and what role Okereke’s looking for on his next team.

If the price is right, then signing the 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker would make almost too much sense given Buffalo’s current depth at the position.

Germaine Pratt, Inside Linebacker, Age: 29 (Indianapolis Colts in ‘25)

A seven-year veteran, Pratt has played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, and Indianapolis Colts in his career, with his last stop coming in Indianapolis in 2025.

A third-round pick of the Bengals in 2019 out of North Carolina State University, Pratt spent the first six years of his NFL career along the Ohio-Kentucky border before splitting time with the Raiders and Colts last season.

For his career, the High Point, North Carolina, native has amassed 742 tackles, 38 tackles for loss, 33 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and three-and-a-half sacks in 112 regular-season games.

Coming off a year in 2025 in which he posted 126 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and a career-high 10 pass deflections, the former NC State Wolfpack standout still figures to have plenty left to offer to his next NFL team despite turning 30 in May.

Should he want to join a contending team at a marginal price, especially after bouncing between two teams with losing records last season, then a free-agent pact between Pratt and the Bills could make sense for both sides moving forward.

D.J. Reader, Defensive Tackle, Age: 31 (Detroit Lions in ‘25)

Outside of linebacker Leo Chenal, who eventually wound up signing a free-agent deal with the Washington Commanders early on this month, there may be no other player that has been linked more as a possible addition to the Bills than Reader has since the start of the 2026 new league year just two weeks ago.

A former fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans coming out of Clemson University in the 2016 NFL Draft, Reader has been about as consistent as they come along the defensive front no matter where he has played in his career.

Having spent time with the Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions thus far in his 10-year career, the veteran defensive lineman has managed to tally 328 total tackles, 56 quarterback hits, 27 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks in 137 career games played, which included a 2025 season in Detroit where he started all 17 games en route to registering 28 tackles and four quarterback hits.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, Reader is a load for anyone to handle along the defensive line, and his ability to effectively eat up multiple blockers on a down-to-down basis has proven to be a valuable asset for any team that the former Clemson Tiger has been on during his time in the NFL.

Given Reader’s age — he’ll be 32 in July — and his lack of pass-rush impact at this point in his career, the Greensboro, North Carolina, native likely won’t cost too much to bring on board at this point in free agency, and, seeing as how the Bills are sorely lacking veterans along their defensive front currently, the idea of adding the mammoth defensive tackle certainly sounds intriguing.

Heck, Reader was even listed as a potential early free-agent addition by yours truly at the beginning of March right here. 

Greg Gaines, Defensive Tackles, Age: 28 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers in ‘25)

When EDGE rusher Von Miller was with the Bills a few seasons ago, there were a few players that the future Hall-of-Famer would often mention as guys he really admired and appreciated during his previous stints with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.

Of course players like DeMarcus Ware and Aaron Donald were at the top of the list, but there were other former teammates also always mentioned like fellow EDGE rushers Bradley Chubb and Leonard Floyd, as well as defensive tackle Greg Gaines, whom Miller spent time with while he was with Rams for half of the season back in 2021 en route to capturing a Super Bowl title with the team that year.

Ironically, the Bills have already previously kicked the tires on Floyd back in 2023, and just recently brought in Chubb this offseason to presumably do the job that Floyd and Miller weren’t able to do just a few short seasons ago.

So, why not bring in Gaines?

Miller always talked about wanting to be a general manager once retired, so it’s not hard to assume that the defensive tackle’s name has surely come up somewhere along the way in conversations between Miller and Brandon Beane when the EDGE defender was on the team as recently as 2024.

With that said, Gaines is coming off a season in 2025 in which he started four games for the Tampa Buccaneers while appearing in all 17, collecting 23 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and two quarterback hits while primarily playing from the nose tackle position — an area the Bills could use some depth at.

The 6-foot-1, 312-pounder defensive lineman has tallied 186 total tackles, 35 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks so far in his seven-year career since being drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington.

Gaines could be a nice rotational piece in Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 scheme that likely wouldn’t cost too much.

L’Jarius Sneed, Cornerback, Age: 29 (Tennessee Titans in ‘25)

At first glance, a move to sign Sneed probably doesn’t make much sense.

The Bills already have starters along the boundary in 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston and veteran Christian Benford, and the team just signed former Atlanta Falcons’ defensive back Dee Alford to a three-year contract this offseason to presumably be the starting nickel cornerback for at least next season.

So, why would Sneed sign with Buffalo? Or, better yet, why would Buffalo sign Sneed?

Well, it’s quite simple. Teams can never have enough depth in the secondary.

And Sneed, who was rather accustomed to winning in his previous seasons with Kansas City, might be looking to rebound with a contending team in 2026 to better posture himself for a crack at acquiring another lucrative contract next offseason.

A 2020 fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs out of Louisiana Tech University, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound cornerback was recently released by the Tennessee Titans after having just recently signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract two offseasons ago following a sign-and-trade move with the Chiefs on March 29, 2024.

However, due to a multitude of reasons — mostly injury related — things didn’t work out for the former Chief in Tennessee as he started and appeared in just 12 games across two seasons with the team, tallying 49 tackles, three pass deflections, and two tackles for loss in that time span.

For his career, Sneed has 352 tackles, 43 pass deflections, 21 tackles for loss, 10 interceptions, six-and-a-half sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

If Sneed were to come to Western New York it would be under the conditions of being paid minimally — due to his previous large contract still being shelled out by the Titans this upcoming year — and for the idea of simply providing depth and being an added mentor for Hairston next season all while competing for a championship and regaining his form from a few short seasons ago.

It might be a pipe dream, but the idea doesn’t sound too bad.

Jeff Okudah, Cornerback, Age: 27 (Minnesota Vikings in ‘25)

A former third-overall pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ohio State University, Okudah has drastically fallen short of his lofty expectations heading into the league, but he’s still plugging away.

A tremendous athlete at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the former Buckeye has bounced around the league the past few seasons after spending the first three years of his career with the Lions.

Since then, Okudah has made stops with the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, and most recently the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent the first eight weeks of the 2025 season before being placed on injured reserve due to a concussion suffered in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Seemingly a journeyman at this point in his career despite his draft status, Okudah is likely searching for any type of work he can get this offseason.

Possessing a tremendous pedigree and athletic profile, the thought of adding Okudah to a depth-depleted secondary in Buffalo doesn’t sound like a bad idea, especially considering the cost will be minimal.

For his career, the Grand Prairie, Texas, native has registered 191 tackles, 14 pass deflections, seven tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

His last meaningful season in terms of playing time came in 2023 with Atlanta when he started nine of 13 games, collecting 44 total tackles, three pass deflections, and one tackle for loss.

Okudah just turned 27 in February.

Other Options

Calais Campbell, DT, Age: 39 (Arizona Cardinals in ‘25); Daniel Ekuale, DT, Age: 32 (Pittsburgh Steelers in ‘25); Benito Jones, DT, Age: 28 (Miami Dolphins in ‘25); Brent Urban, DT, Age: 34 (Baltimore Ravens in ‘25); Haason Reddick, EDGE, Age: 31 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers in ‘25); Joey Bosa, EDGE, Age: 30 (Buffalo Bills in ‘25); Tyquan Lewis, EDGE, Age: 31 (Indianapolis Colts in ‘25); Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Age: 31 (Dallas Cowboys in ‘25); Josh Pascal, EDGE, Age: 26 (Detroit Lions in ‘25); Bobby Wagner, LB, Age: 35 (Washington Commanders in ‘25); Elandon Roberts, LB, Age: 31 (Las Vegas Raiders in ‘25); Shaq Thompson, LB, Age: 31 (Buffalo Bills in ‘25); Tre’Davious White, CB, Age: 31 (Buffalo Bills in ‘25); Adoree’ Jackson, CB, Age: 30 (Philadelphia Eagles in ‘25); Nick McCloud, CB, Age: 27 (Chicago Bears in ‘25); Jack Jones, CB, Age: 28 (Miami Dolphins in ‘25); Derion Kendrick, CB, Age: 25 (Los Angeles Rams in ‘25).

Editor’s babble: Many thanks to John Green for his terrific contributions to our blog. You can also find John on X @JGreen_PRsports.