The Buffalo Bills have reportedly agreed to a trade with the Chicago Bears. Buffalo will acquire wide receiver D.J. Moore and a fifth-round pick in exchange for a second-round draft selection. Both are in 2026.
Moore instantly upgrades Buffalo’s wide receiver room. The Bills struggled to get consistent production from their wide receivers. Outside of Khalil Shakir, wide receiver reliability was a major concern for the Bills all season. It got to the point where several of Buffalo’s wide receivers were healthy inactives during games last year.
The trade gives quarterback Josh Allen his best option on the boundary since Stefon Diggs was traded two years ago. A trio of Moore, Joshua Palmer, and Khalil Shakir currently sit at the top of the Bills receiving depth chart.
With that, here is Bills Wire’s grading of the trade:
Bills trade grade: C+
The Good
Moore gives Buffalo a versatile option on the boundary for Buffalo. The eight-year veteran can also kick inside, running routes out of the slot. He does well at creating separation in short-to-intermediate routes. In addition, Moore has the speed to accelerate away from defenders on deep routes.
Moore has the elements to be a No. 1 receiver in Buffalo’s offense. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark four times in his career. Two seasons ago, Moore caught a career-best 98 receptions.
Moore has a rapport with Bills new head coach Joe Brady. Moore had two standout seasons with Brady as his offensive coordinator in Carolina. In those two years, Moore totaled 159 receptions, 2,380 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
Buffalo was in desperate need of a dynamic and reliable receiving option. The trade is the first major move Buffalo has made since Brady was named head coach. It’s also a signature move by general manager Brandon Beane, finally addressing the deficiencies at the wide receiver spot.
This move should also take some pressure off quarterback Josh Allen. The augmentations to the wide receiver room have not worked out as planned, pushing Allen to fall into hero ball too often.
The not-so-great
While there’s a lot to like about the player, there are some concerns about this trade as a whole.
The Chicago Bears were productive for most of the season without Moore as a focal point. He caught a career-low 50 passes (which, in the context of Buffalo’s receivers, is solid). Moving forward, the Bears planned to emphasize other receivers (Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III) in the passing game. Furthermore, Moore did not fit seamlessly in Ben Johnson’s offensive scheme.
With that in mind, it seems the Bears would be motivated to move on from Moore. This, along with a massive price tag, makes the second-round return to Chicago seem a bit steep.
Buffalo is on the hook for the next four years of Moore’s contract. Moore will carry a cap hit of $24.5 million for each season through 2029. Moore’s cap hit is currently the 12th-highest among receivers in the NFL. However, there is a potential out in his contract in 2027, according to Spotrac.
The Bottom Line
Moore may not put up top-15 receiver numbers this fall. However, if his involvement can help the Bills remain in the top-five of offenses in the league and take some pressure off Josh Allen, then the move will be well worth it. Still, the price tag, along with a forecasted production that may be a fringe No.1 in exchange for a second-round pick, seems like a bit much for this deal. The Bills need to fill multiple spots, especially on the defense, and using draft capital to fill spots, whether through a trade or utilized in the draft, would probably be the more appropriate option for roster construction.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills earn lackluster grade in proposed trade for Moore
Reporting by Justin DiLoro, Bills Wire / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
