Hey, have you heard that the Buffalo Bills need a wide receiver, or maybe two?
It took the somewhat shocking firing of head coach Sean McDermott to quiet the never-ending chatter about the Bills’ underwhelming wide receiver group and the need to upgrade it.
But once Joe Brady was promoted to head coach and he put together his staff which offered a brief reprieve, the wide receiver melodrama was back at the forefront of everyone’s mind last week at the scouting combine, and will remain there next week as the start of free agency is upon us.
Brady made an off-handed remark at the combine to Jon Scott of WGRZ-TV, saying, “I had a lot of faith in the receiver group last year and I didn’t think they played to a point that I’m getting a lot of questions about.”
A convoluted thought, to be sure. If I was reading it correctly, he insinuated that the constant consternation about wide receiver is a bit over the top.
Naturally, Brady is going to defend his guys. After all, he was the offensive coordinator calling plays and putting the receivers in the positions they were in. But regardless of his faith in the group, the bottom line is the unit underperformed as Buffalo’s wide receivers ranked 18th in the NFL with 180 catches and were 24th in yards with 2,107. For comparison, Dallas’ wide receivers led in both categories with 253 catches for 3,605 yards.
Khalil Shakir led the Bills with 72 receptions which tied for 19th among all wide receivers, while his 719 yards ranked 34th. The next Buffalo wideout doesn’t appear on the list until Keon Coleman who tied for 59th with 38 receptions and was 69th with 404 yards.
You can’t argue with the fact that the Bills’ offense had another productive year as it finished fourth in scoring at 28.3 points and total yards at 376.3. But in terms of passing, the Bills were 15th at 216.6 yards, their lowest position since 2019, Josh Allen’s second season when he was still trying to figure things out and they ranked 26th.
In the last two year,s mid-tier free agent signings like Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore haven’t worked out. There is still hope Palmer can become a useful addition if he can stay healthy in 2026. In-season acquisitions like Amari Cooper and Brandin Cooks provided minimal bang, and Coleman’s two-year journey has been fraught with potholes.
Brandon Beane has to change the equation in a positive way, whether it’s in free agency or the draft, preferably both. Wide receiver isn’t the only place he needs to bolster, though, so here are five free agents he should consider bringing to, or keeping in, Buffalo.
WR Mike Evans
Previous team: Buccaneers (2014-25).
Age: Turns 33 in August.
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5/231 pounds.
Spotrac market projection: Two years, $26.6 million.
Pro Football Focus projection: One year, $18 million.
An absolute warrior is the best way to describe Evans. He topped 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first 11 seasons in Tampa Bay which tied an NFL record, only to have the streak end last year when a pulled hamstring and broken clavicle limited him to eight games, the first time he had played less than 13 games in a season.
Sure, he has reached an age where his production could take a big dip, but he could also be re-energized by a new situation, especially playing with a QB like Allen on a team that should once again be a Super Bowl contender. And he could be motivated to prove that he still has something left in the tank.
Evans has great size and while he’s certainly not a burner, he’s a master technician who can win routes all over the field. He’s exactly what the Bills need in a win-now window, and backing up this signing with a draft pick would be ideal because that player could benefit from the mentoring Evans would provide for one, maybe two years.
WR Rashid Shaheed
Previous teams: Saints (2022-25), Seahawks (2025).
Age: Turns 28 in August.
Height/Weight: 6-foot/180 pounds.
Spotrac market projection: Three years, $42.3 million.
Pro Football Focus projection: Three years, $42 million.
The Bills were interested in trading for Shaheed at the 2025 deadline but he wound up in Seattle at the cost of fourth- and fifth-round picks and won a Super Bowl. That price was tough for Beane to swallow because the Bills already have low draft capital this year with just seven picks, two of which are seventh-rounders.
But now Shaheed is a free agent and while he didn’t exactly soar in the Seahawks’ offense (15 catches for 188 yards), his speed would be a welcome addition for the Bills who don’t have much of that at receiver. Also, Shaheed would solve the ongoing lack of a punt returner, and he could also share kickoff return duties with Ray Davis. He was dynamic as a return man for Seattle and signing a player who can do multiple things is always a plus.
WR Romeo Doubs
Previous team: Packers (2022-25).
Age: Turns 27 in April.
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2/204 pounds.
Spotrac market projection: Four years, $48 million.
Pro Football Focus projection: Three years, $45 million.
Doubs has been a steady contributor in Green Bay, catching 202 passes for 2,424 yards and 21 TDs in his four NFL seasons. Compare that to Shakir who in four years has 197 catches for 2,312 yards and 11 TDs.
Doubs isn’t going to wow anyone with his speed, but he’s a boundary receiver who has a full route tree and can give Allen a reliable target on slants, digs and crossers which is how Brady’s passing game operates.
On the surface, it may look like signing Doubs would be another mid-level addition like Samuel and Palmer, but the upside is that his production over the last four years is better than either of those players, and in the last three years he has played at least 77% of the Packers’ offensive snaps.
G David Edwards
Previous teams: Rams (2019-22), Bills (2023-25).
Age: Turns 29 in March.
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6/308 pounds.
Spotrac market projection: Three years, $59.9 million.
Pro Football Focus projection: Three years, $35 million.
It’s interesting how disparate those contract projections are. I’ll add that The Athletic has Edwards at two years, $22 million and if that’s what his market is, the Bills need to get this done immediately. I think he’s going to land somewhere between Spotrac and PFF on a three-year deal, and if it’s $45 million or less, Beane should not shy away because Edwards has been a terrific player both in the run and pass game.
It appears there’s no interest in bringing back center Connor McGovern, and I think it’s a tough pill to swallow if the Bills have to replace two offensive linemen as good as Edwards and McGovern, so use some resources to get Edwards back. The continuity and play of the Bills’ offensive line has been integral to the success James Cook has enjoyed, not to mention Allen, even if his sack number rose dramatically in 2025.
The Bills seem ready to turn center over to 2024 fifth-round pick Sedrick Van Pran-Granger which feels like a risk, and they can’t be thinking that Alec Anderson is ready to be a full-time starter at left guard. He’s a depth piece at best.
FB Reggie Gilliam
Previous team: Bills (2020-25).
Age: Turns 29 in August.
Height/Weight: 6-foot/244 pounds.
Spotrac market projection: No projection.
Pro Football Focus projection: One year, $1.75 million.
Outside of receiver and interior offensive line, the offense doesn’t need much more in the free agent market, so retaining Gilliam should be a priority. He signed a one-year, $2 million deal last season, so he’s going to cost more than what PFF is projecting. The fullback market is not robust, but teams are going to value Gilliam every bit as much for his special teams ability where he has shined in Buffalo.
It would be crazy for the Bills to allow Gilliam to get away because they leaned much more into him as a blocking fullback in 2025 (he played a career-high 21% of the offensive snaps) while continuing to be a core-four special teamer.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 36 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Wide receivers dominate free agents Bills should target on offense
Reporting by Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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