Every offseason, the Buffalo Bills manage to bring in players in free agency that help with depth and even provide a little bit of impact. Last year, their best free agent signing was wide receiver Mack Hollins, who led the team in touchdown catches and was the perfect locker room teammate.
Brandon Beane usually does a solid job at finding atleast one free agent who can make an impact on either side of the ball. With the Bills still in the red within their salary cap, they can make a couple of moves of getting out of it and still bringing in some quality free agents.
One strategy that teams should always look to do is bringing in players from a division rival. Not only does it weaken them, but it strengthens the team that signed them. There are five players within the AFC East that are set to hit free agency next month that the Bills should pursue.
5 free agents Bills could steal within AFC East in free agency
LB Tyrel Dodson - Miami Dolphins
This should be a familiar face to Bills fans. Former Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson had a fantastic 2023 season in Buffalo where he had over 100 total tackles for the first time in his career. Dodson, along with Terrel Bernard were one of the most underrated linebacker duos in the league,
Due to the Bills being in major financial trouble last offseason, there was no way the Bills were going to be able to bring him back. Dodson signed with the Seattle Seahawks, but was surprisingly released after just nine games. It wouldn’t be long until Dodson was picked up by the Miami Dolphins.
Dodson is now set to hit free agency once again and he should have a market. With Buffalo needing help on defense, bringing Dodson back makes too much sense.
DL Leki Fotu - New York Jets
It is an understatement that the Bills need help with their depth at defensive line. They struggled so much at one point last season that they brought in Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson to help the run-defense.
If the Bills are looking to bring in a player who won’t cost them much at all, they should look at Jets’ defensive lineman Leki Fotu. Last season, Fotu only played in two games (started in one) before his season ended early due to injury. Before joining the Jets in 2024, Fotu showed promise with the Arizona Cardinals as a run-stopper in the middle of their defensive line.
Fotu wouldn’t need to be a full-time starter, just a rotational player who can provide upside to Buffalo’s defense.
DL Javon Kinlaw - New York Jets
Sticking with Jets’ defensive lineman, Javon Kinlaw, who was a former first-round pick, managed to bounce back with the Jets in 2024 after having some injuries in his first four years with the San Francisco 49ers. It wasn’t a surprise to see Kinlaw come to the Jets, seeing as how his former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was the head coach in New York.
Kinlaw had 4.5 sacks and led all defensive linemen in total tackles. Given the fact that the Jets hired Aaron Glenn as their next head coach, Kinlaw could very well be a priority for the Jets to bring back as a bridge player. However, if he hits the open market, this would be one of the top under-the-radar players for the Bills to acquire.
CB Jonathan Jones - New England Patriots
We won’t lie, it was a little bit of a rough 2024 for Jonathan Jones. He gave up seven touchdowns and hasn’t recorded an interception in two seasons. There’s no excusing Jones’ performance last season, but the Patriots overall were a mess. There was no identity and they had no pass rush to help out the secondary.
Depending on whether or not Jones goes back to the Patriots, he would atleast be a solid veteran to provide competition for training camp and push the younger guys to step up.
CB D.J. Reed - New York Jets
Reed missed three games last season, yet he only allowed just over 400 yards and two touchdowns. The duo of him and Sauce Gardner has been one of the better pairings in recent memory, but all good things come to an end eventually.
After spending the last three seasons with the Jets, D.J. Reed has made it clear that he is done with the Jets and is looking for a fresh start. Maybe he stays within the division and comes to play for the only team that actually plays in the state of New York.
