Bears receive:
The Bills couldn’t sit by and waste another season of Josh Allen’s prime by continuing to trot out a subpar wide receiver crew. They couldn’t bank on Keon Coleman magically putting it all together in Year 3. They couldn’t count on Khalil Shakir breaking 75 tackles every time he touches the ball in order for the offense to move. Buffalo had to take swings at upgrading an ineffective (ninth-fewest yards in the league last year), injury-riddled receiver room — a unit that had become a huge thorn in general manager Brandon Beane’s side.
From that perspective, you can certainly see why the Bills made the move. With cap issues, they were unlikely to be big players for the top free agents, and at Pick No. 26, they couldn’t bank on a game-breaker falling in a questionable draft. Moore brings experience in Joe Brady’s system, having generated 1,000-plus yards in each of the two seasons when the new Bills coach was the OC in Carolina. He fits well as a boundary target next to Shakir, stretching the field for Allen. Moore is a proven commodity who can get open in an offense that struggled mightily in that area this past season, particularly on third downs. He immediately makes Allen’s life easier.
The concern, however, is that Moore’s age has begun to show. In 2024, he averaged a career-worst 9.9 yards per catch, and last year, he posted career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682). Were the struggles in Ben Johnson’s offense a byproduct of the system, younger receivers garnering more targets and an attack with more mouths to feed? Or is the cliff approaching? The Bills are banking heavily on the soon-to-be 29-year-old returning to form under Brady.
The cost wasn’t exactly cheap. Buffalo will take on the rest of Moore’s contract, including a $24.5 million cap charge in 2026, per Over The Cap. The Bills can reduce that figure in the short term by restructuring the deal once the trade goes through, but they will also take on $15.5 million in guaranteed money in 2027. For a club already up against it money-wise, things get no easier.
The pick swap will drop Buffalo about a hundred draft slots, from Round 2 to Round 5. In a draft that’s viewed as meatiest in the second and third rounds, the Bills are essentially moving from grabbing a potential starter on a cost-controlled contract to rolling the dice on a possible rotational player. On a team that needs low-cost contributors, that’s significant.
The Bears did well to obtain a premium pick, giving Ryan Poles four selection in the top 100 of the 2026 NFL Draft to either stock the roster or use in another trade.
Moore made some spectacular catches last season in Chicago’s magical run, but he had been bypassed by Rome Odunze as WR1 and was poised to lose even more targets to Luther Burden III, who fills the slot role better than the veteran. Add in tight end Colston Loveland’s burgeoning skills, and Moore became superfluous in Johnson’s offense. Given Moore’s contract, Chicago always appeared poised to move on this offseason.
Shedding the cap space while jumping into a premium spot in the draft was an ideal move for Poles, who doesn’t seem like he’s done making splash plays. The trade will free up $16.5 million on the cap for the Bears to chase a potential pass rusher or solidify the center position after Pro Bowler Drew Dalman’s abrupt retirement.
Given Moore’s age, recent production and cost, this is an excellent return for the Bears, allowing them to be more flexible this offseason.
