Bills’ DJ Moore already looks like difference-maker Josh Allen needed originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Buffalo Bills paid a significant price to acquire DJ Moore, sending a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the veteran receiver and a fifth-round selection.
Early indications suggest Buffalo will be happy with its investment.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer visited Bills training camp and came away impressed with Moore’s transition into Joe Brady’s offense. Breer described the 29-year-old as a “real difference-maker” who has brought speed, physicality and versatility to a unit that already possessed one of the NFL’s highest ceilings.
Moore’s arrival gives Josh Allen something the Bills have lacked since trading Stefon Diggs: a proven receiver capable of commanding attention from opposing defenses.
DJ Moore changes Bills’ entire receiving hierarchy
Moore is coming off a disappointing final season in Chicago by his standards. He caught 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, ending a streak of six consecutive seasons as a top-25 fantasy receiver. That decline did not stop Buffalo from making an aggressive move.
The Bills acquired Moore and the No. 165 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for the No. 60 selection. Moore has recorded 608 receptions for 8,213 yards and 41 touchdowns across eight NFL seasons, providing a level of proven production that was missing from Buffalo’s receiving room. Breer noted that Moore arrived with the motivation of a player who had just been traded. His versatility has stood out because he can operate throughout the formation and run the complete route tree.
His presence also allows Buffalo’s other receivers to settle into more appropriate roles.
Khalil Shakir can operate as the No. 2 option after leading a receiver group that lacked an established centerpiece. Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer can compete for snaps without being forced into roles beyond what their production warrants.
Moore also has earned praise for mentoring Buffalo’s younger receivers.
That matters to a Bills team still attempting to determine what it has in Coleman. The former second-round pick has flashed considerable ability, but consistency has remained a concern. Learning from an experienced and durable receiver could help unlock his potential.
MORE: NFL games on TV today: Full schedule, times, channels, live streams to watch preseason Week 1 games
Dalton Kincaid could become major beneficiary
Moore’s addition will affect more than Buffalo’s receivers. Breer believes tight end Dalton Kincaid could become a matchup problem if he remains healthy. The former first-round pick added strength during the offseason after injuries limited his availability and effectiveness.
Defenses previously could devote additional resources to Kincaid or Shakir without worrying about an established outside receiver consistently beating single coverage. That approach becomes far more dangerous with Moore on the field.
Moore has recorded four seasons with at least 1,150 receiving yards despite playing with considerable quarterback instability throughout his career. He now will catch passes from Allen, one of the league’s most gifted quarterbacks.
Allen already has praised Moore’s attention to detail and the communication they established during offseason workouts. He called the veteran a “fantastic teammate” and said Moore’s professionalism makes his job easier.
The pairing also reunites Moore with Brady.
Moore produced 1,175 receiving yards in 2019 and 1,193 in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers, spending the second of those seasons in Brady’s offense. That familiarity should help Buffalo incorporate him without a lengthy adjustment period.
The Bills have spent several years trying to construct an offense capable of carrying them through January. Allen has repeatedly elevated the talent around him, but the lack of a legitimate No. 1 receiver created an avoidable obstacle.
Moore changes the equation.
He does not need to produce career-best numbers to transform Buffalo’s offense. If he forces defenses to adjust their coverage, creates additional space for Kincaid and Shakir and supplies Allen with a dependable outside target, the trade will accomplish exactly what the Bills envisioned.
According to Breer’s early assessment, that transformation already has begun.