The Buffalo Bills have made their long-awaited move for a marquee wide receiver.
The Chicago Bears are trading DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the team in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, according to multiple reports.
With the move, Bills general manager Brandon Beane has completed an about-face on the composition of his receiving corps after last April delivering an explicit rant to radio hosts who questioned his approach at the position. The Bears, meanwhile, move on from a high-priced target whose standing in a youth-driven pass-catching crew looked uncertain.
Who came out ahead in the deal? Here are our grades for each team:
Bills trade grade: B-
Last April, Beane defiantly concluded that complaining about the Bills’ receiver setup is ‘one of the dumbest arguments I’ve ever heard.”
Safe to say he’s not standing by that after last season.
Not only did second-year veteran Keon Coleman’s disappointing production become a flashpoint after coach Sean McDermott’s firing, but the group as a whole was also propped up by 32-year-old late-season signing Brandin Cooks. With reports that Beane unsuccessfully fished around for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline, it’s clear that the general manager saw the error of his ways.
Acquiring Moore clearly gives Josh Allen more firepower than he had at his disposal last season. Yet this change might still fall short of what’s needed to take Joe Brady’s offense to the next level.
Moore will turn 29 in April and is coming off career lows in both catches (50) and receiving yards (682). That’s largely a reflection of an offense that spread the ball around fairly evenly among its top options, but the eight-year veteran doesn’t exactly resemble a go-to threat coming off this campaign. But at least Brady should know how to get the most out of him. The two worked together in 2020 and 2021, when Brady was Moore’s offensive coordinator on the Carolina Panthers and helped the receiver set career bests in several categories.
Moore still has enough separation ability to be an asset in the intermediate to deep game – just look back to how he was utilized in the Week 16 win over the Green Bay Packers, when he caught a season-high 97 yards and the game-winning score in overtime. That could make him a potent weapon for Allen, particularly when the quarterback feels the need to dial up his aggressiveness. But Moore is also modestly sized at 6-0 and 213 pounds, and the receiver room still lacks the consistent above-the-rim winner that Buffalo hoped Coleman would become.
Beane deserves credit for getting out in front of free agency and the draft to change his outlook at a key spot. At No. 26 in the first round, Buffalo might have been relegated to scrounging through the second or third tiers of receiver options. And landing a true game-changer such as A.J. Brown via a trade or Alec Pierce in free agency might have been a non-starter.
The compensation here is fairly surprising, but the overall cost is even higher. Moore is set to earn $24.5 million in each of the next two seasons, with his full 2027 salary becoming guaranteed next week and Buffalo guaranteeing $15.5 million for 2028 as part of the deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. That’s not breathtaking money in a booming receiver market, but it’s not a pittance for a team with a tight cap look. And the long-term commitment is hard to square with what should be expected of Moore at this point in his career.
After McDermott’s firing, Beane and co-owner Terry Pegula made clear that they were all in on a Super Bowl push with the current roster. Moore’s arrival aids that effort, but this still resembles a collection of receivers who will need to get by with a group effort rather than having any one figure lead the way.
Bears trade grade: A-
The math for the Bears is relatively straightforward.
By trading Moore, Chicago cleared his full $16.5 million in cap space. Cutting him wasn’t a suitable option, but neither was hanging onto him and allowing a sizable chunk of his 2025 salary to become guaranteed. With the swap, the Bears found an out and received a nice boost in draft capital in return.
With the space afforded by the move and center Drew Dalman’s retirement, might Ryan Poles make a push for another bold trade? The Bears have been widely linked to Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who could be the prize of this offseason and one of the few figures capable of single-handedly revitalizing the Bears’ dormant pass rush. After Thursday, it doesn’t seem quite so far-fetched.
The Bears’ receiving corps will be more than fine without Moore. Rookie wideout Luther Burden III came on strong down the stretch, as did tight end Colston Loveland, and expectations remain high for 2024 first-rounder Rome Odunze.
Moore served Chicago well in a transitional era prior to coach Ben Johnson’s arrival, but he ultimately became a superfluous piece for the offense. A clean break was best for both sides.
