Bills Urged to Add ‘Big-Play Threat’ WR in Free Agency

The Buffalo Bills struggled to get consistent production from their wide receiving corps throughout much of the season, finally finding a deep threat when they landed Brandin Cooks on waivers late in the season.

The Bills now face more questions in the offseason, with Cooks set to hit free agency and no clear No. 1 receiver emerging from their current group.

One analyst believes the Bills should make a run at a speedy free agent who has shown steady signs of improvement through his first four NFL seasons.

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Alec Pierce on the Radar for the Bills?

Analyst Pete Prisco of CBS Sports suggested the Bills should make a strong play at wide receiver Alec Pierce, noting that he has developed into a strong route runner.

“Early on in his career, [Pierce] was more of a one-trick pony. He was a guy with speed, just go, go, go. But last year, he developed into a wide receiver,” Prisco said. “His route running was really good. He became much more cognizant of where to run routes and how to beat defenses. And also, he became good at the 50/50 ball.”

In a separate column for CBS Sports, Pierce ranked Pierce as the No. 4 free agent on the open market this offseason. Prisco praised Pierce for expanding his game since entering the NFL, giving a bright future to a wide receiver with his best years still ahead of him.

“He’s always been a big-play threat, but he has added a lot of layers to his game,” Prisco wrote. “He is much more now than a one-trick pony. Teams in need of speed should attack him early on the market. He’s 25.”

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Bills Could Pursue Other Options

Some analysts have suggested other targets for the Bills this offseason as they aim to improve their passing game. ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggested the team could make a trade offer for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, though noted it would be a high cost.

Graziano suggested the Bills could land Brown for their first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft, the No. 26 overall selection. Graziano wrote that it’s high time for the Bills to get another true No. 1 receiver that they’ve been lacking since the departure of Stefon Diggs in 2024.

“Whether general manager Brandon Beane thinks so or not, quarterback Josh Allen could really benefit from a true No. 1 wide receiver to stress defenses. And Brown’s 2026 contract is not an overpay financially for a top WR,” Graziano wrote.

Graziano added that the Bills could keep their draft pick and try to land a receiver there, but said it would be much less certain.

“It’s tough to imagine Buffalo getting a surefire, instant-impact playmaker at its current draft slot in the first round,” Graziano wrote. “So why not use it to get a veteran one? Is there a more win-now situation than Buffalo’s? As for the Eagles, a first-round pick for a 28-year-old wide receiver with only one year of guaranteed money left on his contract doesn’t sound like a bad return.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty