7 Best Bills Free Agent Signings in Team History

Free agency is one of those times in the NFL where everyone can get excited about their team, including Buffalo Bills fans. 

During that mad dash for talent, Bills fans aren’t necessarily thinking about NFL odds, but rather evaluating the players they’ve gotten to see if they could be those final pieces for a championship run. 

Below, I’ll look back at the Buffalo Bills’ free agent history and rank their seven best signings.

Best Buffalo Bills Free Agent Signings of All Time

7. Ted Washington, Defensive Tackle

Ahead of the 1995 season, the Bills brought in Washington from the Denver Broncos to play nose tackle on the same defensive line as Hall of Famer Bruce Smith. 

While Washington’s first two seasons were solid, his third and fourth seasons were when he was named to the Pro Bowl and in 1997, he was a second-team All-Pro. He was named to the Pro Bowl again in 2000. 

Across six seasons, as a nose tackle, Washington recorded three forced fumbles, one interception, 19.5 sacks, and 378 total tackles. 

6. Doug Flutie, Quarterback

One of the best CFL players of all time, Flutie didn’t play in the NFL from 1990 to 1997 after spending time in the league from 1986 to 1989 with the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. 

When he returned to the NFL in 1998, he signed with the Bills, leading them to the playoffs for the first time since the 1996 season after going 7-3 in 10 starts. He threw for 2,711 yards, 20  touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, was named to the Pro Bowl, and earned Comeback Player of the Year honours that season.

Over his time with Buffalo, he went 21-9 as a starter. 

5. Lorenzo Alexander, Linebacker

While Alexander signed three contracts with the Bills, I’m focusing on his 2016 deal, a one-year, $885,000 contract. 

After signing that deal and coming over from the then-Oakland Raiders, he had 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, was a Pro Bowler, and a second-team All-Pro. 

An absolute steal for the price. 

4. Mario Williams, Defensive End 

In 2012, Williams signed the largest contract ever given to a defensive player at the time, a six-year, $96 million deal with the Bills after spending the first years of his career with the Houston Texans. 

Over his first three seasons in Buffalo, he never missed a game and recorded 38 total sacks. 

In his final season, he wasn’t a fan of new head coach Rex Ryan’s scheme, so the effort wasn’t there, and he had just five sacks. 

While the last year didn’t go as planned, his three-straight double-digit sack seasons made the then-record-setting deal for the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft worth it. 

3. Jordan Poyer, Safety

Poyer came to the Bills from the Cleveland Browns in the same offseason as fellow safety Micah Hyde, and together, they formed one of the best safety duos in the NFL. 

In 2021, while Hyde was a second-team All-Pro, Poyer was a first-team All-Pro. He intercepted five passes, had five pass breakups, and didn’t allow a touchdown. 

2. Micah Hyde, Safety

The Bills initially signed Hyde to a five-year, $30.5 million deal away from the Green Bay Packers and later signed him to a contract extension in 2021. 

He was incredibly consistent on the back end of the defence, and in his first season with the team, he was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro after picking off five passes, breaking up eight more, and recording 82 total tackles. 

As mentioned, Hyde was named a second-team All-Pro again in 2021 after picking off five passes, forcing a fumble, and recording 74 total tackles. 

1. Bryce Paup, Defensive End

After spending the first five years of his career in Green Bay, Paup signed a deal with the Bills and had an immediate impact to the tune of a Defensive Player of the Year award. 

During the 1995 season, he had 17.5 sacks and 89 total tackles. In addition to being the Defensive Player of the Year, he was a first-team All-Pro. 

He played three seasons in Buffalo and made the Pro Bowl each year.