After several hours of waiting, the Buffalo Bills made their first move of the NFL’s legal tampering period Monday by agreeing to terms with former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford.
According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, Alford’s contract is worth up to $21 million over three years and includes roughly $10.2 million guaranteed.
The 28-year-old defensive back adds needed depth to Buffalo’s secondary after the team entered the day thin at cornerback. Alford has started 23 games across four seasons with Atlanta, recording four interceptions, 37 passes defended, 216 tackles, and 3.5 sacks in 64 appearances.
Alford is a strong candidate to fill Buffalo’s nickel corner role after the Bills decided to trade former All-Pro Taron Johnson to the Las Vegas Raiders. He played extensively in the slot last season, logging 366 of his 581 defensive snaps at the position.
His best performance of the 2025 season came against Buffalo. In the Falcons’ Week 6 win over the Bills, Alford intercepted a pass, recorded a sack, made four tackles and allowed just two completions on five targets.
Alford is coming off a season that included three interceptions, two sacks and six tackles for loss, all career highs, though he struggled at times against the run.
Before joining the Falcons, Alford began his professional career in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic, but he returned in 2021 and helped Winnipeg win the Grey Cup.
Atlanta signed him in 2022 and he quickly carved out a role as a slot corner and special teams contributor. With Alford now in the fold, Buffalo adds experience and flexibility to a secondary that needed reinforcements heading into free agency.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].