ORCHARD PARK — Josh Allen just got the bodyguards he needed. Following a soul-crushing 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round, the Buffalo Bills are moving fast to fix the cracks that ended their 2025 campaign. General Manager Brandon Beane and new Head Coach Joe Brady officially started their roster rebuild Thursday, signing interior linemen Lloyd Cushenberry III and Austin Corbett, along with receiver Trent Sherfield, to one-year contracts.
The move comes barely two months after the Bills shook the league by firing Sean McDermott and promoting Brady to the top spot. The message is clear: the offense will lead the way, but Allen cannot do it while running for his life. The Bills’ front office prioritized veteran experience over potential, snagging two former starters who know exactly how to handle playoff pressure.
Lloyd Cushenberry III arrives in Buffalo after a two-year stint with the Tennessee Titans. The 28-year-old center has started all 80 games of his career, originally cutting his teeth with the Broncos. He is a massive presence at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, known for his elite communication at the line. This signing likely moves Connor McGovern to guard or creates a fierce training camp battle for the starting center spot.
Austin Corbett adds even more hardware to the room. A Super Bowl LVI champion with the Rams, Corbett spent the last four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Despite battling knee injuries in previous years, he appeared in 13 games last season and provided much-needed stability. Corbett has 78 career starts and offers the versatility to play both guard and center, a trait Beane has always valued in his depth charts.
On the outside, the Bills brought back a familiar face in Trent Sherfield. The 30-year-old receiver returns for his second stint in Western New York. Sherfield is a “glue guy”—a special teams ace and a reliable blocker who knows the system. While he won’t replace the explosive production lost in recent years, his return raises the floor of a receiving corps that struggled with consistency during the 2025 stretch run.
“We saw the tape from Denver. We saw Josh taking hits he shouldn’t have to take. These moves aren’t just about depth; they’re about physical dominance. We want to be the team that dictates the terms at the line of scrimmage.”
— Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills Head Coach
By locking down Cushenberry and Corbett on one-year “prove-it” deals, Brandon Beane has successfully removed the “desperation” tag from his draft board. The Bills no longer have to reach for a Day 1 starter at pick No. 30. Instead, they can hunt for a vertical threat at wide receiver or a disruptive defensive tackle to aid Jim Leonhard’s new-look defense.
The 2026 season feels like a crossroads for the franchise. The Joe Brady era is officially in high gear, and by surrounding Allen with 620 pounds of new veteran protection, the Bills are betting that their championship window is still wide open. If these one-year gambles pay off, Buffalo might finally find the missing piece to that elusive Lombardi Trophy run.
