Buffalo Bills’ Trade Deadline Silence Speaks Volumes About Their Confidence
Brandon Beane may have been busy on the phones yesterday, but it didn’t lead to a deal before the 4 PM NFL trade deadline. For the fourth time since becoming General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, Beane chose not to make a move — and that’s okay. The 6-2 Bills are playing their best football of the season, and rather than forcing a trade, Beane’s patience shows confidence in the roster he’s built.
The restructuring of Taron Johnson’s contract on Monday afternoon to free up $1.75 million and raise the Bills’ cap space to $3.3 million led many people, myself included, to think a trade was upcoming. Nothing came to fruition despite all the rumors and all the players being linked to the Bills.
In total, there were 8 trades made yesterday, and 15 total over the week leading up to the deadline, involving 18 players and 24 draft picks over the next three drafts. The New York Jets made the biggest splash with the trades of defensive stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.
Smoke but No Fire
Two deals that gained a lot of traction late in the day were the Bills ' talks with the Commanders for Deebo Samuel and Von Miller and trading for Calvin Ridley from the Titans. The Commanders’ trade felt underwhelming at first. Miller, who was just released by the Bills this past offseason, and Samuel, who is not the player he once was for the 49ers, didn’t move the needle for me. After I saw the time ticking down to the deadline, I started talking myself into wanting this trade to happen and looking at the pros of what either might bring to the team. Samuel would have been a nice WR3/4, replacing Curtis Samuel or Elijah Moore. An upgrade, but nothing earth-shattering. Miller would have slid into the role vacated by Michael Hoecht, but nobody can anticipate the 36-year-old veteran replicating the production we were seeing through Hoecht’s first 7 quarters.
I am happy that the Bills did not acquire Ridley. I don’t know what the cost would have been for draft-pick compensation, but Ridley is not the player he once was and is currently nursing a hamstring injury. He is also about to turn 31 and is under contract through his age-33 season, with $26 million in cap hits over the next two seasons. No thanks. Good move not trading for Ridley.
Why No Deals?
I think there are two main reasons that Brandon Beane did not make a deal on Tuesday. First, the obvious one, Buffalo did not have the cap space to absorb a lot of money, which would drive the price up on any player if you’re asking for the trading team to eat that money. Secondly, I think they were looking for a big name vs just a guy. I don’t have anything to back this up other than my gut feeling. If they were going to make a move involving significant draft capital, it would be for a premier WR. One of the ones that did not get moved yesterday, i.e., Brian Thomas Jr, Chris Olave, or Garrett Wilson. I don’t think they were in on defensive stars such as Jeffery Simmons or Trey Hendrickson.
A lesser reason that I feel impacted their activity was that the prices felt pretty high for the players that were moved. Jakobi Meyers set the market as the first WR to go and fetched a 4th and 6th round pick. That’s a lot for a 9-game rental plus postseason run on a receiver that is going to bring a $2.65 million cap hit. Rashid Shaheed went for a 4th and 5th round pick. I was never high on him as a trade target for the Bills because I feel like they’ve had players with a similar skill set to him in the past and not utilized them well.
Lastly, I’m unsure how much this factors into in-season trades, but most of the sellers leading up to the deadline were AFC teams outside of the New Orleans Saints. The Bills weren’t going to trade two firsts like Indianapolis did for a player. Unfortunately for the Bills, the Jets and Dolphins were two of the teams open for business yesterday, and reports surfaced that the Jets were unwilling to make moves with teams in the division. Could they have overpaid for someone? Sure, but I don’t think that kind of desperation is where this team is currently. It’s very likely the Bills couldn't find any teams (with players they were interested in) willing to do business with them. I also question how many of the big-name players rumored to be available were actually available.
Outlook Moving Forward
I think I am one of the few fans who are not up in arms over the lack of a trade yesterday. I felt, going into the deadline, that they should get a GUY, if possible, and not make a move for the sake of making one. It feels like Brandon Beane was trying to make a couple of deals yesterday, and they just didn't come to fruition. I am ok with that, and I am happy that they didn’t mortgage the future for a rental player that isn't a difference maker.
I also think that we need to take a step back and look at what the Bills have on their roster that are not currently playing. Joshua Palmer knows the offense and was starting to build some momentum before his injury. He will be back this week or next. Like it or not, Gabe Davis is on the practice squad and has chemistry with Josh Allen. He is an option to call up, especially in Keon Coleman or Tyrell Shavers’ roles. Odell Beckham, Tyler Boyd, and Robert Woods are all Free Agents as well (kind of joking, kind of serious here).
DaQuan Jones can return as soon as this week, and T.J. Sanders is eligible to return in Week 11. They know the defense already and can be brought back into the mix. The pass rush has seen a significant improvement since the bye week, and Javon Solomon and Landon Jackson need to step up. They have a golden opportunity to fill the void created by Hoecht’s injury. Jordan Poyer has made a difference since replacing Taylor Rapp at safety, boosting the play of Cole Bishop and Jordan Hancock in the process.
Brandon Beane and the coaching staff sent a message to the Bills players on the roster with the trade deadline outcome. We believe the guys in the room will step up and continue improving in the second half of the season. That has to be what they’re preaching from here on out, and with the play of recent draft picks showing they have what it takes to be difference makers, I believe it's the best path forward for the short term and the long term. Go Bills!
