2025 NFL Trade Deadline: Buffalo Bills Targets to Address Roster Needs
The Buffalo Bills started the season 4-0, their best start since 2020. After losses to the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons heading into the bye week, the world came crashing down on Bills Mafia. I was pretty down after back-to-back duds from the offense and long stretches of lackluster play from the defense, which put the team at 4-2 and second place in the AFC East. Now I see it as a wake-up call for a team that still has all its goals on the table after its bye, as they prepare for the final 11 games of the regular season. This isn’t the first time we have seen this. It’s actually somewhat of the norm.
Under Sean McDermott, the Bills have lost consecutive games every season (surprised me, too). Since Josh Allen became the full-time starter in 2019, Buffalo has lost back-to-back games before or in Week 10 every season except 2021 and 2019. Last season, the games were in weeks 4 and 5; in 2020, they were in weeks 5 and 6. The good news is they made the playoffs in all six of those seasons, with five of them ending in AFC East titles. This seems to be a frustratingly recurring pattern for this team: they address their issues one way (firing a coordinator) or another (making a trade) while playing more sound football to end the season. So how will Buffalo achieve this in 2025?
I am going to focus on trades because I do not think Buffalo will or should move on from Bobby Babich or Joe Brady. I wouldn’t be opposed to McDermott taking over the playcalling on defense, but I believe Babich should remain on the staff if McDermott takes on that responsibility. The Bills had roster holes coming into the season that were mostly ignored during their 4-0 start. These holes can be addressed before the trade deadline. I don’t think Buffalo will trade for all six players I mentioned; they may not trade for any of them, but they’re players who make sense for what the roster is currently lacking and are more realistic than some of the names being tossed around in recent weeks.
The rumor mill has mentioned players like A.J. Brown, Trey Hendrickson, and Jeffery Simmons as players the Bills should consider or candidates to trade for. I do not think that type of move will happen. Below, I will list six players I believe would make sense in Buffalo, the magnitude of the acquisition, and their salary cap hits heading into week 8. Maxwell Hairston, Michael Hoecht, and Larry Ogunjobi are all eligible to return this week, which played into the positions I looked at via trade.
Blockbuster Deal
WR Chris Olave: The Bills have been mentioned as a team to go after Olave for a couple of weeks now. I explored it in a blog from February as a potential post-June 1st trade option. Olave is in his fourth year of his rookie deal and would bring on a cap hit under $1 million for the team trading for him. Health is a concern due to three confirmed concussions since entering the league. Still, his speed and field-stretching ability would be an immediate upgrade to the top of the Bills’ receiver group and allow the Bills the opportunity to pick up his 5th year option. This is the most expensive deal I can envision Buffalo making, and I could see them trying to move a player back to New Orleans in exchange for additional draft capital. New Orleans has just under $11 million in space compared to Buffalo’s $2.7 million. This would be an “All-In” move that we have not seen Beane do at a trade deadline, and really, since he traded for Diggs in 2020.
Needle Movers
CB Alontae Taylor: Taylor is a good corner in press coverage with elite speed and quickness. He has a knack for blitzing and is a good tackler, which are two things the Bills could use at the corner position. As the Bills move towards more man coverage, this would be a good addition to the secondary to prevent the pressure of forcing Hairston into the starting lineup if he's not ready coming off injury. His $2.23 million cap hit is manageable, and the contract expires after this season, so Buffalo could recoup a compensatory pick if they decide not to re-sign him. Maybe the team is more confident in where Hairston is at and with the depth they have in the secondary than I am, but trading for a starting-caliber corner is a need currently.
CB Roger McCreary: McCreary is primarily a nickel corner but has played on the outside. He is a good in coverage and can play in both zone and man schemes. Even though he’s in the last year of his deal, I could see the Bills re-signing him in the offseason if we continue to see a decline in Taron Johnson’s play. McCreary will carry a $2.23 million cap hit for the remainder of the season.
*Traded to the L.A. Rams along with a conditional 2026 6th-round pick for a conditional 2026 5th-round pick on 10/27
WR Jakobi Meyers: I only put two receivers on my list because the Bills need a WR1 caliber player like Olave, or they need a receiver like Meyers who can get open and has strong hands. Buffalo doesn’t need to add another guy to the mix. They need to bring in a receiver who resets the depth chart at the position from the top down. Meyers has made it clear he does not want to be in Vegas anymore and will be a free agent at the end of the season, so there will be plenty of suitors to compete with. With a $6.58 million cap hit, Buffalo would need to shed some salary or restructure some contracts to fit him in under the salary cap.
Position Upgrades
DT Harrison Phillips: A reunion with the former Bill would make sense if DaQuan Jones heads to IR with T.J. Sanders already there. Phillips is an exceptional run defender and will carry an estimated $2.72 million cap hit for the remainder of the season with a 2026 $7.5 million cap hit. This contract can be cut after this season with no dead money. I don't anticipate a large price tag for Phillips, but the Jets may not be willing to make a deal with a division rival in-season. Bring him home.
CB Riq Woolen: Woolen has fallen out of favor with the new coaching staff in Seattle after a promising start to his career. He carries a $3.26 million cap hit and would be a good addition to the Bills' secondary if they move towards a man-to-man scheme in coverage. With an expiring contract and a dip in performance this season, I do not foresee a hefty price tag on Woolen. This could be a low-cost, high-reward for a player who needs a change of scenery.
