Put Down the Pitchforks: Five Players Brandon Beane Should Be Calling About Right Now
June 1st was like Christmas for the NFL. The A.J. Brown to New England move was inevitable with the rumors circling since March, but the Rams and Browns pulling off a Myles Garrett for Jared Verse and draft picks was a bit of a shocker. This one seemed to ruffle a lot of Bills fans’ feathers and have them feeling like Brandon Beane and the Bills were sitting on their hands, not actively pursuing the best defensive player in the NFL.
I’m not breaking news here, but Buffalo doesn’t have a Jared Verse to include in a package like the Rams did to pull this trade off. This is a great trade for both sides. The Rams get a Hall of Fame pass rusher still in his prime, and the Browns get draft picks over the next three drafts, as well as a high-end pass rusher with two years left on his rookie contract that they could very well trade before they have to pay him and get more draft capital. I’m sorry, but there wasn’t a player on the Bills’ roster that they could have dangled in front of Cleveland to seal the deal there. So you can be angry that it looks like the Rams are the “anti-Bills,” but this was a trade that they and a few other teams could have made from a roster perspective.
I do not think the Bills have to make a move, but I do think they should, and there are players they can get who would be significant upgrades to the current roster. Buffalo currently has $10.1 million in cap space, but can clear an additional $11-20 million if necessary to make a deal. Below are five players, with their ages entering the 2026 season, and ‘26 cap hit, who they should be calling on. Any of whom would move the needle and show the fan base that the organization is not operating under the status quo of the past five seasons.
Pass Rushers
Alex Highsmith, 29 years old, $20.1 million cap hit
Highsmith has 2 years remaining on a 4-year/$68 million contract extension. T.J. Watt has a $42 million cap hit in 2026, and the Steelers just signed fellow LB Nick Herbig to a 4-year/$100 million contract extension, so it's hard to imagine that all three are on the roster come September. Without an adjustment to Watt’s contract and cap hit in 2026, Highsmith would be the more attractive player to target from the Steelers’ LB group. Either would be a great addition to the Bills’ pass rush, but I’m looking at this from a practical standpoint: Highsmith’s cap hit could be taken on, and the acquisition price would not be as significant.
Josh Sweat, 29 years old, $16.38 million cap hit
Sweat has 3 years remaining on a 4-year/$76.4 million contract signed in free agency before the 2025 season. The Cardinals brought in a new Head Coach this offseason, but return the same D.C. that Sweat set a career high in sacks (12) with in his first season in Arizona. Is Sweat interested in sticking around for a rebuild?
Kayvon Thibodeaux,25 years old, $14.75 million cap hit
Thibodeaux is entering the final year of his rookie deal on the 5th-year club option and finds himself in a crowded room with Brian Burns, last year's first-round pick, Abdul Carter, and this year's first-round pick, Arvell Reese. It’s hard to envision how all four can remain on the roster, and there is still a lot of untapped potential that made Thibodeaux a top 5 pick. This is probably the most intriguing option of the three for me because I think the pressure would be off Thibodeaux in Buffalo with Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb on the roster, and it would avoid Michael Hoecht rushing back from injury.
Interior Support
Jalen Carter, 25 years old, $6.93 million cap hit
Carter has 2 years remaining on his rookie deal with a 5th-year club option picked up. He has a very manageable 2026 cap hit that balloons to $27 million next season when the team’s cap situation gets a little murkier. The Brown trade definitely helped that, but they also have other young players who are in line for raises, and Carter is an appealing asset they are rumored to be willing to part with now that they have Jordan Davis under contract for the next three seasons.
Jeffery Simmons, 29 years old, $25.63 million cap hit
Simmons has 2 years remaining on his 4-year/$94 million rookie extension. The idea of pairing him next to fellow 2019 draft mate Ed Oliver is a pipe dream and would give opposing Quarterbacks nightmares. This is my top choice and would be my favorite move among the 5 players listed because I think it’s the thinnest position group on defense and wouldn’t cost as much in terms of compensation, given the salary. Publicly, Tennessee hasn't made it clear that Simmons is available, but that doesn't mean Beane shouldn’t be calling the Titans, given their current rebuild.
