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NFL insider thinks Bills could target these two positions before trade deadline

NFL insider Jordan Schultz thinks the Buffalo Bills could be in the market for these two positions ahead of the 2024 trade deadline.

Kyle Silagyi

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Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane made a bold statement during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, a quote that confirmed both the immediate and long-term ambitions of his currently 4-2 club:

“We’re still all in.”

The executive put his money where his mouth is last week by acquiring five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, giving quarterback Josh Allen a bonafide top weapon who has been one of the NFL’s most productive wideouts over the past decade. And though the Bills are still cash-strapped (they currently have just north of $2.5 million in salary cap space, per OverTheCap), Beane is not averse to the idea of executing additional trades, telling McAfee that the team is open for business if the fit is right.

Related: NFL insider says WR Amari Cooper is ‘the perfect player’ for Bills

“We’ve still got a few weeks for the deadline,” Beane said. “If we feel there’s something else that we need or can help us get over the top, we have been all in all along.”

NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who was the reporter who initially broke the news of the team’s acquisition of Cooper, does not feel as though Beane is spewing hot air with these comments; during a recent appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Schultz stated that he believes Buffalo could make additional maneuvers before the league’s November 5 trade deadline, circling two particular positions of potential areas of interest.

“I don’t think they’re necessarily done yet,” Schultz said. “I think linebacker and safety for them could be another move or two.”

Linebacker seems like the more far-fetched position of the two, as Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard (when healthy) have played admirably this season. A second-year linebacker who was thrust into the starting lineup due to former All-Pro defender Matt Milano’s offseason bicep tear, Williams has expectedly shown early growing pains but has displayed discernible development as the season has progressed; he’s currently tied for third in the NFL in tackles with 60. Bernard has missed two games with a pectoral strain but has been expectedly excellent and impactful when available; Buffalo also hopes to get Milano back before the end of the season, so barring another injury at the position, it’s difficult to imagine the team striking a deal for a linebacker (outside of a cheap addition to improve depth).

Dorian Williams
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Safety, however, seems like a reasonable position to identify, as the team is still looking for reliable options following the offseason departures of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. Taylor Rapp has played well, notably making three pass deflections in the team’s Week 6 win over the New York Jets, but fellow starter Damar Hamlin has looked largely pedestrian. Rookie Cole Bishop has looked shaky in spot duty, and offseason signing Mike Edwards has only played on seven defensive snaps thus far. Hyde is still available as a free agent, so perhaps the team would look to bring him back to One Bills Drive as opposed to giving up draft compensation for a player unfamiliar with the defense.

Buffalo plays another three games before this year’s trade deadline, so it will likely wait and see how the next handful of contests go before making any additional maneuvers. That said, the team is conspicuously open for business.

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Kyle Silagyi
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