The quietly good Bills' trade that not enough people are talking about

The Buffalo Bills didn't make a deal on NFL trade deadline day, but GM Brandon Beane already had two wins under his belt.

Ralph Ventre | Nov 8, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Brandon Codrington (29) / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

The trade for Amari Cooper will naturally command most of the attention, but Buffalo Bills' general manager Brandon Beane stealthily made a move that has been paying dividends for weeks already.

Flying under the radar back on roster cutdown day, Beane quietly upgraded the team's talent in a sometimes overlooked area. The Bills acquired undrafted rookie return specialist Brandon Codrington from the New York Jets and immediately placed him into a primary role.

Like the Cooper trade that followed two months later, the deal for Codrington allowed Buffalo to fill a need and the cost was minimal. The Bills and the Jets essentially swapped 2026 late-round draft picks with Codrington also part of the exchange. Buffalo sent a 2026 sixth-rounder to New York, which sent the kick returner and a 2026 seventh-rounder in the other direction.

After multiple electrifying returns for the Jets during preseason competition, Codrington provided an immediate jolt to the Bills' special teams from the start of the regular season. He has four kickoff returns, none shorter than 24 yards. The rookie averages 11.9 yards per punt return and his 29-yarder gave the Bills a short field against Miami in the first quarter of the Week 9 victory.

Head coach Sean McDermott referred to Codrington as "mature beyond his years" back in September.

"He's a hard worker. A good football player that understands the process and what it takes, what he needs to do for himself to get himself ready to go," said McDermott.

Factoring in the compensation for Cooper, Buffalo surrendered 2026 sixth-round and seventh-round selections along with a 2025 third-rounder across the two trades.

In return, the Bills landed a wide receiver with seven 1,000-yard seasons to his credit and a reliable rookie who ranks fifth amongst NFL punt return leaders. No wonder why they call him Brandon "Big Baller" Beane.