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Riding the brilliant play of quarterback Josh Allen last season, the Buffalo Bills finished with an eye-opening 13-3 record. It was their best single-season performance since Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were starring in Western New York for legendary head coach Marv Levy back in 1991.
It has been a long time coming for this Buffalo Bills squad. Heading into the 2021 NFL season and with the offseason of heavy lifting pretty much done, these Bills are seen as legit Super Bowl contenders.
However, there’s still some holes that could be filled on both sides of the ball in order for Buffalo to replace the two-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs in the conference. With the free-agent market limited, we turn to three potential trades that could put Buffalo over the top.
Buffalo Bills trade for Danielle Hunter
One of the major issues for defensive-minded head coach Sean McDermott last season was a lack of a pass rush. Buffalo recorded a total of 38 sacks without a single player registering more than five. That’s not going to cut it with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield leading other top-end conference title contenders in the AFC.
It’s also one of the reasons general manager Brandon Beane exhausted the Bills’ first two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft on edge rushers Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr.
Why not go back to the Minnesota Vikings and see if Danielle Hunter is an option? Things seem to be at an impasse between the two as it relates to a long-term deal. Hunter, 26, has also been among the most-underrated edge rushers in recent seasons — registering 54.5 sacks in five years. Offer up a first-round pick in 2022 to reunite Hunter with Stefon Diggs. Because, why not?
Buffalo Bills pull off blockbuster move for Julio Jones
Now that Jones has officially requested a trade from the Falcons, we’re starting to see odds about his best potential landing spots. Right now, that does not include the seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver joining the Buffalo Bills. But as a Super Bowl contender, this is exactly the type of team Jones would like to be traded to.
Just imagine the idea of teaming Jones up with the aforementioned Diggs and stud slot receiver Cole Beasley. That would be some elite skill-position talent for Josh Allen. It would also mask any type of struggles Buffalo might have on defense. Jones, 32, is averaging 96 receptions for 1,451 yards since the start of the 2014 season.
Buffalo Bills add Ezekiel Elliott
Let’s get all sorts of crazy here. For my part, I have advocated that the Dallas Cowboys look to trade Ezekiel Elliott. Hindsight might be 20/20, but they made a mistake in signing Elliott to a six-year, $90 million extension back in September of 2019. With a cheaper and younger Tony Pollard aboard, moving off Elliott might make sense for owner Jerry Jones and Co.
As for the Bills, they just have not gotten much production at running back in recent years despite exhausting draft capital on this position. Neither Devin Singletary nor Zack Moss went for as much as 700 rushing yards a season ago. Allen led Buffalo in rushing touchdowns with eight. Despite his bloated contract, Elliott would make a ton of sense. Still only 25, he’s averaging 1,668 total yards and 11 touchdowns in his five seasons with the Cowboys. You just can’t ignore that.