10 trades for the Bills this offseason
Credit: Matthew Emmons
The Buffalo Bills aren’t exactly the talk of many trade rumors but, I’m going to try to change that. Here are 10 feasible trades that could greatly help the Bills:
Team trade is going to: Lions
Team needs: DB, WR, OL, TE
Lions get: Stevie Johnson 2nd in 2014 and 2015
Bills get: 10th overall pick
This trade helps both teams. The Lions have a desperate need for a second WR next to Calvin Johnson, and this has them netting two 2nd round picks (one this year and one in 2015). Stevie would be a great addition to the Lions because he would create a slot safety blanket who could get consistently open when Megatron was covered. It would also provide Matthew Stafford with a true number 2 wideout.
It would help the Bills because they would have the ability to draft which ever two players are highest on their draft boards at 9 and 10. This could allow them to fill their holes at any two positions: WR, TE, OL, LB; or really where ever they wanted to. This trade would also allow the Bills to trade back and get more picks in later round while still having a top ten pick.
Team trade is going to: Ravens
Team Needs: WR, OL, LB , TE
Ravens get: Stevie Johnson 2nd in 2014 and 3rd round pick in 2015
Bills get: Marshal Yanda
OR: Bills and Ravens switch 1st rounders and Bills keep their second rounder from this year.
This trade would have very big implications as it would immediately fill the hole at LG left by the departure of Andy Levitre and fill it with a 3 time Pro Bowler. Also, it would move a slight headache in Stevie Johnson off the team, and out of the minds of Bills fans everywhere.
For the Ravens, this provides a WR opposite of Torrey Smith and that man is Stevie Johnson. Swapping first rounders gives the Ravens their choice of top OT prospects and would allow the Bills to draft a player like Mike Evans or Eric Ebron without feeling like they are reaching for the pick.
Team trade is going to: Denver Broncos
Team needs: DT, DB, DE
Broncos get: Marcell Dareus
Bills get: Demaryius Thomas
This trade is extremely beneficial for both sides of this trade, The Bills add a tall wide out who can stretch the field and make huge jump ball TDs and the Broncos get an immediate upgrade at defensive line that they desperately need. Thomas would immediately sure up the Bills receiving corps and shorten the list of possible draft picks for the team at nine. For the Broncos it would also allow them not worry about trying to reach for someone at DT at which ever of the last two picks they have.
Team trade is going to: Redskins
Team needs: DL, Safety, OL
Redskins get: Jarius Byrd
Bills get: 2nd round 2014 and Kirk Cousins
Byrd provides the Skins with something they haven’t had in a long time: a shut down safety. Byrd will immediately make their secondary better than it was the previous year, and would fit extremely well into the new defense being installed in the nation’s capital. If the Bills are not able to resign Byrd then the franchise tag is immanent. The best move would be to trade him because there is very little chance, if any, that he re-signs after two tags. This gives the Bills an early 2nd rounder and a great backup for EJ Manuel. Both of these things are worth Byrd if, and only if, we are not able to resign him.
Team Trade is going to: Chicago Bears
Team Needs: DL, S, OL
Bears get: Jarius Byrd
Bills get: Alshon Jeffery
OR:
Bears get: Marcell Dareus
Bills get: 14th overall pick
Trading Byrd for Jeffery makes a lot of sense for both teams involved. The Bears get Byrd and sure up their secondary for next 5-6 years and the Bills get a tall, strong, young WR who is only in his 2nd year in the league who could produce big numbers for the foreseeable future.
The second trade secures the Bills a second 1st round pick and gives the Bears a NFL ready DT who is more ready than DT in this draft class.
Team Trade is going to: Steelers
Team needs: Safety, OT, CB
Pitt gets: Jarius Byrd
Bills get: 15th overall pick and Ryan Clark
Byrd would be a head over heels an improvement over Clark who can not catch a ball to save his life. Clark would add a touch of physicality to the Bills secondary and would be different then Byrd to say the least. With the addition of a second 1st rounder the Bills would be able to have the pick of the litter in the draft this coming may.
Team trade(s) are going to: Cowboys
Team needs: DL, CB, S
Cowboys get: Marcell Dareus, 9th overall pick
Bills get: Dez Bryant and 16/17th overall pick
This trade will benefit both teams in that cowboys get the interior lineman to replace the ones they’re losing via free agency and Bills get the WR they need pre draft. Also Cowboys get to move up to get their choice of CB and Bills can fill their voids with the coin flip pick.
Cowboys get: Jarius Byrd
Bills get: Dez Bryant
Cowboys get their problem child off their hands and at the same time they gain a major piece of their defense that was one of the worst in the league. Bills get a big tall WR who can out run most corners in the NFL.
HUGE BLOCKBUSTER TRADE
Cowboys get: Marcell Dareus, Jrius Byrd, CJ Spiller, Stevie Johnson
Bills get: Dez Bryant, Demarco Murray, 16th overall pick, 2nd pick 2014 and 2015, 3rd in 2014
This trade would be one of the biggest in recent memory, sending major players and picks to both sides. Bills get a plethora of picks in next two years and two players who would fit our offense very well. Murray is a great receiving back out of the backfield and Bryant would make our offense deadly with weapons. The picks would allow the Bills to bolster there ranks in this extremely deep draft pool currently. It would also grant the Bills the firepower necessary to move up in the draft if they wanted to possibly grab a player like Sammy Watkins* (see bonus trade mock draft). Cowboys get workhorse RB they’ve been wanting, a new WR for Tony Romo to throw to, and an addition to a defense that looked terrible last year. Dareus will replace Hatcher but who put similar number but Dareus is much younger man with much less wear and tear. Byrd goes in to a DB rotation that was a in a word I just made up terrexible. This trade would switch up a lot of the major players on both teams.
Bonus Trade:
Raiders get: 16th overall pick 2nd 2015 3rd in 2015 from Dallas
Bills get: 5th overall pick
5th overall pick- Sammy Watkins
9th overall pick- Jake Matthews
2nd round- Austin Seferian-Jenkins
2nd round- Tre Mason
3rd round- Gabe Jackson
3rd round- Chris Borland
4th round- Chris Davis
5th round- Seantrel Henderson
6th round- L’Damian Washington
7th round- Steven Clark