Buffalo Bills: Seven moves the Bills should explore this summer

Trade Shaq Lawson

I go back and forth with the idea of this because he is still so young. Lawson has been bitten with the injury bug in his first two seasons in the NFL. He has totaled six sacks in his two seasons, which seems like not a lot because of his first-round pick status – but a lot when you consider he has only started 11 games in his career.

Lawson has also never been able to find a fit in Buffalo. He was drafted to be a 3-4 outside linebacker by Rex Ryan and purely rush the passer, which isn’t his strong suit. Then McDermott came in and he went to his natural position of defensive end. However, in his time last season with the team, he has never been able to be an effective pass rusher.

While he is a good run defender, that isn’t what the team needs right now – which is evident by the team signing Trent Murphy to a three-year deal this offseason. It may be time for Lawson to get a fresh start elsewhere.

It is almost certain that the Bills weren’t the only team with a first-round grade on Lawson, and he was most likely the player atop a team’s big board in the 2016 draft. Making a few calls around the league to see who may be still interested in a young, talented prospect to get a good return may be a wise idea for the Bills.

Again with the signing of Murphy, the team has filled its pass rushing need. Eddie Yarbrough is a very similar player to Lawson and can spell Murphy on running downs as well. Moving Lawson could get a promising return and allow for him to maximize his potential in a new situation.