Buffalo Bills trade Cody Ford to the Arizona Cardinals for fifth round pick
The Buffalo Bills have begun the process of trimming the roster from 84 to 80 before the NFL’s deadline on Tuesday afternoon. They started Monday morning by releasing punter Matt Haack and wide receiver Tavon Austin.
They continued to make moves in the afternoon when they traded offensive guard Cody Ford to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2023 fifth round pick.
Ford joined the Buffalo Bills in 2019 when the team traded up into the second round to select the former University of Oklahoma offensive lineman. It didn’t take long for him to make into the starting lineup and as a rookie played primarily right tackle and split time with veteran Ty Nsekhe.
Entering his second season, Ford moved inside to guard and the thought was that was where he fit best based on how he played. However, after seven games he would suffer a knee injury that ended his season.
He would return to the starting lineup last season at guard but would be benched after three games and replaced by Daryl Williams. Ford would get a few more starts but would not be able to return to being a full-time starter.
This offseason though he showed more promise and in the two preseason games played very well. It was probably the reason he had interest from the Cardinals in a trade.
Buffalo Bills continue to find value with trades right before the season
Over the past few seasons, general manager Brandon Beane has been able to pull off these types of trades right before the season. While it is only a fifth round pick, these late round picks have had value as the team has drafted players like Tyler Bass and Dane Jackson on Day 3. The ability to gain something for a player who likely was going to be released is a great strategy.
Unfortunately, it has been with varying success as there have been some trades the Bills likely would want back, like in 2019 when they traded Wyatt Teller to the Cleveland Browns, who is one of the best guards in the league. The hope is that this doesn’t happen again but for a player who was on the roster bubble, this is a great move at this point in time.
