As it stands, the Buffalo Bills have not made as many headlines during NFL free agency as several other teams have. However, that was to be expected, considering general manager Brandon Beane had more in-house work to do than anything.
Re-signing Jordan Poyer and restructuring a few of their own, Buffalo attempted to put themselves in a better position to get under the cap. Still, they could end up making a large move to put this roster over the hump.
One such move that’s been rumored as of late is for Buffalo to trade for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The 3-time All Pro has been subject of trade rumors for quite a while this offseason, as his contract is set to count $30 million against the cap in 2023. If any trade for Hopkins was made, he’d likely get a new deal that could lower that number for the upcoming campaign while giving him security down the line.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah reported that the Bills were, in fact, the number one landing spot for Hopkins at the moment.
Trade Number 1: The Buffalo Bills could trade a couple of draft picks for DeAndre Hopkins, plus a pick
Hopkins is a former All Pro and still one of the best receivers in the game. Set to turn 31 years old in June, Hopkins is likely to be traded from Arizona before the start of the season, and likely before June 1.
In this first trade idea, Buffalo would send the Cardinals their fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, coming in at number 130 overall. They’d also give up a seventh rounder in 2024.
In exchange, Buffalo would get Hopkins along with a sixth rounder this year. That gives Beane the ability to still have just as many overall picks in this year’s draft class. The Bills would be acquiring another Pro Bowl, All Pro type receiver to pair with Stefon Diggs, and Josh Allen would be set up for possibly his best season yet in the NFL.
Trade Number 2: The Buffalo Bills could trade a polarizing player for DeAndre Hopkins
In this second possible trade scenario, the Bills would execute a player-for-player swap. Former first-round pick Ed Oliver, once the number 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has not lived up to expectations to say the least. He was supposed to come in and become the dominant presence up front across this Bills defensive line, but has yet to post over 5.0 sacks in a season and has just 14.5 for his career.
Recently, Oliver posted a series of photos on Instagram seemingly hinting at a trade. Could that deal land him in Arizona? It isn’t as farfetched as it seems. Oliver is just 25 years old and the Cardinals need help on defense. Might a fresh start help Oliver get himself a bit more motivated, especially going into his fifth-year option season?
While the Bills picked up his fifth-year option, Oliver is anything but a guarantee to come back after this season. Buffalo cannot afford to overpay a guy who has not given them what they desired out of a top-10 pick four years ago.
In Arizona, the pressure would be on for Oliver, who not only gets his first chance at free agency next year, but the added motivation of the Bills essentially giving up on him.
Would a deal involving Oliver make sense in order to land a talent like Hopkins?
Trade Number 3: The Buffalo Bills could give up an overpay for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins
Finally, the Bills might throw out an offer that the Cardinals could not refuse. Now, this wouldn’t necessarily be the smartest move on Beane’s behalf. But, if Hopkins was in prime form and helped this team get over the hump, bringing home a Lombardi Trophy, then it would be well-worth it.
In this deal, the Bills give up a valuable top-100 pick coming in at no. 91 in the third round. Arizona has already shown their cards, making it pretty clear that Hopkins is available. So, his price tag shouldn’t be that high. A fourth-round pick plus a later round selection makes sense, at the most, especially for a guy counting so much against the cap.
Again, this deal is Super Bowl or bust, in essence.
Beane gives it everything he’s got in terms of going after a championship this season. Could a deal like this backfire? Oh, absolutely. But, could it lead to a Super Bowl? Again, absolutely.