The Buffalo Bills may have a Curtis Samuel problem. He's in the middle of a 3 year/$24M contract, and has been the sixth receiver to start the season. With a cap hit of $9M this season, the Bills have a very expensive backup wide receiver. So what’s the next move?
Trading Samuel creates $7.2M in cap space, according to Spotrac. Samuel is still a productive wide receiver, so it may just be a matter of losing out on valuable reps in the summer. Is there any team willing to take on his contract? Let's take a look at 3 teams that could trade for Samuel, if the Bills are even considering moving on from him.
Potential trade destinations for WR Curtis Samuel
Dallas Cowboys
After an injury to Jonathan Mingo in the offseason, and most recently to CeeDee Lamb, the wide receiver position became even thinner early in the season. After George Pickens, the Cowboys have a handful of inexperienced players, and adding a veteran like Samuel will help them not just now, but late in the season as the Cowboys look to make a playoff run.
Dallas likes their quick pass catchers, so Samuel fits in perfectly with their offense. Buffalo and Dallas have a bit of recent trade history with Buffalo sending CB Kaiir Elam to Dallas, so they may decide to pick the phone up again.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are in the same boat as the Cowboys. After losing their top receiver in Mike Evans for a few weeks, along with Jalen McMillan, their depth has become scarce. Chris Godwin is working back from his dislocated ankle he suffered last season and should be returning soon.
After him, it’s rookie Emeka Egbuka, Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson, Tez Johnson, and Ryan Miller. Not a lot after Egbuka, meaning a return to the NFC South could be in play for the struggling Samuel, where he began his career with the Carolina Panthers.
New York Giants
The Giants recently made a move to start rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, meaning the end to the Russell Wilson era, and the beginning of the Dart era. New York is top heavy at the receiver position, with Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson leading the way, but they’re still missing another piece. The Giants may feel like adding another pass catcher may help Dart’s development, and adding Samuel for relatively cheap would be their best decision.
It’s just a numbers game for Samuel in Buffalo. While still talented, he missed out on valuable reps in the summer and ultimately lost out to Elijah Moore. In 2023 with the Washington Commanders, Samuel totaled 613 yards and four touchdowns. At 29 years old he can still contribute, but it more than likely won't be with Buffalo anymore.