Can the Buffalo Bills still swing a trade for a difference-maker on defense? It doesn’t seem likely given the team’s financial situation while heading into the NFL Draft with no second-round selection and just two picks in the top 100.
However unlikely it may be, it isn’t impossible. And with New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence demanding a trade on Monday, the Bills may want to see what they are capable of pulling off to bring him in to reshape the defensive front.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton looked at five teams, including the Bills, to see what realistic package they could put together to bring the 340-pound behemoth to their squad, and the price for Buffalo, shockingly, may be worth it.
How Buffalo Bills could navigate limited draft capital in Dexter Lawrence trade
Of the five teams, the Bills were the only team that didn’t surrender a 2026 second-round pick. Naturally, instead, the Bills sent their 2027 second-round pick in the package to balance the scales. Here’s how Moton’s traded projection shakes out:
It seems like a lot to give up for a nose tackle, but Lawrence is no ordinary nose tackle. He’s position-flexible across the interior defensive line, and he’s dominant in every spot, too. In seven seasons, he’s racked up 30.5 sacks and 40 tackles for loss.Â
Still, if Buffalo did swing for the fences to bring in Lawrence, they’d likely need to trade back from their No. 26 slot in the first round to recoup their losses, not only from the trade for Lawrence, but also the trade for D.J. Moore earlier this offseason.
Nonetheless, trading for Lawrence would take off a ton of pressure for general manager Brandon Beane and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard in retooling this new-look defense. Buffalo did not address the needs up front in free agency, specifically for a natural nose tackle to anchor this new 3-4 scheme Leonhard brings over from Denver. Picking up Lawrence allows the Bills to focus on their needs elsewhere, especially if they parlay it with a trade-back from No. 26 overall.
Of course, the financial limitations of the franchise are sure to spring to mind for Bills Mafia. Moten suggests restructuring left tackle Dion Dawkins’ contract to free up $14 million in cap space to ease the burden of signing Lawrence to a fresh long-term deal.
Lawrence is a big fish for the Bills to target at this stage of the offseason, and while it certainly won’t be cheap in any capacity to reel him in, it would be an exciting move to breathe life into this new defense.