The Buffalo Bills are set to enter yet another offseason where they desperately need to add a top receiver. With limited options available through free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, Brandon Beane may have to get creative.
Understandably, trade ideas have bounced around the media in attempts to solve Buffalo’s issue. Recently, one wild proposal was put out there.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed a trade that would land the Bills one of the most exciting young receivers in football, but the cost might be too high for fans to stomach.
Mock Bills trade would create new problems for Buffalo
Barnwell put together an article with a list of potential NFL trades this offseason. The list ranged from minor roster tweaks to all-out blockbusters. This Bills trade would certainly shake up the league.
The trade has the Bills sending Keon Coleman and a first-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for star receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and a fifth-round pick.
Barnwell explains the idea, saying, “Thomas would immediately step in as Josh Allen's No. 1 receiver. For a team that's $10 million over the projected cap before making adjustments this offseason, Thomas' contract is a bargain for the next few years. He'll make $2.1 million in 2026 and $2.8 million in 2027 before a potential fifth-year option in 2028, affording the Bills multiple seasons of cost control. Even if Thomas only settles in somewhere between his 2024 and 2025 form, he would offer significant surplus value.”
The idea of dropping a receiver with Thomas's talent into the Bills' offense is intriguing. Even if he had a disappointing year in 2025, he has already shown the ability to lead an NFL receiver room. With Allen's arm strength and accuracy, the Jaguars' wideout could make a great addition.
But it would be difficult to give up a first-round pick to get him. The Bills have other glaring needs on their roster, so losing one of their most valuable assets may not be an option this offseason. Coleman may seem like a throw-in in this trade, but the Bills spent an early pick on him just two years ago. Buffalo's front office may have already distanced themselves from him, but many fans aren't ready to see him go.
The Bills certainly need to do something to address the wide receiver position this offseason, but a trade of this magnitude might be a bit too aggressive.