The Buffalo Bills are less than week away from cutting their roster down from 90 men to the final 53. As the league's teams take shape, there are plenty of decisions still to be made.
The Bills have a great roster, but there are positions that they still need help at, as well as talented players already on the team who simply won't make the cut. With opportunity in the air, Brandon Beane and the rest of the Buffalo front office will be making calls this week. Here are four trades the Bills can make ahead of roster cutdown day.
4 possible trades Bills should consider ahead of Week 1
Trade for S Kyle Dugger - New England Patriots
Buffalo has a noticable issue at safety. Between the oft-injured Cole Bishop and Damar Hamlin, it's unclear if the answer is actually on the team yet. Though some free agents may be able to help, the best solution is in New England. Safety Kyle Dugger, who has excelled since being drafted in 2020, is on the market, per Jordan Schultz.
With nine interceptions, 424 tackles, and 24 passes defensed. Duggar is a weapon on the field. With a diminished role and a large contract signed by the previous head coach and general manager combo, the New England Patriots are ready to ship him out.
The Patriots may need to eat some of his four-year, $58m contract to deal him, as Buffalo can't pay that out of pocket, but the move is there to be made. It would certainly be a substantial upgrade at one of the Bills' greatest areas of need.
The likely cost for Buffalo would be a 3rd/4th round draft pick, but his financial demand is a wrench in the works.
Trade WR Curtis Samuel to the Minnesota Vikings
A signature move of the Brandon Beane era, sealing low level players for late draft capital is almost an expectation at this point. This move is no different. The Buffalo Bills don't have a wealth of receiving talent, but they do have a mess at the bottom of the unit. With several receivers vying for the final few places, it's a close race. Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Tyrell Shavers, KJ Hamler, and more are fighting for two spots. They simply won't all make it.
Curtis Samuel signed a three-year $24 million contract with Buffalo in March of 2024, but hasn't played up to it. They can save a cool few million by dealing him ahead of the final roster announcement, and free up a space for a younger, less-known commodity. Per Tom Pelissero, the Minnesota Vikings are in the market for a veteran receiver. Samuel fits their need, and can still provide value once the Jordan Addison returns from his suspension.
The Vikings can likely secure Samuel from Buffalo for a conditional 7th- round draft pick, which could turn into a 6th-rounder, depending on Samuel's snap counts during the regular season. The San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets are both also in the market, but Minnesota makes the most sense for a trade partner.
Samuel did give the Bills some great reps late in the season last year, but has yet to show he deserves his roster spot over the competition. With former-Bills WR Gabe Davis lurking, there are multiple ways to sort this out.
Trade DT DeWayne Carter to the Atlanta Falcons
It's premature, aggressive, and unexpected; It might be the right move to trade sophomore defensive tackle DeWayne Carter before the season. The Buffalo Bills acquired Carter through the draft only last season in a trade-down deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has yet to flash.
With cemented starters this season in Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones, and a whole host of rookie and veteran additions, Carter may be the odd one out after only one season in Buffalo. It is not an attack on his skillset, his work ethic, or his character. The Bills simply have too many cooks in this kitchen.
Carter played 28.53% of snaps on defense last season, and 5.16% of special teams snaps. That is third-most of any defensive tackle on the roster, but his impact wasn't felt. Though he had 5 tackles for loss, he only had 14 total, in 11 games played.
He generated no other meaningful statistics. Whilst the game is more than just a spreadsheet, he's given the team no greater reason to keep him than any of the other top five defensive tackles. Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, TJ Sanders, Deone Walker, and Larry Ogunjobi are all projected contributors, and Carter will struggle to fit in. If he is rostered, it will likely only be for as long as Ogunjobi serves his suspension. After six games, DeWayne simply doesn't fit.
However, he is still a young player with great traits, spoken of highly by the coaching staff. Perhaps it's gamesmanship, but Carter will find room on many other rosters in this league.
The Atlanta Falcons, for example, have a desperate need to improve their defensive line unit, and Carter has both the upside and contract to fill their roster out. For a likely 5th-round pick, he can simplify things in Buffalo and go to a place where he has a future.
Trade for WR Terry McLaurin - Washington Commanders
One method for solving the Bills' receiver room question is to remove a variable, like the proposed trade to send Curtis Samuel to Minnesota. The other method is to swing for the fences. Terry McLaurin is in the final year of his contract with the Washington Commanders, and wants out. His trade request was a surprise to many, as his excellent play and ideal positioning would make Washington the perfect place to pay him. Still, their loss may be another's gain.
Financially, McLaurin has a sturdy cap hit. Some of that has already been paid, and much would rest on Washington if they moved on from him. All-in-all, Buffalo would pay a manageable portion of that salary for the one-year rental, with the option to work out an extension if they so chose.
The true cost would come in the form of those oh-so-valuable draft picks. The demand for a receiver of Terry McLaurin's calibre is enormous, and offers would start at a second roung pick.
Those offers only go up. Buffalo likely pays a first-round draft pick and then more in exchange for McLaurin, but they do gain a massive competitive edge for this season; Perhaps he proves himself worth the money all over again. For now, he sits on the Commanders' roster, holding out with no end in sight.