Bills suggested to make surprising trade prior to 2024 season
By Brandon Ray
It is rare for teams in the NFL to make any big time trades just weeks before the start of the season, but anything can happen. The Buffalo Bills have been a team that has shown that if they can gain future draft capital from a certain player, Brandon Beane will make the trade to cut down the roster. We have seen it before, but more than likely there will be just roster cuts. One thing we have not seen in quite some time is the Bills trading for a player right before the start of the season.
Alex Ballentine from Bleacher Report listed one trade scenario for each NFL team before the start of the 2024 season, and the Bills are listed as a team that should make a trade for someone from the NFC South. Ballentine believes that the Bills should consider trading for safety Richie Grant from the Atlanta Falcons, who is going into the final year of his rookie contract.
Ballentine suggests that while Grant has provided value to the Falcons, Jessie Bates III and DeMarcco Hellams should take over the roles as the starters in the backend, which puts Grant at a major disadvantage and more than likely will spend his last season with the Falcons (if he doesn’t get traded or released before).
"Grant was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft and has been a starter for the Falcons over the last two seasons, but Jessie Bates III and DeMarcco Hellams could be the starting duo after the latter put together a strong rookie campaign.
- Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report
With Grant playing on the final year of his rookie contract, the Falcons might be willing to part with him for a pick. Perhaps playing in Sean McDermott's defensive system would help him have a breakout season."
The Bills don't need to address the safety position
The Bills already have veterans Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, and Damar Hamlin on the roster. They also drafted Cole Bishop in the second round and are hoping that he can become starter material sooner than later. Rapp and Edwards are more than likely going to be pointed as the Week 1 starters and Bishop will have to find a way to earn playing time. Hamlin’s roster status is arguably up in the air, due to the fact that this season is the last year of his contract.
Wasting draft capital for a position that doesn’t need to be addressed would be a waste of time. If Buffalo wanted to make a trade before the start of the season, it should be adding more depth at cornerback. Outside of Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford, the depth behind them two does not promise stability, should an injury occur.