It's almost like beating a dead horse at this point, but until the Bills take the field in the September season opener, the questions will continue to be asked. Is the Bills' wide receiver room a major weakness or are fans and media overblowing this? The same things were said when Tyreek Hill was traded from Kansas City, and they answered those questions in a big way. Can Josh Allen and the Bills do the same in 2024? Should they be satisfied with who they have on the roster now, or should they continue to add new faces?
Former Buffalo Bills head coach Wade Phillips believes in UFL Offensive Player of the Year
Shortly after the St. Louis Battlehawks lost in the UFL conference championship game, former Buffalo Bills head coach Wade Phillips told Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler, "I'm going to tell everyone in the NFL that I talk to, you need to be playing." Butler was the UFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led the league in yards (652), and average yards per catch (14.5). He was second in receptions with 45 and fourth in touchdowns with five. Phillips had a front-row seat watching Butler have a game-high six receptions and he thinks highly of the wide receiver.
Butler is 28 and 6'5" and weighs 227 pounds. He was an original draft pick in the NFL by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was selected in the fourth round with the 103rd overall pick. He's played in only two games in the NFL, having received only one career target. Should NFL teams take note and give him another shot? He fits the receiver type that Brandon Beane and the Bills have largely been targeting this offseason. Buffalo currently has 12 receivers on the roster, and most likely only six will make the 53-man roster. Butler would have a massive uphill climb, but for a minimal deal, there's limited risk in at least seeing what he could offer the Bills.