Should the Buffalo Bills look into trading for Jonathan Taylor?

It seems like most high profile players that hit the free agent market or are rumored to be out the door soon, the Buffalo Bills are among the few teams linked to them. This past offseason, the Bills were rumored to have been in the sweepstakes for both wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (who signed with the Tennessee Titans) and running back Dalvin Cook (who likely will end up in the AFC East).

Before them two, it was wide receiver Odell Beckham which the Bills hosted Beckham on a free agent visit. 

Now, the next big game in the NFL that is publicly having issues with his current team is running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. The last few days, there have been reports about the Colts’ running back being unhappy with his contract and is looking to get paid, but Colts owner Jim Irsay and Taylor have been publicly airing out the drama.

It all started when Irsay tweeted about the current “paying running backs” situation and Irsay made it seem like it is a privilege to just play in the NFL, in which Taylor’s agent tweeted out about how it is bad faith when the top offensive player (Taylor) is not paid properly. Since then, it was reported that Taylor requested a trade out of Indianapolis.

Since then, there are back-and-forth tweets occurring between Taylor and representatives of the Colts that include Taylor requesting a trade, the Colts reportedly thinking about putting Taylor on the non-football injury list (due to a reported injury that took place away from the Colts’ facilities), and then finally ending with a tweet from Taylor that said he never reported an injury and never had any back pain.

With all of this unfolding, this begs the questions of whether or not Taylor plans on suiting up for the Colts at all this season. Even though the Bills may be set at running back as of right now, potentially adding a running back of Taylor’s caliber would be a phenomenal addition for the Bills offense. 

Before an injury that limited him last season (even though he ran for 861 yards in 11 games along with four touchdowns), Taylor was the best running back in football in 2021. He dominated the ground game with 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging over 106 rushing yards a game.

He also managed to put up 360 receiving yards with two touchdowns. When the Colts faced the Bills, Taylor put up 185 rushing yards and four touchdowns, along with a receiving touchdown as well. As Taylor prepares to head into the last year of his rookie contract, Taylor has made it clear that he does not want to be with the Colts, for now. Obviously feelings can change at any time, but right now, Taylor may not suit up for the Colts. 

Should the Buffalo Bills consider trading for Jonathan Taylor? 

Hypothetically, if the Bills were to indeed make a trade for Taylor from the Colts (even though Irsay has made it clear that Taylor will not be traded),  this would make the offense in Buffalo complete and arguably a favorite to win the Super Bowl. They already have the star quarterback and the star receiver. Why not add a star running back in the mix? 

Taylor could elevate the run game, take pressure off of James Cook who is set to take most of the reps this season as of now, and overall provide more fire power to the offense. It seems like a great setup. However, there are also potential downsides to it. 

First off, what would the Bills have to give up for Taylor? It would be hard to see the Colts trading away their best offensive player for anything lower than a second round pick, plus more. In addition, Taylor is eligible for a contract extension now and he should be looking to get his money. Would the Bills be willing to offer that money to Taylor, or could they even afford him to begin with?

While this scenario seems unlikely, you should never count out general manager Brandon Beane of at least doing his due diligence of calling the Colts and starting a brief conversation about Taylor. Overall, this whole situation will be one to keep an eye on no matter who your favorite team is.