NFL Insider Explains How Bills Could Pull Off Brandon Aiyuk Trade

This offseason, the Buffalo Bills have remained relevant and will continue to be so, as long as Josh Allen is under center.

But the big question is will Allen and his offense be able to pick up the slack after seeing Stefon Diggs traded and Gabe Davis leave via free agency? While the team has added a myriad of players, whether through free agency or the draft, the Bills still don’t have a clear No. 1 receiver.

Buffalo may still be able to make a move before training camp begins, however, as San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk recently requested a trade and could see a bidding war take place soon. It may seem unlikely that Aiyuk will be traded, but it’s worth keeping an eye on if you’re a Bills fan.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently wrote a piece highlighting some of the best options for Aiyuk and included the Bills in it.

Graziano wrote:

“No, they don’t have the salary cap to take on $14.125 million either, but the Bills aren’t far off and could probably get there with a few small moves. After trading Stefon Diggs to Houston and losing Gabe Davis to Jacksonville in free agency, the Bills certainly have a need at the position. Rookie Keon Coleman is still an unknown quantity, and for now, Buffalo seems likely to try to build its 2024 offense around second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid and third-year running back James Cook while their receiver situation is sorted out. Adding Aiyuk would obviously leave the Bills with less to sort out.”

When Graziano says the Bills are a few small moves away from being able to take on Aiyuk, he’s referring to a few cuts or trades. If Buffalo were to trade or cut two or three of the following players, they’d be very close to having enough cap space to make a deal for Aiyuk.

These guys would all save the Bills between $1 million and $2.5 million if traded or cut, depending on the player:

Mike Edwards, S
Taylor Rapp, S
Mack Hollins, receiver
Gregory Rousseau, DE
David Edwards, G
Austin Johnson, DE
Reggie Gilliam, FB
Nicolas Morrow, LB
Cameron Lewis, CB
KJ Hamler, receiver

Now, that doesn’t mean the Bills should to part ways with these players. But most importantly to give fans an idea of ​​how space could be created.

In addition to creating cap space, the Bills would of course have to give up a big contract to land a receiver like Aiyuk, who has over 2,300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons, combined.

Buffalo would likely need, at a minimum, a first-round pick included in the trade. Ironically, a trade for Aiyuk could look like the Stefon Diggs trade from a while back. Multiple picks could be enough, but the Bills would really have to force the Niners’ hand.