The Buffalo Bills excelled last season with an “everybody eats” approach on offense, but this year’s crop of wide receivers haven’t exactly been feasting.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is still spreading the ball around to a wide group of pass-catchers, but their wide receivers have not taken as big a share of the workload. The Bills have only three receivers who have topped 100 total yards through five games, with Khalil Shakir leading the way with 235 yards. None of the team’s wide receivers are on pace to reach 800 yards.
One analyst suggests the team could find some help at the trade deadline, taking aim at a talented receiver who is expected to hit the trade block.
Bills Could Find Help in the NFC South
SI.com analyst Alex Brasky suggested the Bills could make a run at New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave, who has been floated as a trade target as the deadline approaches. Brasky noted that the Saints are slipping out of playoff contention and could look to sell off pieces to build draft assets for a rebuild.
“The New Orleans Saints have been rumored to be shopping their veteran players as they are 1-4 on the season while sitting in salary cap hell,” Brasky wrote. “Two Saints players that could potentially provide an instant boost to the Billsâ pass-catching corps, if available, are wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, both of whom have been the subject of much discussion among Bills fans throughout the past several days.”
Olave had a strong start to his career, topping the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first two seasons while catching nine total touchdowns in that span. But he has been limited to eight games last season, making 32 receptions for 400 yards with one touchdown. He has 2,800 yards for his career.
The 25-year-old receiver is off to a promising start this year, making 33 receptions for 244 yards with one touchdown.
Brasky added that Shaheed could be a logical target, as he could give a boost to the wide receiving corps while also serving as a return specialist — a position that has been a question mark through the first five weeks of the season.
Bills Could Consider Another Target
If the Bills do choose to bolster their wide receiving corps at the NFL trade deadline, they could have other targets beyond Olave. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggested the Bills could take a big swing, offering a pair of Day 2 draft picks to land A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kay noted that Brown is off to a slow start, on pace for just 660 yards this season, and could give the Bills the “true No. 1” receiver they have been missing since Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans last year.
“While slot wideout Khalil Shakir (22/235/2) and X receiver Keon Coleman (21/226/2) have played their roles adequately, tight end Dalton Kincaid leads Buffalo in receiving yardage (287) and receiving touchdowns (three),” Kay wrote. “There’s clearly room for a star like Brown to come in and take over as Allen’s top target down the stretch.”
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