The Buffalo Bills stumbled into their bye week on a two-game losing streak, with signs of trouble mounting for a defense that had already stuggled during the team’s 4-0 start to the season.
Though the Bills have made some big investments in their defensive line in recent years, they have encountered difficulty putting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and been gashed by running backs. One insider believes the Bills can find expert help in the coming weeks, making an “all-in” trade for one of the best defensive linemen on the trade block.
Bills Could Swing Big at Trade Deadline
Reporter Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com broke down 10 potential trade targets for the Bills ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, putting Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons as a reach target.
“Is it realistic? No, but if you are going to go all-in, Simmons is the type of player you try to acquire at the NFL trade deadline,” Talbot wrote.
The Bills reporter wrote that Simmons would immediately improve the heart of Buffalo’s defense, especially after an injury to veteran DaQuan Jones and underwhelming performances from others in the defensive line rotation.
“The spine of Buffaloâs defense has been flawed all season long and Simmons would immediately fix the defensive front,” Talbot wrote. “Injuries have plagued the defensive tackle position early in the season. The team was able to get Ed Oliver back before the bye after he missed several weeks with an ankle injury, but rookie T.J. Sanders is currently on the injured reserve and DaQuan Jones is likely out for a few weeks after popping his calf pre-game against the Atlanta Falcons.”
The Bills have struggled at other levels defensively, especially in their injury-struck secondary where they are already down two promising rookies at cornerback after injuries to Maxwell Hairston and Dorian Strong. But adding Simmons could help the Bills improve across their defense, Talbot wrote.
“A Simmons-Oliver combination with Deone Walker getting mixed in would significantly improve the defensive tackle room and make life easier for Buffaloâs edge rushers and linebackers,” he wrote.
Bills Get Good News on Another Key Player
Whether the Bills aim to improve their defense on the trade market or not, the team is already on track to make one big addition to the roster. The team activated the 21-day practice window for their first-round pick, the cornerback Hairston. While that does not necessarily mean an immediate return from injured reserve, it is a major step forward toward his return to the field for the first time since training camp.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott tempered enthusiasm on Hairston’s return, telling reporters over the bye week that he will need time to ramp up and get acclimated with the defense after missing several key months.
“When you miss all that time in training camp, mentally, physically, the playbook and the physical part and the ramp up of training camp and pre-season games and then the start of the season,” McDermott said, via the Buffalo News. “So, just trying to be realistic with it, manage expectations on, let’s just go out there and take it one day at a time when we do open up the window.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bills Urged to Make ‘All-In’ Trade for Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle appeared first on Heavy Sports.