2023 NFL trade deadline: Examining potential targets, fits for the Buffalo Bills

Following a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills had their calendars cleared for the weekend to make a plan of attack for Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline. Given some of their weaknesses shown over the last several weeks, there are a few things the Bills could address.

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Last week, we ranked which positions would go furthest for the Bills throughout the rest of this season. With those in mind, what names could be out there and which players fit the Bills in their chase for a championship this year? Here are several options.

Cornerbacks

With Tre’Davious White out for the rest of the season, 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam falling further down the depth chart and uneven play from fill-in starter Dane Jackson, cornerback has emerged as a potential trade deadline target. Only second-year starter Christian Benford has emerged as a key piece moving forward. On top of the roster logic, The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini reported over the weekend that the Bills would be scanning the cornerback market, and these names on selling teams make some sense.

Jaylon Johnson, Bears

The Bears once again face another lost season and may face a similar situation with an excellent young defender as they did last year with linebacker Roquan Smith. Jaylon Johnson fits what the Bills seek in an impact cornerback. He’s an effortless fit into their zone scheme, with the athleticism to get everywhere he needs, the long arms to disrupt passing lanes and has shown to be a good tackler this season. And when the Bills want to put extra heat on the opposition and go into man coverage, Johnson has that ability to go one-on-one and win. The Bills don’t have that flexibility as much with Dane Jackson in the lineup. Johnson’s cap hit is also excellent, adding only $1.59 million to the Bills’ cap. But it would be costly from a compensation perspective. The Bills likely need to provide a Day 2 pick as a starting point, so it really boils down to the long-term plan.

Elam appears to be a sunk cost and likely no longer figures significantly into the situation. It wouldn’t be a surprise for him to get put into a trade to help push the deal, or any deal, across the line. It isn’t a long-term question about Elam but rather about White, who enters his age-29 season in 2024 coming off his second major injury in three years. A torn Achilles, generally speaking, is usually close to a year of rehab, which would put him right at the beginning of next year. And for players relying on speed and explosiveness with that injury as cornerbacks do, there’s always the concern of regaining the same playing level. The Bills also have a potential out, able to save over $6 million on next year’s salary cap — and over $10 million if they designate it as a post-June 1 release. There is an emotional connection from the franchise to White as the first draft pick of the Sean McDermott era, but the cold business and football logic could argue to move on.

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If the Bills traded for the 24-year-old Johnson, they’d need to have one of two strategies in mind. They could sign him to a long-term deal to be their top corner to make it worth the cost of the draft pick, knowing they’re likely to get a third-round pick back in 2024 due to the compensatory formula. Or, they could get him as a rental player in 2023, maintain his rights heading into the offseason of his free agency and potentially recoup a high-level compensatory pick for him in 2025. There’s no denying the fit. It all depends on the Bills’ long-term plan at cornerback.

Kendall Fuller, Washington Commanders

Unlike Johnson, the 28-year-old Fuller would be a one-year rental and likely less costly from a draft compensation standpoint. The Commanders benefit from rostering two promising young cornerbacks, Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes, which could help make Fuller available at the deadline. Fuller adds $4.5 million to Buffalo’s cap, but with a little over $4 million in space to begin the week, including Elam in the deal or finding a separate deal for Elam would yield the cap space they need. With Fuller, it would be a one-year bandage until they figure out what is going to happen with White. Like Johnson, Fuller is an excellent cover corner with long arms and good tackling skills. He would be a plug-and-play starter next to Christian Benford. The Bills likely would be looking at giving up more than a mid-round pick to get Fuller.

Adoree’ Jackson, New York Giants

With the Giants 2-6, it’s only right to try and find a trade between Bills general manager Brandon Beane and one of his best friends in Giants GM Joe Schoen. Adoree’ Jackson could be one to spur on yet another Bills-Giants deal if the Bills are looking to go cornerback. Jackson, 28, hasn’t had his best season in 2023 and has a large base salary, which likely drives down his cost. It adds roughly $5.8 million to the Bills’ salary cap with the base salary as is, and the Bills have only a little over $4 million cap space. They could convert center Mitch Morse’s base salary into a signing bonus and add void years to make the room, but that’s tricky with Morse heading into his age-32 campaign in 2024. Regardless, if the Bills do clear enough room, Jackson could be a fine buy-low option with plenty of starting experience but likely without the impact Johnson or Fuller would have.

Donte Jackson, Carolina Panthers

With a ton of starting experience, a lower price point and only about $1.47 million added to the salary cap if traded for, Donte Jackson makes a ton of sense for the Bills to acquire at the deadline. However, Donte Jackson is a bit smaller, with shorter arms than they generally seek in their cornerbacks. Dane Jackson is already smaller than they usually look for at boundary cornerback at 5 foot 11, 180 pounds with 30.375-inch long arms. Donte Jackson is only 5 foot 10, 180 pounds with 29.5-inch long arms. Regardless, Donte Jackson has years of experience with a low acquisition price point and an option to keep in 2024 ($10.6 million cap hit, no guaranteed money) if they need to move on from White.

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Defensive tackles

Teair Tart, Tennessee Titans

Even with their win, the Titans look to be a sinking ship in 2023, already trading away one of their solid starters and with quarterback Ryan Tannehill unable to play due to injury. They could be one of the real sellers this deadline, and the Bills would be smart to go after starting defensive tackle Teair Tart. The Titans had an outstanding run defense with the 26-year-old Tart before his multiweek injury, but he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If the Bills are looking for a plug-and-play defensive tackle who can fill in at one-technique from a team looking to sell, Tart should be someone to keep an eye on. Tart would be owed about $2.37 million on the cap if the Bills traded for him.

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Harrison Phillips, Minnesota Vikings

The Bills love a good nostalgia play, and this would be the ultimate one. Harrison Phillips loved his time in Buffalo and moved on when he found a more lucrative offer in Minnesota. The Bills pivoted and signed now-injured DaQuan Jones to be the starting one-technique. Now with about 1 1/2 years left on Phillips’ contract, a huge need at the position and with Jones a free agent at the end of the season, there could be motivation here from the Bills. Much of the decision to buy or sell depends on how the 4-4 Vikings view the rest of this year considering Kirk Cousins’ injury. Phillips would carry only a $2.36 million cap hit the rest of 2023 and no guaranteed money owed for the 2024 season. A mid- to late-round pick would probably get it done.

John Jenkins, Las Vegas Raiders

We’ll need to see how the Raiders do on “Monday Night Football” against the Lions because with a win they’d be 4-4. However, should they lose, they could talk themselves into selling some bit pieces on their roster, and the 34-year-old Jenkins would fit into that distinction. At 334 pounds, Jenkins would be a massive gap filler for a potentially leaky run defense, and even though he’s up in age, he plays a ton of snaps (averaging 36 per game). He’s also signed to the veteran minimum, adding only a little over $600K to the Bills’ salary cap this season. Jenkins would be an excellent way to get a big-bodied, stop-gap one-technique solution for their run defense who likely costs them only a late-round pick.

Linebackers

Unlike at defensive tackle and cornerback, the Bills have a pair of in-house options they really like at linebacker in rookie Dorian Williams and Tyrel Dodson. Although each player has a specific liability to their game at this point, there is a high-ceiling outcome for Williams. And with Dodson, they know they have a solid run defender on early downs and a passing down plan by subbing Dodson out for safety Taylor Rapp. It’s not perfect, but it’s gotten them by. But if they do want to make a big strike at linebacker, Tampa Bay’s Devin White could make some sense. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, but his remaining salary cap owed (over $6 million) would force the Bills to pull the Morse base salary to signing bonus tab. A more cost-effective move would be to trade for Seattle backup linebacker Devin Bush ($1.2 million cap hit), who would also cost less to acquire. Denver’s Josey Jewell could also be an option, though Sean Payton’s recent declaration that they aren’t shopping anyone makes Jewell seem less viable.

Wide receivers

The Bills love Gabe Davis, and the emergence of rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid and slot receiver Khalil Shakir make wide receiver less of a need now that they see production at the pass-catching positions. Plus, the Bills still have Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield on the roster, along with tight end Dawson Knox likely returning from wrist surgery later in the year. If I had to guess, I’d think they’re happy with how their pass-catching group is trending. If they did go for a receiver, I wouldn’t expect a big swing in the form of the Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins or Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy. Perhaps a smaller, more cost-effective target like Chicago’s Darnell Mooney, the Giants’ Parris Campbell or Raiders slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. Mooney would be intriguing for his ability to play on the boundary as well as in the slot.

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(Top photo of Jaylon Johnson: Todd Rosenberg / Getty Images)