The Buffalo Bills have already made one major deal this season, bringing in Amari Cooper to help the erratic offense, and a new report implies they decide for another huge move to improve the defense.
SI.com’s Matt Verderame speculated that the underperforming Carolina Panthers would try to sell off assets at the next NFL trade deadline, and that the Bills would be a familiar partner. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan previously worked with Bills general manager Brandon Beane, therefore the two teams share a good relationship.
Verderame speculated that the Bills would be interested in pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is a possible trade candidate.
“While Buffalo already added a receiver in Amari Cooper, getting another pass rusher could make sense,” Verderame stated in an email. “Carolina has a good one in Clowney, who at 31 years old is set to be a free agent after this season.”
Jadeveon Clowney ‘Could Be Moved’ Before Trade Deadline
Albert Breer of SI.com stated that the Panthers will “get calls on everyone” as the trade deadline approaches and competitive teams attempt to fill roster shortages. He identified wide receiver Adam Thielen as a potential trade candidate and confirmed Verderame’s speculation that Clowney may be dealt as well.
“And with a lot of teams needing pass-rush help, and assuming his health improves over the next week, I’d throw Jadeveon Clowney in there with guys such as the Cleveland Browns’ Za’Darius Smith and the Green Bay Packers’ Preston Smith who could be moved,” Breer stated in an email.
Clowney’s performance has dipped this season, with just one sack and six total tackles in five games. In 2023, the former No. 1 overall pick had a solid season with the Baltimore Ravens, recording 9.5 sacks and 43 tackles while also hitting the quarterback 19 times.
Bills Could Turn to Other Targets
The Bills may also shift their focus to other needs at the trade deadline. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus suggested they could target Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to compensate for Matt Milano’s departure.
“Buffalo added Cooper to its previously unimpressive receiving room, but holes still exist at positions like linebacker,” Locker stated in an email. “Without standout Matt Milano, Buffalo’s linebackers have an overall grade of 53.4, ranking 28th. Dorian Williams is the team’s highest-graded linebacker, with a relatively pedestrian 65.0 overall rating.
Beane has already indicated that the Bills are not done following the Cooper deal, stating that the organization is still in talks with other players as the deadline approaches.
“We’re still all-in,” Beane told Pro Football Talk. “If this did not happen, and Cleveland was not prepared to do it, we would continue to monitor. And remember: the trade deadline is still a few weeks away. If we believe there is something further we require or that will propel us forward, we have been all in from the start. I know we lost some names this summer, including several captains, and it was a transitional offseason, but the philosophy here as long as Josh Allen is our quarterback is that we’re going to attempt to win this thing and do our best every year.”
