The Buffalo Bills dream scenario is to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the NFL season sometime during the Josh Allen era.
One way to make this dream become a reality is to continue to surround their MVP quarterback with talented playmakers. Well, one dream trade scenario has the Bills acquiring a veteran wideout to help replace the lost Stefon Diggs production at the receiver position.
Christian Kirk and Tyler Lockett Named as Potential Trade Targets for Bills
The Bills’ move to acquire veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper near the NFL trade deadline last season didn’t have the impact they were hoping for to elevate the Buffalo passing attack and get them to the Super Bowl. Yet, this didn’t stop Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport from doubling down on this exact same approach in his ‘Dream Offseason Trade Scenario’ article when proposing one for the Bills.
Davenport wrote, “The Bills do have three picks in the first two rounds of April’s draft, but they dealt their third-rounder away for wide receiver Amari Cooper.” The Bills do possess the 30th, 56th, and 62nd pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, but did jettison a late day two pick to bring in Cooper.
Davenport added, “Cooper is now set to become a free agent, so the Bills could be right back where they started. The New York Jets (Davante Adams) and Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill) aren’t likely to make a trade inside the division, but there are some veteran wideouts who could be available for a Day 3 pick.”
“None of Christian Kirk’s $15.5 million base salary in the final year of his contract is guaranteed, so getting the 28-year-old to redo his deal shouldn’t be a problem,” Davenport proposed. “The same goes for Tyler Lockett in Seattle.”
The logic behind going after Christian Kirk or Tyler Lockett because of their price makes sense, but their production from the last two seasons doesn’t exactly scream impact playmakers at this point in their respective careers.
Kirk is coming off career lows in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2024 and has topped 1,000 yards receiving just once in his career.
Lockett’s 2024 campaign wasn’t much better. Despite playing a full 17-game season, he posted his lowest receptions, yards, and touchdowns since 2017 and is set to turn 33 years old later this year.
Davenport went on to add suggest these playmakers are quality options considering the team’s salary cap situation by saying, “The Bills aren’t in position to be buyers in terms of free agency or a trade. They’re already $17 million over the salary cap, so there will be restructures and a veteran cut or two.”
Yet, I don’t see how either of these options feel superior to Cooper or some of the other pass-catching options already on the roster.
A Closer Look at the Bills Current Wide Receiver Room
Reports suggest that Cooper returning to the Bills isn’t out of the question, but his impact on this offense certainly didn’t reflect the type of production we’ve seen from him over his previous nine years in the league — where topped 70 receptions and 1,000 yards on seven occasions.
Khalil Shakir had a breakout season with 76 receptions for 821 yards and four scores, but still projects as a dynamic RAC threat then a surefire WR1 in an NFL offense.
Keon Coleman flashed on a couple of occasions during his rookie year, but ultimately finished with a subpar final stat line of just 29 receptions for 556 yards and four scores while missing four games due to injury.
Ultimately, the Bills’ offense proved it was capable of being productive without the services of Stefon Diggs. Yet, adding a dynamic wide receiver in some form feels like an appropriate way to attempt to elevate this roster into Super Bowl contention this offseason.
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