3 realistic trade targets for Bills following 2024 NFL Draft

To liken the 2024 NFL offseason to a grand Independence Day celebration, the grand finale just concluded. 

The NFL Draft is typically the last magnificent display of transactional fireworks before the commencement of a new season, a final opportunity for clubs to strengthen their roster through both trades and the formal draft process. Moves between now and the start of the 2024 NFL season in September will likely be of lesser consequence; ticker fodder, if you will, or, to return to the Fourth of July analogy, whimpering fireworks you see in the far distance as you walk back to your car.

This isn’t to say that additional trades and signings won’t occur between now and the start of the 2024 NFL campaign—just don’t expect anything too significant, at least with regard to the Buffalo Bills. Though fans have linked the team to trade targets like Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Tee Higgins, these aren’t necessarily realistic names for Buffalo; general manager Brandon Beane said as much after the 2024 NFL Draft, stating “If you’re expecting something big or anything like that, there’s no trade coming.”

This could be an instance of the executive holding his cards close to his chest, but this likely isn’t the case, as the Bills hold very little financial wiggle room. The team currently has just shy of $3 million in available salary cap space, per OverTheCap, this before signing any of their 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to their rookie deals.

A significant move that makes you hop in your car and drive to One Bills Drive to purchase a new jersey likely isn’t in the works; that said, Buffalo does still have a few holes on its roster, and with some minor maneuvering, could free up some additional cap space. With the team’s needs and financial limitations in mind, we’ve compiled a list of three realistic trade targets Buffalo should inquire about as a new season nears.

Previously a significant contributor to one of the most potent offenses in college football history, Terrace Marshall Jr. has underwhelmed at the professional level.

He caught 46 passes for 671 yards and 13 touchdowns for the LSU Tigers in 2019, an offensive unit that, led by the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase, averaged nearly 570 yards per game en route to a perfect 15-0 record and a National Championship win. He caught another 48 passes for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2020 before declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft, where he was selected in the second round by the Carolina Panthers.

He—like several other Panthers over that stretch—has struggled to produce, catching 64 passes for 767 yards and a single touchdown in 36 games throughout his three years in the NFL. He’s not above reproach in his lack of success—his 0.94 yards per route run as a professional (per PFF) is, to be kind, not good—but it’s difficult to definitively pin any Carolina receiver’s lack of recent success solely on them. The Panthers’ coaching staff has been a revolving door over the past handful of years, churning through two head coaches and five offensive play-callers over the past three seasons.

It’s possible that Marshall is simply not an NFL-caliber wide receiver, but it’s difficult to gauge his ability given his surroundings. A change of scenery makes sense for the 23-year-old, and given Carolina’s recent additions of Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette, it may be willing to move on from Marshall at a relatively cheap price tag. 

Buffalo makes sense as a potential landing spot given general manager Brandon Beane’s rapport with Panthers’ executive Dan Morgan (Morgan was on Beane’s staff at One Bills Drive from 2018–2020) and the team’s need for bodies at wide receiver. Though the Bills did select Florida State wideout Keon Coleman with the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Buffalo could still use receivers who have the ability to play on the boundary given the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. With just one year remaining on his contract, Marshall could be a low-risk, high-reward swing for a Buffalo team that could use additional talent in its receiving corps.

Making matters a bit more interesting is Marshall’s connection to Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was the architect of the 2019 LSU offense in which the wideout initially made a name for himself. Brady, who served as the Panthers' offensive coordinator in 2020 and (parts of) 2021, likely had a hand in initially getting Marshall to Charlotte; maybe he'll vouch for the receiver to make his way to Orchard Park, as well.

Leaning on Beane’s connection with Morgan again, offensive lineman Brady Christensen is a potential target that makes some semblance of sense for Buffalo. With one year remaining on the former third-round draft pick’s rookie contract, Christensen would likely be a rental for the Bills, a low-cost depth piece who, in a perfect world, likely wouldn’t even see the field.

The Christensen suggestion stems not from his talent or starting ability, but positional versatility. Selected as a left tackle out of BYU, the former Cougar has seen time at both tackle and guard in Carolina, starting games and playing significant snaps at both left tackle and left guard. The Panthers are in the midst of transitioning him to center, as he currently projects as the team’s backup anchor behind Austin Corbett.

Buffalo, in the past, has placed great value in the idea of a depth offensive lineman with the ability to play several positions, often rostering players with this versatility. That player, for several years, was Ryan Bates, whom the team traded to the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason; the Bills rostered the previously undrafted Alec Anderson throughout the 2023 season due to his versatility, but the former UCLA Bruin did not register a single snap in the campaign.

The Bills’ depth across the offensive line—headlined by the likes of Anderson, Ryan Van Demark, and the recently signed La’el Collins—isn’t necessarily weak, and the team did invest three selections into the unit throughout the 2024 NFL Draft. That said, experienced depth across the line is invaluable, and the team currently lacks the surefire 'swing' lineman that it demonstrably values; should Buffalo not like how the bottom of its depth chart across the unit is shaking out in training camp, swapping a day three pick for Christensen wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

Nick McCloud is no stranger to One Bills Drive; the former Notre Dame defensive back initially signed with the Bills after going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, constructing a surprisingly productive training camp and preseason in which he built a legitimate argument for making Buffalo’s 53-man roster. He was ultimately among its final cuts, but he made a strong impression across the league; the Cincinnati Bengals claimed him off waivers, keeping him on their active roster until November.

He returned to Orchard Park after being waived by the Bengals, signing with the Bills’ practice squad. He constructed another solid offseason the following year but was, again, among Buffalo’s final cuts, this time claimed by a New York Giants team now run by former Bills’ assistant general manager Joe Schoen. McCloud has found a home in the Big Apple since, appearing in 31 games for the Giants over the past two seasons.

He’s come up just short of making Buffalo’s roster in the past, but circumstances may change should Beane be able to re-acquire the defensive back who has demonstrably made an impression on the team’s front office. The Bills did not address boundary cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft, and behind Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford, the team’s depth chart is quite thin at the position. Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam is their primary depth corner, and though it may be too early to write him off entirely, he’s not yet earned the full trust of the Buffalo coaching staff. Behind Elam on the depth chart is Ja’Marus Ingram, a former University at Buffalo defensive back who has not fared too well in live game action.

McCloud, if reacquired, has a legitimate path to the roster; one could even envision him supplanting Elam on the depth chart. Making the possibility a bit more intriguing is McCloud’s versatility; he recorded 41 snaps in the box and 25 in the slot last year, and he also has special teams ability. His acquisition wouldn’t steal any headlines in Buffalo, but he would round out a secondary in desperate need of trusted and capable depth.