Bills Linked to Former No. 1 Overall Pick in NFL Trade Rumor

The Buffalo Bills have already made one blockbuster trade this season, bringing in Amari Cooper to boost the inconsistent offense, and a new report suggests they could make another big move to boost the defense.

SI.com’s Matt Verderame suggested that the struggling Carolina Panthers may look to sell off assets at the upcoming NFL trade deadline and said the Bills would be a familiar partner. The two teams have close ties as Panthers general manager Dan Morgan worked under Bills GM Brandon Beane.

Verderame wrote that the Bills could be interested in pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is a likely candidate for the trade block.

“While Buffalo already added a receiver in Amari Cooper, getting another pass rusher could make sense,” Verderame wrote. “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

SI.com’s Albert Breer added that the Panthers will “get calls on everyone” as the trade deadline approaches and contending teams look to fill gaps in their roster. He pegged wide receiver Adam Thielen as a likely trade candidate and reinforced Verderame’s speculation that Clowney could be moved 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 wrote.

Clowney has seen a dip in production this season, making just one sack and six total tackles in five games. The former No. 1 overall pick had a strong season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, making 9.5 sacks and 43 tackles, with 19 quarterback hits.

Bills Could Turn to Other Targets

The Bills could also turn their attention to other needs at the trade deadline. Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker suggested they could make a run at Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to help make up for the loss of Matt Milano.

“Buffalo added Cooper to its previously unimpressive receiving room, but holes still exist at positions like linebacker,” Locker wrote. “Without star Matt Milano, Buffalo’s linebackers have posted a 53.4 overall grade, which ranks 28th. The team’s highest-graded linebacker is Dorian Williams at a very pedestrian 65.0 overall mark.”

Beane has already given a strong indication that the Bills are not done after the trade that landed Cooper, saying the team is still planning discussions on other players as the deadline approaches.

“We’re still all-in,” Beane said, via Pro Football Talk. “If this didn’t happen, if Cleveland was not ready to do it, we were going to continue to monitor. And listen: We’ve still got a few weeks until the trade deadline. If we feel there’s something else that we need or can get us over the top, we have been all-in all along. I know we lost some names this offseason, some guys who have been captains, it was an offseason of transition, but the mindset here as long as Josh Allen is our quarterback is we’re gonna try and win this thing, and we’re going to do what we can every single year.”