Getty Sidney Jones IV warms up before a Seattle Seahawks game.
The Buffalo Bills still need help in the secondary, and could look to a former second-round pick and Super Bowl champion to provide it.
While the Bills are still awaiting the return of All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White from an ACL tear suffered last season, they have seen their remaining depth depleted by injuries. Rookie Christian Benford, a sixth-round surprise who has worked his way into the starting lineup, will be out for several weeks after suffering a hand injury and undergoing surgery. Dane Jackson has been questionable after suffering a head injury in the team’s Week 2 win.
Needing some depth and more veteran leadership, the Bills could look to the Seattle Seahawks for a veteran fill-in.
Bills Dealing With Injuries to Secondary
The Bills have pulled from inside the organization for some help at cornerback amid the recent spate of injuries, promoting Ja’Marcus Ingram from the practice squad for Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team prefers to look from within when filling holes caused by injuries.
“We always like to start inside of the building,” McDermott said, via ESPN. “In terms of the guys that are here working and working hard and developing. If we need to, though, we will go outside of the building.”
But the Bills have already been forced to look outside the organization for help. The team this week signed veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes to the practice squad, though the former All-Pro will likely not be ready for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.
Depending on the timeline for White’s return, the Bills could need to find more help and may be able to swing a trade to do it.
Seahawks Cornerback a Trade Target?
If the Bills should decide to add more depth to the secondary, Seahawks cornerback Sidney Jones IV could be a potential trade target. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified Jones as one of the most likely trade candidates as the deadline approaches, noting that he has fallen down Pete Carroll’s depth chart and played just 12 snaps in Week 1 this season despite starting 11 games for Seattle last year.
As Knox noted, Jones could wind up as trade bait if the Seahawks don’t have an immediate plan for him this season.
“If Seattle isn’t going to use Jones, it should view him as a valuable trade chip,” Knox wrote. “He’s playing on a one-year, $3.6 million deal and was a valuable contributor a year ago. In 2021, Jones allowed an opposing passer rating of only 84.3 in coverage.”
Jones was a former second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, joining in the team’s 2017 Super Bowl season.
At 1-2, the Seahawks could be in danger of falling out of playoff contention early, which could lead them to become sellers at the trade deadline. The Bills have also shown a willingness under general manager Brandon Beane to make strategic trade-deadline deals to improve the team.
While Knox pegged the Ravens and Cleveland Browns as the top potential trade partners for the Seahawks, he noted that “virtually any cornerback-needy team could use Jones in the secondary.” Aside from the depth that Jones could provide to Buffalo’s secondary, he could also fill a void in on-field leadership created by a season-ending injury to safety Micah Hyde.