The Buffalo Bills might be one player away from becoming legitimate Super Bowl contenders — and that player would likely be in the secondary. With the NFL trade deadline looming on November 10, the Bills still have a chance to make a trade that could drastically improve their fortunes.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper thinks if they’re determined to do so, they would be the “Best Trade Fit” to obtain NFL All-Pro safety Derwin James off the winless Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Chargers signed James to a three-year, $75.6 million extension in May,” Popper wrote on November 3. “He has played his entire career for the Chargers, but the organization needs to consider all options at this stage. Even with the extension, the Chargers would take on only $9 million in dead money in 2027. The bigger question is whether an acquiring team would be comfortable with James’ $17.5 million fully guaranteed base salary in 2027. James is best playing closer to the line of scrimmage as a nickel defender. James, who turns 31 in August, was placed on injured reserve Oct. 31 because of a lingering hamstring injury.”
Derwin James Dominant Throughout Career
James, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has spent his career toiling away as one of the NFL’s best defensive players without ever really playing on a legitimate contender.
In his 9th season, James is a 6-time NFL All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler who will have approximately $172.8 million in career earnings when his current contract runs out.
To that extent, James and the Cowboys have something in common — high value but low results in terms of team success.
Bills Missing Mature, Reliable Players in Secondary
It’s kind of a miracle the Bills are 6-1 right now because their secondary is such a mess — a group filled with mental midgets like cornerback and 2025 1st-round pick Maxwell Hairston and locker-room cancer C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Hairston is headed toward the scrap heap of the worst 1st-round picks in franchise history, where he’ll join such venerated names as Walt Patulski, J.P. Loman, E.J. Manuel and Aaron Maybin.
Gardner-Johnson, who is playing on a 1-year, $3 million contract, was just reinstated this week after serving a 1-game suspension for spitting on Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in Week 6.
If the Bills can fix the secondary, they might have a shot at winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history — if not, it could be another playoff disappointment for Buffalo and its fans.
Bills Called ‘Best Trade Fit’ for $75 Million All-Pro Safety