The Buffalo Bills know they need to make a few moves on defense as the NFL trade deadline approaches on Tuesday, and ESPN’s Seth Walder has a player in mind.
Walder thinks Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rusher YaYa Diaby would be a good target for the Bills at the trade deadline.
“Buccaneers edge YaYa Diaby,” Walder wrote on Wednesday. “He would provide a jolt of pass rush to a defense that badly needs it. Buffalo ranks 26th in pass rush win rate, but Diaby’s win rate at edge is in the 97th percentile this season, and he has 3.0 sacks. The Bills are in a tight cap situation, but Diaby is a pending free agent.”
The Bills Should Make a Move For Diaby
Diaby has been with Tampa Bay for four seasons, recording 22 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in 59 games, and would be a nice addition for the Bills.
The Bills would likely have to give up a third-round pick for Diaby, as he’d be a rental player and would hit the free-agent market at the end of the season. Spotrac listed Diaby’s market value at three years and $54 million, averaging $18 million per year.
Buffalo has to go all in at the trade deadline, and adding a player like Diaby could be the boost the Bills have been looking for on their defense.
The Chicago Bears just made a significant trade with the Tennessee Titans, acquiring defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in exchange for two first-round picks. There may not be another trade candidate on the market that can bring in as much draft capital. However, the Bills should also consider other defensive players who might be available, likely for second- and third-round picks.
The Bills Should Be Looking For Secondary Help
Although the Bills should prioritize adding a pass rusher by the trade deadline, they should also consider bolstering their secondary. ESPN’s Nick Suss believes Buffalo’s main objective at the trade deadline should be to improve the back end of its defense.
“Be aggressive with secondary options,” Suss wrote on Wednesday. “With the way the Bills’ offense is playing, a league-average defense should be enough to make them serious contenders. Now, the salary cap situation complicates things. With the roster as is, the Bills have a little less than $4 million to spend. But they should be in the market for an extra safety or nickel corner to fortify a weakness and alleviate some of the concerns caused by injuries and early-season mistakes.”
The Bills needed secondary help even with C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the roster. Still, Buffalo released him on Tuesday after he returned from a one-game suspension for spitting at Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers during a Week 6 win.
Buffalo will take on the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night and then, hopefully, wake up Tuesday morning to make moves before the trade deadline expires at 4 p.m. ET.
Bills Identified as Trade Fit for Projected $18M/Year Defender to Elevate Defense