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The Buffalo Bills have found a winning combination in their backfield, with second-year back James Cook earning the role as primary ballcarrier while veterans Damien Harris and Latavius Murray add a power punch in short-yardage situations.
But the strong start for the rushing game isn’t keeping the Bills from looking elsewhere for more help. Destin Adams of AtoZ Sports reported that the Bills are among a handful of teams to inquire on the status of Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who requested a trade before being placed on the PUP list to start the season.
It’s not clear how interested the Bills might be or whether they are simply gauging the Colts’ asking price, but the report raised some eyebrows among Bills fans.
Colts Actively Listening to Offers
As Adams reported, the Colts are fielding calls from interested teams and could be willing to make a trade if a team can match their asking price — a price that remains unknown.
“As his trade request stands, I’ve been told the Colts will continue to listen to calls as they come in,” Adams reported. “If a team is willing to come up to their asking price, they will play ball with Taylor’s request. If a team doesn’t meet that price, they still prefer to see Taylor in head coach Shane Steichen’s offense, and if things go well, keep him long-term with the team beyond this season.”
Some insiders have advised the Bills to make a run at Taylor. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said in an appearance on “Get Up” on August 22 that the Bills would have a ticket to the Super Bowl with Taylor on the roster.
“If the Buffalo Bills get Jonathan Taylor, they go to the Super Bowl,” Paolantonio said.
A number of teams have already checked in on Taylor, Adams reported. Aside from the Bills, the Colts have heard from the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Commanders.
Adams reported that the Colts are expected to activate Taylor this coming Monday, when he is first eligible to come off the PUP list and go back into the lineup if he’s healthy.
Bills Strong on the Ground
The Bills have a strong ground attack through three weeks, with Cook standing at No. 3 in the NFL with 267 rushing yards. Murray and Harris have combined for 96 total yards with three rushing touchdowns through the first three games, while quarterback Josh Allen has added another 89 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Before the start of the season, Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said he was encouraged by the growth he saw in Cook and expected him to play an even bigger role this year.
“Just the ability to finish runs, I think, is really encouraging to see, those hidden yards of getting an extra, you know, 1 or 2 yards to keep us out of maybe second-and-1 or third-and-1,” Dorsey said, via SI.com. “Those [are] things that he’s really grown and improved on — just the physicality aspect of it, you know, and not always necessarily, `hey, I don’t need to hit a home run, there’s times where I just need to get an extra 2 or 3 yards to help us. So those things have been been big for us
“And then I’m just excited to see him go out there and cut it loose and just play free, play fast, play confident.”
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