The Bills have made no secret of their need to upgrade their secondary, which despite Buffalo’s 6-1 start to the season, stands out as a point of weakness that could stall their latest quest for the franchise’s first Super Bowl trophy.
A new trade pitch aimed at the Bills and published Monday proposes a last-minute deal that would buy the Bills an upgrade to their pass defense just before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
The proposed swap published by ClutchPoints sends a 2027 sixth-round draft pick to the New Orleans Saints for ex-Chiefs two-time Super Bowl champion Justin Reid, according to ClutchPoints writer Yago Antunes. The modest price invites the obvious question of who comes out ahead.
Reid, 29, was born Feb. 15, 1997, in Prairieville, Louisiana, the brother of former NFL safety Eric Reid. He starred at Dutchtown High School in Geismar, then at Stanford, where he led the Pac-12 with five interceptions in 2017 and earned consensus second-team All-American honors. He declared early for the NFL draft, and the Houston Texans took him in the third round, 68th overall, in 2018.
Four seasons with the Texans and three with the Kansas City Chiefs produced two Super Bowl titles — both with the Chiefs, of course, in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Saints signed him in March 2025 to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, and he started all 15 games he played last season as a first-time captain, finishing with 72 tackles and six pass deflections plus a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown. His career totals now stand at 637 tackles and 11 interceptions.
Justin Reid Trade Addresses Bills Safety Need
The Bills beat Baltimore 36-10 on Nov. 1 to improve to 6-1, with Josh Allen setting the franchise career touchdown-pass mark along the way. No Bills coach before Joe Brady has opened a career winning six of his first seven games. Buffalo faces the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
The trouble sits in the secondary. Buffalo released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Nov. 3, one day after his reinstatement from a one-game suspension for spitting at an opponent, and Damar Hamlin stepped into the lineup beside Cole Bishop. Behind that pair waits rookie fifth-round pick Jalon Kilgore, and the Bills have cap room just under $4 million, according to ESPN’s Nick Suss.
Reid wouldn’t have to start. He could rotate, relay assignments and give defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard another option if injuries hit, according to ClutchPoints. Leonhard has said the defense looks “confused” too often.
Reid also knows Buffalo from the other sideline. He faced Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 26, 2025, and has started all 13 playoff games he has played.
New Orleans Saints Trade Value for Justin Reid
The Saints are 3-5 after a 23-22 overtime win over Cleveland, and ClutchPoints argues they should keep selling anyway. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux already went to Jacksonville on Monday.
Reid has 44 tackles through eight games, with no interceptions and no pass breakups, and Pro Football Focus gave him a 44.4 overall grade, 93rd among 98 qualified safeties. He has one turnover in 22 games with New Orleans.
The Saints restructured Reid’s contract in March, turning $7.95 million of 2026 pay into a bonus and cutting his base to $1.3 million. His $9.25 million base for 2027 is not guaranteed, and a deal would trim the Saints’ 2026 cap bill by roughly $722,000. A buyer gets “a low salary this year and no guaranteed money in 2027,” The Athletic‘s Jonathan Jones wrote.
Would the Saints want more? Yahoo Sports floated a fifth-rounder, perhaps a fourth if New Orleans negotiates well. A sixth-rounder “may seem disappointing” given the deal Reid signed, ClutchPoints concedes.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler listed Reid as a trade candidate and noted that teams from Buffalo to Jacksonville need safety help. The Jaguars addressed their safety need by dealing for the Atlanta Falcons Jessie Bates on Monday. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reported that New Orleans wants to get what it can for veterans. The deadline arrives Tuesday. Whether Buffalo calls, and whether the Saints hold out for more than a sixth, will become clear before 4 p.m. EST on that day.
Proposed NFL Trade Has Bills Land $31.5 Million Ex-Chiefs Safety at Deadline