The Buffalo Bills made a big move ahead of the trade deadline when they acquired Amani Hooker in a trade with the Tennessee Titans to shore up their secondary on defense. According to rumors that have emerged in the wake of the deadline passing, though, it sounds like the Bills had bigger plans for the trade market that they were not able to fulfill.
It is common knowledge that Buffalo wanted to add a safety before the deadline struck, and it eventually filled that need by acquiring Hooker. However, according to a new report, the Bills actually had two of their top trade targets, defensive tackle Jordan Davis and safety Jessie Bates, stolen from them by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bills Lost Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates Sweepstakes to the Jaguars
Hooker is a skilled safety who has developed a reputation for being a ball hawk on defense, as he is currently leading the NFL with five interceptions this season. However, he wasn’t the only safety the Bills showed interest in ahead of the deadline, as reports have indicated the team made a big push for Arizona Cardinals All-Pro Budda Baker before pivoting to Hooker.
It turns out there was another name in the mix in Bates, the former Atlanta Falcons veteran who has turned himself into one of the most well-rounded players at his position in the league. Buffalo also was interested in upgrading its interior defensive line (which it did not end up managing to do), leading to interest in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Davis.
The Jaguars acquired both Bates and Davis with trade packages that were surprisingly big, and it turns out we may know why they gave up so much to land these players. A new report has indicated that the Bills were also making aggressive offers for Bates and Davis, which may have prompted the Jags to go above and beyond to not just land these talented players, but prevent perhaps their top competitor in the AFC from upgrading its roster.
“The two teams that were most aggressive in trading for Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis were the Bills and Jaguars, who wound up trading a first-and second-round pick to the Eagles,” Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport of ESPN reported. “The two teams that were most aggressive in trading for former Falcons safety Jessie Bates also were the Bills and Jaguars, who wound up trading second- and fifth-round picks to Atlanta.”
Did the Bills Do Enough at the Trade Deadline?
The acquisition of Hooker is certainly nothing to scoff at, but it seems like the Bills didn’t get the sort of work done that they were hoping to achieve ahead of the deadline. At best, Hooker was Buffalo’s third-best trade target at the safety position, and it didn’t manage to reinforce its defensive line, which was clearly a goal based on its pursuit of Davis.
With Josh Allen under center on offense, the Bills have the larger margin for error than most other teams in the league. And yet, we have seen that doesn’t get this team much one the postseason rolls around. Buffalo made a solid move for Hooker, but if the team comes up short in its quest to win a Super Bowl, it may come to regret how things unfolded at the trade deadline.
Bills Reportedly Had Top 2 Trade Targets Stolen From Them by Jaguars