The Buffalo Bills should absolutely trade for Jonathan Taylor

Everybody stay calm, Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade. The Buffalo Bills' general manager, Brandon Beane, should be making a call. It's been reported that All-Pro RB Jonathan Taylor is requesting a trade. A move that would shake up the very fabric of the NFL, and Buffalo should at least be kicking the tires. For […]

Adam Zientek — NFL News Writer
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Everybody stay calm, Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade. The Buffalo Bills' general manager, Brandon Beane, should be making a call.

It's been reported that All-Pro RB Jonathan Taylor is requesting a trade. A move that would shake up the very fabric of the NFL, and Buffalo should at least be kicking the tires.

For what it's worth, getting Taylor wouldn't require too much finagling from a cap space perspective, the team that would be acquiring Taylor would only be on the hook for the remaining $4.3M that's left on his rookie deal. The issue, as salary cap wizard Greg Tompsett from Cover One pointed out, is that his new team would be on the hook for what would be a groundbreaking extension.

While running backs aren't getting paid in today's market, Taylor undoubtedly will.

So why would Beane want to take on a player who is going to account for a massive portion of the cap space, on a team that's limited with cap space? Isn't Beane afraid of a splash signing?

Now, I am aware that the fanbase is going to be mostly divided. Every time a big player becomes available or says they are open to a trade, Buffalo is involved and the fanbase shouts at one another about why they should or shouldn't acquire "x" player. DeAndre Hopkins, J.J. Watt, Zach Ertz, Antonio Brown (ducks), and so many others over the past few seasons.

Well, while it's not apples to apples, look at what the team did by bringing in Von Miller. That one move alone let the league know that the Bills are in a win-now mode and that Beane isn't afraid to make a splash. A splash that came out of nowhere and a very, very expensive splash. 

Beane, opening up to the media, let the world know that the team wouldn't be making any more splash signings. But that was before one of the very best, if not the best, running backs in the entire league became available.

Push all the chips to the middle of the table, and get a game-changing running back. Beane, previously, has been tied to almost every running back under the sun. J.D. McKissic, Dalvin Cook, and even Saquon Barkley were loosely linked to the team.

In one move, Beane could put the entire league on notice and give Josh Allen and this offense an explosive running back not seen on a Bills team in years.

Buffalo is already an offensive juggernaut, Beane making this one move and putting the future of the organization at risk for the chance to bring Buffalo its first-ever Super Bowl would immediately put Buffalo under the microscope.

Being a Bills fan for my entire life, I just want one. I don't need to be reasoned with about how this could damage the team long-term, about hurting James Cooks' growth, or how this will impact long-term extensions down the road. There's a superstar RB that could immediately make an impact on this team and I want him.

Earlier this season, Buffalo was in a dire situation from a cap space perspective. A slew of restructures and re-signings allowed the team to sign some players and be competitive.

Buffalo has Poyer and Hyde for only a few more years, Von Miller has a couple more years left, and the team won't be able to retain all of its talented players. 

Go big or go home, make a splash, and tell the world that you're ready for whatever challenge comes your way. When thinking about money, the salary cap is a myth anyway. There's always money in the banana stand.

Give Jim Irsay a ring, see what it'll take to bring Taylor to Buffalo, and watch the rest of the NFL fear what the Bills' offense is about to do. Irsay is backtracking, saying they won't trade Taylor ever, but we'll see how that plays out.

Featured image via Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

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