Why Bills must turn down rare opportunity ahead of regular season
It's not every day you're in a prime position to put a plug-and-play starter on the trade block. This is why when Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggested one trade for each NFL team earlier this week, his proposal for the Buffalo Bills made more sense than most on the list. In the article, Kay suggested the […]
It's not every day you're in a prime position to put a plug-and-play starter on the trade block. This is why when Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggested one trade for each NFL team earlier this week, his proposal for the Buffalo Bills made more sense than most on the list.
In the article, Kay suggested the Bills should trade wide receiver Jamison Crowder to the Baltimore Ravens. His reasoning is solid:
"The Buffalo Bills picked up a quality veteran wideout this offseason in Jamison Crowder, but there’s a chance he doesn’t play a single meaningful snap for the club," writes Kay. "Crowder needs to beat out Isaiah McKenzie and rookie Khalil Shakir for the WR3 role in an offense that already has an elite wideout in Stefon Diggs and an up-and-comer in Gabe Davis. The position looks crowded, potentially leaving the 29-year-old as the odd man out."
Truth be told, that's an accurate depiction of the Bills' wide receiver room. The unit is so deep that Crowder will likely be left without any role other than being ready in case someone goes down.
The trade would also make sense from the other perspective, as the Ravens need wide receivers badly.
Crowder has been consistently productive since arriving in the NFL in 2015. Through seven seasons, he's averaged 58 catches, 658 yards, and four touchdowns per season. He's 29 years old and would likely draw fair trade compensation.
And yet, I believe the Bills shouldn't pull the trigger on a trade like this unless the compensation is significantly high. My reasoning is not too complex, honestly.
This year is as big as it gets for Buffalo.
Their roster and depth are getting compared to legendary teams for good reason. Unless a trade brings in somebody that's ready to play right away in another position, it would make little sense to me. Injury luck can derail even the best of teams. The kind of depth the Bills have right now is something truly remarkable. Sacrificing that is just not worth the risk.
The Bills are as close as you can get in the preseason to the Super Bowl. A future draft pick should be worth close to nothing to Buffalo right now.
If I were the decision-maker for the Bills, any trade conversation would start with a simple question. Does it help the team in 2022?
If the answer is no, the phone should be hung up.
Featured image via Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK
