The veteran wants to leave Buffalo, a defensive trade target, to change hands

The Buffalo Bills are in great shape in mid-2024 NFL season.

With a dominant 31-10 victory over Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, their best all-around record of the year, Buffalo improved to 6-2 and has a commanding lead in the AFC East as every other team in the division has won just two games.

Josh Allen is a legitimate candidate for the most popular player in the NFL. James Cook is having another strong season. Amari Cooper, Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are quickly becoming some of the best players in the league. The defense has improved significantly in recent weeks and will only get better with the return of Von Miller.

So, once again, the Bills are in great shape as they begin their Week 9 matchup with Miami Dolphins

That said, Buffalo may still be looking to improve its roster ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. They’ve obviously already done that by acquiring Cooper a couple of weeks ago, and while another move probably won’t be that big, there are still some intriguing candidates to start things off with.

While Buffalo’s defense has only held opponents to 18.2 points per game, it has also given up quite a lot of yards each week, allowing 208.1 passing yards and 120.2 rushing yards per game.

In general, the bills need more help against dispersal than against passage. That’s not to say that some upgrades in the secondary wouldn’t be welcome, but getting some help to stop the run is a more pressing need at this point.

And longtime Sporting News NFL contributor Vinny Ayer thinks so Las Vegas Raiders midfielder Robert Spillane could be the answer.

“The Bills have been hurt without Matt Milano (biceps) in the secondary and Terrell Bernard (ankle) with multiple injuries, – wrote Iyer. “Spillane can clean up this mess for Sean McDermott.”

This move makes sense on almost every level. While there is hope that Milan can return this season, it is not a guarantee. And even if he does, adding a veteran like Spillane will just give Buffalo more depth, which is never a bad thing.

The Bills wouldn’t want to rely on him in pass coverage, as his Pro Football Focus grade in that regard is a miserable 47.0. Unlike the run, however, Spillane, who ranks fourth in the league in tackles with 79, has an 84.9 run defense rating, which is fantastic.

Finances also work. Spillane is in the final season of the two-year deal he signed with Las Vegas on the eve of last season, and his cap hit is just $5.3 million this season. The Bills won’t be on the hook for all of this, and he’d probably only cost Buffalo a Day 3 draft pick. This is definitely something to consider.

On the other hand, if the Bills want to send someone out of town before the trade deadline, it seems like sixth-year safety Mike Edwards could be an option.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy FowlerEdwards, who won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay Buccaneers four seasons ago and another with Kansas City Chiefs last year, wants out of Buffalo.

“Veteran Buffalo safety Mike Edwards is free and would like to go somewhere he can play (he’s been inactive all the time),” Fowler wrote.

Signed last offseason to help offset the losses of Jordan Poyer and Mickey Hyde, Edwards just wasn’t a big part of Buffalo’s defense. He appeared in just three games and made just one tackle, which came in a Week 5 loss to the Bills Houston Texas.

When Edwards was assigned to the starting lineup, he dealt with various injuries during spring practice and training camp and eventually lost out to Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp. It will be interesting to see if the Bills can find a buyer before Tuesday.

Rumors are swirling off the field this week that Bills owner Terry Pegula may be looking to sell part of the franchise.

trans Bloomberg NewsPegula was in talks with private equity firm Arctos Partners to “acquire a minority interest” in the Bills.

The report claims that a deal is not yet in place and that it is entirely possible that “another suitor or suitors could emerge.”

Again, this has nothing to do with the product on the field, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.