One of the benefits of having one of the best teams in the NFL is that you become a potential destination for top players in the game. The Buffalo Bills have emerged as the top team in the AFC East over the previous five seasons, and they show no signs of slowing down as long as Josh Allen is at quarterback.
The Bills have had success with free agents throughout the years, thanks to the winning culture they have established. Von Miller and Joey Bosa are two names that immediately come to mind as free agent edge rushers who joined the Bills.
Furthermore, the Bills will be linked to noteworthy players whose contracts are about to expire or who are in contract issues with their current teams. We see it all the time: a good player is connected to being traded due to a contract issue with the front office. Heck, the Bills could fall into the same category if James Cook does not sign a contract extension shortly.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently listed the Washington Commanders’ dark horse trade partners involving their star wideout Terry McLaurin, who is seeking a new extension following a breakout season in 2024 in which he had over 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season and a season-high 13 touchdowns. However, things do not appear to be going well between the two sides, raising the question of whether McLaurin would remain in Washington after 2025, if at all.
The Bills were the first team on Kay’s list of probable landing spots. Here’s what Kay had to say about the Bills considering trading for McLaurin:
“McLaurin would immediately become Allen’s top target, complementing the versatile Khalil Shakir and the young Keon Coleman to form the basis of a passing assault with the potential to be among the finest in the league.
With veterans like Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore, and Laviska Shenault Jr. rounding out the roster, McLaurin’s signing would make the Buffalo receivers room one of the deepest in the NFL.”
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report
Kay also said that Buffalo’s “league-low $125,000 in cap space” may be adjusted through contract restructures. Trading for McLaurin would place the Bills in a horrible financial position, as well as a bad chemistry situation.
Washington would most likely demand a high price for McLaurin, given that he is a reliable 1,000-yard receiver year in and year out. The team that trades for him would have to give him a hefty contract extension at the age of 29.
The Bills do not need to go through the possible headache of dealing away assets, having to rework some of their present contracts, and then putting a significant dent in their cap space for one guy.
Furthermore, making this trade would undermine the Bills’ efforts this summer to bring in receivers Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore, and Laviska Shenault. I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see McLaurin in Buffalo because, quite honestly, it would silence many who questioned the Bills’ receiving core. At the same time, Buffalo cannot afford to go through too many hoops to make this work.