The Buffalo Bills made it clear this offseason that they expect to win a Super Bowl. They fired head coach Sean McDermott, who had them in the playoffs seven consecutive years, but never made it to the big game.
Joe Brady was promoted as his replacement, and the goal was clear. Despite being a rookie, he was expected to put this team over the top. While he's done well with the offense, the Buffalo defense is still trying to find its footing.
Through six games, they're 31st in defensive yardage and 28th in points. Much of their shortcomings have been put on the shoulders of the secondary, but they could still improve by beefing up the interior of their defensive line, where Ed Oliver has struggled to stay healthy leaving them with little production outside of Deone Walker.
With that being the case, general manager Brandon Beane should be paying attention to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, which says the Indianapolis Colts could be interested in trading both DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart before the NFL trade deadline on November 10.
Bills could benefit from Colts major changes
Indianapolis owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon recently fired general manager Chris Ballard, and according to Schefter and Rapoport, she and new chief of personnel Ed Dodds will monitor the team's performance over the next few games. If the 2-5 Colts continue to struggle, they might be willing to unload veteran players on expiring contracts.
Of the two defensive tackles named, Buckner is the more intriguing name. The 6-foot-7, 295-pounder can play all over the defensive line and has been a disruptive pass rusher with four sacks during his first seven games. His run defense hasn't been ideal this season, earning a 45.3 from PFF, but his 75.3 pass rush grade would be a welcome addition to a team that needs to figure out how to slow down the pass. Adding a player such as Buckner, who can destroy the pocket, would do exactly that.
Stewart wouldn't be a bad addition either. He's better against the run, earning a 60.7 from PFF this season. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, Stewart would be more help in the run game, and while the Bills are 13th in the league in run defense, it never hurts to improve, especially as the colder months get here and teams rely on the run more.
Cap hits, salary information for DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart
Neither player would be a long-term answer for the Bills. Not only are they both over 30 (Buckner is 32 and Stewart is 33), but they are both scheduled for free agency in the offseason.
That's one thing the Bills would need to consider when it comes to how much capital they're willing to give up for a rental player. Buffalo would also need to figure out the cap situation since they have just $4.5 million in space. Buckner has a cap hit of $26.6 million this season while Stewart is at $14.258 million. The Bills could lessen the cap hit on that if Indianapolis agreed to pay a certain amount of what he's due for the rest of 2026.
Of course, that only happens if Buffalo offers enough to entice Indianapolis to play ball. It would take some maneuvering, but a team eyeing a championship should be ready to jump through a few hoops.
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