The Buffalo Bills were one of the best teams in the NFL in 2024 but once again fell short in the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen led one of the league’s best offenses, but the team’s receiving corps was a weak point after trading away Stefon Diggs in the 2024 offseason.
PFSN predicts the Bills will take a big swing and trade for an explosive receiver who could get Buffalo over the hump in the postseason.
Could Bills Make Monster Trade for Big-Play WR?
Allen led the fourth-best offense in the NFL last season, according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, despite not having any receiver gain more than 850 yards. Khalil Shakir led the way with 821 yards on 76 receptions, and Mack Hollins led the team with five receiving touchdowns.
James Cook was the team’s most effective skill player besides Allen. The running back rushed for 1,009 yards and tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. He also added 32 catches, 258 yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
Allen fully embraced Buffalo’s “everyone eats” mentality and tied a league record by throwing touchdowns to 13 different receivers in 2024. The quarterback was on another level last season, finishing fourth in PFSN’s QB+ metric after throwing for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns.
He added 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground and was well deserving of his first NFL MVP award. However, the Bills can still use help in their receiving corps.
Hollins left in free agency, and the team signed Joshua Palmer, but a proven big-play threat would be welcomed with open arms. PFSN’s Brandon Austin recently wrote about one player each team should target in a trade, and he labeled Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams as Buffalo’s target.
Austin wrote, “The Buffalo Bills’ pass-catching group has been a concern, though Khalil Shakir had a career year, and James Cook remains a top-10 back in the passing game. Buffalo still managed 29.5 points per game last season, second in the NFL.
“The Bills signed Joshua Palmer from the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. He could be a steady deep threat, but he’s not a true game breaker. Jameson Williams could be, though. While it might seem unlikely the Lions would deal him, Detroit just handed out major deals to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell, with more stars due for extensions soon.”
Detroit inked Sewell to a four-year, $112 million deal and St. Brown to a four-year, $120.01 million contract last offseason. Those two have proven they are elite producers over multiple years. Williams hasn’t yet, but the Lions could maximize his value by trading him now.
Austin continued, “Williams had a breakout 2024, catching 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. His 11.0 yards per target ranked third in the league, and his +0.40 EPA per target ranked 13th. He also posted the fifth-highest explosive reception rate at 37.9%. At 24, Williams could be the No. 1 target for Josh Allen. His speed and big-play ability would add a much-needed element to Buffalo’s offense.”
Williams did break out in 2024 but had trouble staying on the field in his first two NFL seasons. Including the playoffs, he played in 19 games over those two years, totaling 31 catches, 474 yards and four touchdowns.
There’s no doubt Williams has what it takes to be a consistent producer with Allen throwing him the ball, but it could take a lot for Buffalo to get the deal done.