Bills seen as smart landing spot, potential ‘fresh start’ for failed first-round WR

When the strategy for building a team at a specific position essentially boils down to “shooting at a dartboard”, what’s the harm in adding another dart?

The Buffalo Bills made significant changes to their receiving corps during the 2024 offseason, parting ways with and replacing previous core contributors Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis. on the depth map with free agent signee Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman. The team completed the unit with a fusion of starting journeymen, potential reclamation projects and special teams, signing Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chase Claypool and KJ Hamler to compete with young players like Justin Shorter and Tyrell Shavers for spots at the bottom of the roster throughout training camp and the preseason.

Samuel, Coleman and third-year receiver Khalil Shakir project as key contributors to Buffalo’s revamped receiving corps, a unit that, on paper, does little to strike fear into the opposition. While it’s fair to suggest that otherworldly quarterback Josh Allen will likely elevate the position group and allow them to play above their perceived talent level, it’s also fair to suggest that the unit , at first glance, is not particularly scary – Samuel, although talented. , has never usurped 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Coleman is a relatively raw prospect who may experience some initial growing pains at the pro level. Shakir, while promising, is not a surefire offensive contributor.

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There’s talent in the group and the potential for consistent production is certainly there, but it’s just not a sure thing at this point. Question marks within the unit have prompted many experts to state that Buffalo should invest in additional external reinforcements, with one outlet suggesting the team should look at a once-promising player now entering his third season . In a recent article highlighting eight post-NFL trades that make sense, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport identified Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks as a player the Bills might be interested in.

“With DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd all seemingly ahead of Burks on the depth chart, he is at best the No. 4 option for a (Tennessee) passing attack that ranked 29th in the NFL in 2023,” Davenport wrote. “…The Bills need a second boundary receiver to pair with Coleman. A rebuilding Titans team can use all the draft capital it can ahead of what could well be a long season in Nashville .And Burks needs a fresh start – and a change of scenery.

“Switching quarterback Will Levis to Josh Allen wouldn’t hurt.”

A once highly touted prospect who drew comparisons to AJ Brown (a player he was apparently traded for in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft), Burks has been disappointing throughout his professional career, with a series seemingly endless injuries limiting him to just 15 appearances in his two NFL seasons. He showed flashes in some of those games, but was largely disappointing, catching just 49 passes for 665 yards and a touchdown.

It’s probably too early to write Burks off completely: He’s only 24, and has the combination of size, speed and versatility that made him a top-20 draft pick just two years ago is definitely still there. That said, the already high number of injuries is concerning, and an NFL general manager could be forgiven for hesitating to part with a major asset in exchange for the former Arkansas Razorback.

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This is, however, a swing that could come to Buffalo at the right price; Is there real Is it wrong to part with a third-day pick to acquire a once-promising wide receiver to compete with Valdes-Scantling and Claypool for a roster spot? Worst case scenario, the Bills are eliminated in the final round. Best case? They potentially supported a long-term number 2.

The first scenario is obviously much more likely than the second, but given the overall uncertain state of Buffalo’s current receiving corps, there’s no harm in adding another wild card into the mix — at the right price. Davenport suggests trading a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for Burks and a 2026 seventh-round pick; That sounds good, but the Bills don’t have a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft. They instead have two fourth-round selections (the Chicago Bears’ extras) and two sixth-round selections (the New York Giants’ extras).

The assets exchanged in a Burks transaction are what will ultimately determine its quality; However, viewed from 30,000 feet, the idea of ​​adding more competition and talent to an unproven and inexperienced receiving corps is quite intriguing.