The Buffalo Bills can score with anybody. The problem is the other side of the ball, where that 2026 defense has been far too leaky to trust.
Even with some encouraging signs - a run defense that is tightening up, corners who are settling in, and young safeties who can be rotated in - the Bills still have a glaring issue at linebacker. That’s the spot that keeps sticking out, and it’s the one area where a trade could make the biggest difference before the deadline.
Dorian Williams isn’t strong enough in coverage to handle the job asked of him in the new 3-4 defense. Joe Andreessen, for all his special teams value, isn’t the answer there either. Terrel Bernard brings size concerns and doesn’t offset them with the kind of speed Buffalo needs from that position.
So if the Bills are going to swing a deal, linebacker has to be the place to attack.
Zack Baun is the obvious swing-for-the-fences target. The Philadelphia Eagles are in a rough spot after losing QB Jalen Hurts for the season, and Baun’s unusual contract makes this the kind of moment where a move now makes sense before the offseason. The 2024 First-Team All-Pro is the best player on this list, and he gives Buffalo exactly what it lacks.
There’s a clean football fit here, too. Baun would upgrade the middle of the field without forcing Terrel Bernard off the field.
The issue is the money. He’s owed less than $800k for the rest of 2026, which is easy enough to swallow, but 2027 brings an $11.8m cap hit, and then come at least four void years with another $27.4m due.
That raises the real question: how much is Buffalo willing to pay for a major linebacker fix, and is close to $40m for one and a half seasons worth it? If the sides can work out the contract, Baun could transform the defense.
For a less dramatic but still useful upgrade, Mack Wilson offers a much simpler path. Arizona is back in the NFL’s basement, and Wilson is in the final year of a very manageable deal. He fits the Bills’ cap situation and their linebacker room, giving them a meaningful boost without tying them to anything beyond 2026.
Cody Barton is another practical option if Buffalo wants stability without a splashy move. The Tennessee Titans need assets, and Barton, who is turning 30, brings solid coverage skills and reliable tackling in space.
He’s the kind of linebacker teams tend to keep around, but his contract works for the Bills. Better still, he would remain affordable through 2027, making him a straightforward way to patch a major hole for two seasons without stretching the budget.
In Other News...
Former Bills Back Just Added To Houstons Miserable Stretch
Devin Singletary turned up in a familiar spot for Bills fans in Week 7, only this time it was against one of his former teams. The ex-Buffalo running back, who spent four seasons with the Bills before a stint in Houston last year, helped the New York Giants outlast the Texans in overtime, giving the game the kind of late drama that can make an already rough afternoon feel even heavier.
Singletarys presence in the matchup was a reminder of how often former Bills have ended up crossing paths with Houston in recent seasons. For the Texans, the loss only deepened a frustrating stretch, leaving them searching for answers as the season moves on and the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Bills May Be Heading Toward A Bigger Deadline Decision At Safety
The trade deadline always has a way of exposing where a contender still feels thin, and for Buffalo the conversation at safety is starting to sharpen. One name being floated in that space is Amani Hooker, the Titans defensive back whose career has been built on steady production, versatility and the kind of back-end reliability teams tend to chase when the games matter most.
Hookers appeal is obvious enough for a Bills defense trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC race, especially with the article framing him as a possible fit rather than a confirmed target. The larger question is what Buffalo would have to give up to pry him loose, and the early guesswork points to a meaningful cost that would make this more than a simple depth add. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Is Giving Bills Fans A New MVP Argument
Buffalos fast start has been built around Josh Allen carrying a huge share of the load, and the early MVP chatter has followed. Through the Bills 5-1 opening, Allen has piled up more than 1,700 total yards and 17 total touchdowns while posting a 75.8 QBR, the kind of production that keeps him at the center of every national conversation about the leagues most valuable player. Even with defensive issues creating a few shaky moments, Allen has given Buffalo the kind of weekly ceiling that keeps it moving at the top of the AFC.
The latest reminder came in a poll of 16 NFL executives, coaches and personnel, which placed Allen near the front of the race and kept him firmly in the mix as the season settles in. For Bills fans, the appeal is obvious: when the defense wobbles, Allen has been the reason the team can still win games and stay in the conversation. And with his play already shaping how outsiders view Buffalo, the MVP argument is no longer just about numbers, but about how much of the Bills' identity runs through him. [Read more 🡒]