The Buffalo Bills‘ defense took a step back in 2023, thanks in large part to being decimated by injuries, which could lead to general manager Brandon Beane making a bold move before the 2024 campaign kicks off this fall.
Especially given that the AFC East houses the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa while the Bills would likely need to go through some combination of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen on any path to a Super Bowl, bolstering the pass rush could prove to be one last priority for Beane and the Bills.
Last season, the Bills finished ninth in total defense and posted 54 sacks, fourth most in the NFL, but creating relentless havoc in the backfield is critical to the success of a defense, so adding along the front-seven would be reasonable for a team aiming to make another Super Bowl push in quarterback Josh Allen’s prime.
Could the Buffalo Bills Trade for Joey Bosa?
Earlier this offseason, Joey Bosa took a pay cut to stay with the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2024 season. But, might Bosa’s reworked deal also make a preseason trade more feasible?
Bleacher Report’s Marcus Davenport put together a list of trades that would shakeup the playoff race, including a blockbuster that would send Bosa to the Bills in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Joey Bosa is significantly younger than [Von] Miller,” Davenport points out for B/R. “Was when the team acquired him, and he has participated in voluntary workouts—a good sign that the foot injury that wrecked his 2023 campaign is behind him.
“Getting Bosa’s contract on the books would take some wrangling, but Brandon Beane is as crafty a GM as there is in the NFL. It’s a risky play—but one that could pay off big if the Bills get the Bosa who made three straight Pro Bowls from 2019-2021.”
Through his first eight seasons, Bosa has produced 67 sacks while logging 321 total tackles with 15 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Bosa added 24 quarterback pressures to his 6.5 sacks in nine games before suffering a sprained foot in Week 11 that ended his season.
There’s little doubt that Bosa would upgrade a pass-rush that already has plenty of teeth, but proving that he can stay healthy and on the field would be the biggest uncertainty towards getting a deal like the one Davenport suggests done and worthwhile for Buffalo.
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