The Buffalo Bills are absolutely bleeding yards, giving up a whopping 372.3 yards per game this season, and it’s putting their Super Bowl hopes in serious jeopardy. With the 2026 NFL trade deadline looming, this team, built around the Josh Allen era, needs to make a move, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano just laid out exactly where they need to strike: the secondary.
Jim Leonard’s Defense Is On The Ropes
Honestly, if it wasn’t for Josh Allen pulling off heroics week after week, the Bills would be in a terrible spot right now. Their defense is just not cutting it, allowing 26.8 points per game and 174 passing yards per game. Graziano points out that to truly help Jim Leonard’s new defensive scheme, Buffalo has got to look hard at the cornerback and safety trade market. The front seven? That’s actually looking solid. But the back end, man, that’s where the real headache is for Buffalo fans right now. They’ve gotta upgrade this side of the ball if they want to make any noise in the playoffs.
Cornerback and Safety: The Weakest Links
Let’s talk about those corners. Christian Benford is banged up, thankfully not for too long, but Maxwell Hairston, a former first-round pick, hasn’t been anywhere near as productive as they hoped. David Igbinosun filled in for Benford recently, and while he wasn’t a total catastrophe, he definitely didn’t light the world on fire either. Overall, these guys are just underwhelming, and some extra help there couldn’t hurt. Then you look at the safety room: Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, Jalon Kilgore, Chauncy Gardner-Johnson, and Sam Franklin. It’s not a *bad* crew by any means, but there’s definitely a ton of room for improvement. The Bills don’t need to go out and get a superstar, but if a player like Riq Woolen, currently with the Philadelphia Eagles, somehow becomes available, the Bills would be crazy not to make an aggressive play for him.
The trade deadline is Buffalo’s big shot to fix these glaring holes. They’ve got the offense to win, but without a defense that can hold its own, those Super Bowl dreams are just gonna stay dreams. They have to make a move to truly make waves in the playoffs later this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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