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Buffalo Bills CB CJ Gardner-Johnson.
The Buffalo Bills left a hole in their secondary when they parted ways with starting safety CJ Gardner-Johnson in his return from a one-game suspension, but one insider believes they can fill the void with an aggressive trade-deadline move.
The Bills initially signaled they planned to keep Gardner-Johnson when the league first announced his suspension for spitting on a Las Vegas Raiders player, but veteran Geno Stone came off the practice squad to fill in last week’s game and the Bills ultimately changed course.
Bills Trade Rumors: Team May Add Help to Depleted Secondary
Although Buffalo’s defense performed well in a 36-10 win over a short-handed Baltimore Ravens team, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia still believes the Bills will look to bolster their struggling secondary and fill in for the departed Gardner-Johnson.
Buscaglia identified the Bills as one of the likely trade deadline buyers, noting that they would want to seize what could be the strongest Super Bowl window for Josh Allen.
“The Bills have one of the league’s best offenses, led by quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook. Allen is 30, giving them a clear window to push for a title in 2026,” Buscaglia wrote.
Buscaglia noted that the team’s secondary is the weakest point, which has a new hole after six-game starter Gardner-Johnson was cut.
“If there’s one thing holding them back from accomplishing those goals, it’s the struggles of their back seven, with the middle of their field (inside linebacker, nickel corner and safety) being the issue lately,” Buscaglia wrote. “They could also use another piece to improve the depth of their defensive front.”
Bills Can Have Several Targets
The Bills have been linked to several defensive backs as the NFL trade deadline approaches next week, including Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon identified Baker as one of the most “realistic” targets for the Bills, saying he wouldn’t be a “game-changer” for the defense.
“While he won’t really be a one-for-one replacement for (CJ) Gardner-Johnson, Baker will provide an upgrade to the still-green (Cole) Bishop inside the box and could be a huge game-changer for the entire defense,” Gagnon wrote last week, before the Bills cut Gardner-Johnson.
The Bills have several other candidates to help their secondary, including the recently resigned Tre’Davious White. He joined the practice squad last week and could provide stability in the secondary and mentorship for young cornerbacks Maxwell Hairston and Davison Igbinosun.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. He previously wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as assistant editor of the athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based in Rochester, New York, and loves all things football. More about Nathan Dougherty