Refreshed from a week away, and fully immersed in their self-scouting to fix what ailed them during their two-game losing streak ahead of the bye, the Buffalo Bills are eager to get back on the field in Week 8.
Their next opportunity will be Sunday, on the road, against a Carolina Panthers team on a three-game winning streak. Although it’s certainly not a must-win situation this early into the season, another loss would mark the Bills’ first three-game losing streak in the regular season since 2018.
Sean McDermott is 8-0 coming off the bye as the Bills’ head coach, and how the Bills respond could have a ripple effect in how they construct their roster for the stretch run of the 2025 season. Sunday could be a massive learning experience, especially with some of their tweaks on both sides of the ball.
As the trade deadline approaches on Nov. 4, the Bills have some decisions to make about which positions to address — though they’ll have to do so on a tight budget.
For our Week 8 Bills notebook, let’s dive into potential feasible targets, why they fit and why it would make sense for the Bills to target them.
7 trade candidates the Bills could target
WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Age: 25
2025 prorated cap hit (after Week 9): $794,ooo
As I wrote ahead of the bye week, Olave is legitimately a perfect fit for the Bills schematically as the locked-in Z receiver. He can challenge all three levels of the defense as an outstanding separator and target earner, and he still has a ceiling to reach in his game. If added, he would become a go-to target for Josh Allen. His cap hit for 2025 can easily fit the Bills’ limited cap structure this season, and he’s also signed for 2026 on his fifth-year option, with the potential to become a long-term member of the franchise if all goes well. The trouble is, the Saints know how good Olave is and, at least at this point, it seems more likely they extend him than move him. The cost to acquire would be the highest of any player on this list, too. But if there’s a go-for-it move, this is the one, given what it could do for the offense.
WR Rashid Shaheed, Saints
Age: 27
2025 prorated cap hit: $2.22 million
Shaheed is not as clean a fit alongside Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir as Olave. Still, Shaheed would immediately give the Bills something they don’t have on their roster — deep speed, the ability to take the top off the defense and the actual conversion on those chances. However, the Bills showed last year with the Amari Cooper acquisition that they’ll take a player who usually lines up at X receiver and play them at Z receiver opposite Coleman, so they could do the same with Shaheed because of the new dimension he brings to the offense. Shaheed wouldn’t cost nearly as much as Olave to acquire, and as a free agent in 2026, the Bills could eventually recoup a pick via the compensatory formula for him.
WR Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders
Age: 28 (29 in November)
2025 prorated cap hit: $5.7 million
Meyers was a potential trade deadline target last year, but the Raiders decided to hang on to him. This time around, the case is a bit less compelling for the Bills because he’s more of a rental than he would have been last year, as Meyers is a free agent at the end of the season. Additionally, the Bills would have to find a way to open up some cap space to onboard the rest of his prorated salary. Regardless of those factors, there are still some reasons to bring him on. Meyers would immediately help them at Z receiver and provide some separation outside the numbers, where the Bills desperately need to improve and what they’ll lose with Joshua Palmer having to miss some time. Meyers wouldn’t give them as much of a deep target threat as Olave or Shaheed, but is still a good complementary fit alongside Coleman and Shakir. The Bills likely wouldn’t have to give as much as they would for Olave and Meyers, as a free agent, could recoup an eventual pick in the compensatory formula.
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Age: 25 (26 in November)
2025 prorated cap hit: $926,000
The only way this could happen is if the Ravens drop their next two games and find themselves at 1-7, but in a frustrating season for them, you can’t rule anything out. As far as the fit and the contract, it’s a very good one from a Bills perspective. Bateman is signed through 2029, and all his guaranteed money falls off after the 2026 season with a clear out in 2027 if they wanted it. His cap hit for 2025 is minimal, too. Bateman is a talented route runner who has more of a ceiling than what he’s been able to access in a mostly run-heavy Baltimore offense. He would fit right in at Z receiver for the Bills, even if he isn’t as explosive as Olave would be.
The Ravens would have to continue struggling to consider trading receiver Rashod Bateman. Andy Lyons / Getty Images
DT Harrison Phillips, New York Jets
Age: 29
2025 prorated cap hit: $1.96 million
We know the fit is there, considering the Bills drafted Phillips and he played one-technique defensive tackle for them for four seasons. It’s an outstanding pairing because, not only would he immediately help the run defense that has been lacking, but he could help them take something off the plate of rookie Deone Walker while still keeping Walker in a sizable role. And if Walker hits a rookie wall — which the Bills are extremely cognizant of with all their first-year players — Phillips makes it that much easier on them. On top of it all, Phillips is on a manageable contract for 2026, giving them a one-two pairing with Walker next year as well. The cost to acquire a 29-year-old defensive tackle that isn’t much of a pass rusher would not be that extreme.
The need for someone like Phillips might depend solely on DaQuan Jones’ health outlook, who is considered week to week. The Bills did not rule out the possibility of Jones landing on the Injured Reserve list with a “popped” calf, and if he does, it would mean the Bills have a definitive problem at one-technique, with Walker as their only clear player at that position on the roster. Even if Jones were able to return this year, having Phillips still might make sense given their difficulties stopping the run, along with the minimal cost to acquire him and him being under contract in 2026, when Jones is a free agent.
DT Maliek Collins, Cleveland Browns
Age: 30
2025 prorated cap hit: $1.46 million
As the Browns head into another season with an early draft pick, they are in a pretty clear market to sell. Collins is a very intriguing asset from a Bills perspective because he can play both three- and one-technique in their scheme, depending on what they need that week, giving them a better, bigger version of Larry Ogunjobi based on what we saw from Ogunjobi at training camp. Collins would be an outstanding interior pass-rusher to pair with Oliver on passing downs and give Oliver more rest on the sidelines when they want Collins at three-technique. Collins is also signed for the 2026 season, so there is a second-season appeal to trading for him. The trade cost might be a bit higher than you’d think despite his age, because of how well he’s playing and because the Browns would have to eat cap space to make the move.
CB Rasul Douglas, Miami Dolphins
Age: 31
2025 prorated cap hit: $664,000
The Bills entrusted Douglas with plenty of snaps as their every-week starter in 2024, and even though they didn’t bring him back in the offseason, he would be welcomed back warmly. Douglas is very close to No. 1 cornerback Christian Benford, and they’d immediately upgrade the depth of the roster by having Douglas available over Ja’Marcus Ingram. Cornerback may be a luxury trade target with Maxwell Hairston likely on the way back in the next few weeks. Still, especially at that position, it’s better to be proactive with trustworthy depth than to get hit with an injury when a team can least afford it.
Some Bills-Panthers quick hits
1. I wouldn’t expect it to take long for defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Ogunjobi to work back into substantial rotational roles, despite it being their first game back. The fourth defensive end position has been a bit of a work in progress all year and Hoecht should give them an immediate boost. At defensive tackle, the Bills need Ogunjobi to take snaps this week, given all their injuries. Having some versatility, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ogunjobi was the one backing up rookie Walker as the one-technique defensive tackle.
2. When Allen was asked about what the offense has been doing well so far this season, he mentioned running the ball, play-action passing and that “inside the numbers” has been good. That last part is especially illuminating, given how little the Bills have been able to challenge teams with their boundary receivers on the outside. Don’t be surprised if the Bills try to get that part of their game going early this week, and the Panthers’ strong run-defending unit certainly supports that theory.
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
3. I wonder if it might be a bit too early for linebacker Terrel Bernard to return from his mid-game ankle injury sustained against the Falcons. While they could surely use him against a team that will challenge them against the run, the play of LB Shaq Thompson gives them some leeway to let Bernard get fully healthy, rather than trying to push it this weekend, and with a big game against the Chiefs on tap. LB Matt Milano will have had a full three weeks between games since his injury re-aggravation, so there might be a better chance of him playing this week than Bernard.
4. Starting safety Taylor Rapp looks unlikely to play this week, given that he hasn’t even been able to do work along the side during practices due to his knee injury. That means they’ll need a replacement in the starting lineup next to Cole Bishop. While Jordan Poyer seems like a safe bet, I do wonder if rookie Jordan Hancock might get some time on defense, just to see what he can do as one of their post-bye evaluations. At this point in Poyer’s career, he could be a bit of a liability on passing downs, potentially creating a void for Hancock to fill in some spots this week.
Bills projected roster moves: Promote DT Jordan Phillips and S Jordan Poyer to the 53-man roster, place DT DaQuan Jones on IR
Bills projected inactives vs. Panthers: WR Joshua Palmer (knee/ankle), OT Chase Lundt, LB Terrel Bernard (ankle), S Taylor Rapp (knee), KR/PR Brandon Codrington
*Subject to change following Friday’s practice
Prediction: Bills 26, Panthers 17
While the Panthers are on a three-game winning streak, it’s trending toward backup quarterback Andy Dalton playing this week. That potential advantage will allow the Bills to focus heavily on stuffing the run against a good run-blocking offensive line and a rushing tandem of Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. The Bills may try to force the Panthers’ hand to throw by stacking the box against them.
On offense, I’d look for the Bills to try to upend some of their tendencies and to push the ball outside the numbers a bit more to try and unlock their ground game. Whether that’s with their boundary receivers down the field, or with quick-hitter screens outside the numbers, it’s a necessary evil.
Ultimately, I think the Bills offense will get closer to their early season form, while still leaving some meat on the bone by settling for some field goals, but doing enough to win the game. On defense, their focus on limiting the run may not be perfect, but I expect them to get off the field and force some third-and-long situations, potentially yielding some opportunities for turnovers. It might be a bit clunkier than some may hope for against a solid team like the Panthers, but I think the Bills will get back in the win column this week.
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