Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it clear last week that he tried to add pass-rushing and pass-catching help at the trade deadline.
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“Unfortunately, it takes two to tango and we tried on quite a few,” Beane said, via ESPN. “And a lot was just, yeah, we’re not moving, and some was, we ran into a couple teams in our division were trading and couldn’t get a lot of interest there.”
Problems on the defensive line were magnified on Monday when the Billsruled out rookie defensive end Landon Jackson for the season after he tore his MCL and PCL in Sunday’s 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Star defensive tackle Ed Oliver is on injured reserve with a torn biceps, and defensive end Michael Hoecht is on injured reserve with a season-ending torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the Bills’ 28-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks the Bills could try to lure veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins from free agency to help boost the battered defensive line.
“If he is healthy, though, he would be a terrific addition to almost any defense,” Knox wrote of Wilkins. “He was a regular standout during his five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, often morphing between being a run-stopping specialist and an interior pressure man.
“He racked up 98 tackles and 16 tackles for loss in 2022 before logging nine sacks and 30 QB pressures in 2022. The Buffalo Bills, who recently placed defensive tackle Ed Oliver and defensive end Michael Hoecht on injured reserve, should see if Wilkins is in playing shape.”
The Miami Dolphins selected Wilkins with the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s appeared in 86 games and started 82 games. He’s recorded 372 tackles, four forced fumbles, one interception and 22.5 sacks during his first six seasons in the league.
Wilkins had a bit of controversy take place during the end of his time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders didn’t approve of how he approached the rehab process after suffering a Jones fracture last season and moved to void the remaining $35.2 million in guaranteed money left on the four-year, $110 million deal he signed in 2024. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins allegedly “kissed” a Raiders player on the head, and the player “took offense” to the action.
While Wilkins would come to Buffalo with some baggage, the defensive tackle could offer a struggling defensive line some stability as the team makes a playoff push.
The Bills have shown flashes of being a legitimate AFC contender, as evidenced by the win over the Chiefs. However, the defense is a liability, and a blooming injury list is a big concern.
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