Saquon Barkley? OBJ? Six additions who could put Bills over the top

By Henry McKenna
FOX Sports AFC East Writer

The Buffalo Bills haven’t looked like the super team many of us expected. Sure, they’re 3-1 and unanimously ranked in the top five of power rankings around the internet. But Buffalo has looked vulnerable, not only in its loss to the Miami Dolphins, but also in the Bills’ win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bills’ struggles are mostly due to bad luck. They’re dealing with injuries to some of their top players. Cornerback Tre’Davious White has yet to return from his ACL injury from 2021. Cornerback Christian Benford, a breakout rookie who has been excellent as CB2, is going to miss time with a broken hand. Cornerback Dane Jackson missed time with a neck injury, though he was back in the lineup in Week 4. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes went on injured reserve just days after signing with the team’s practice squad. Receiver Gabe Davis is dealing with an ankle injury that has rendered him little more than a decoy. WR Isaiah McKenzie suffered a concussion and Jamison Crowder broke his ankle last Sunday. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle) and Jordan Phillips (hamstring) missed Week 4. Safety Jordan Poyer (foot) and center Mitch Morse (elbow) are playing through injuries.

I don’t mean to bore you with a list of injured players. I intend to impress upon you just how many injuries the Bills are nursing in this early stage of the season. It’s wild. And it’s rare to get healthier over the course of the year. They need to think about reinforcements.

The Bills have just $2 million in salary cap space in 2022. They are already over the cap for 2023. And while quarterback Josh Allen is set to make a boatload of money, most of that cash is tied up in prorated bonuses. In other words, if they want to free up money, they can’t simply restructure his contract. 

They could sign linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to an extension, if they’ve already laid a foundation with Edmunds’ agent. (These sorts of extensions tend to take a long time.) Or they can talk to Poyer, whose base salary of $5.6 million makes him the best candidate for a restructure. Buffalo can’t throw money around wildly. They have to be thrifty. 

With that in mind. Here are some options they should consider.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley

Say what?!

It would be completely unfair if Allen and Barkley lined up in the same backfield. That’s exactly why the Bills should figure out how to make it happen. Barkley is set to make the remaining value of his $7.2 million salary for 2022 — so it wouldn’t be an easy salary-cap situation for Buffalo. But Barkley could change the complexion of Buffalo’s offense.

The Bills have an obvious need at running back, with every member of their three-headed attack disappointing in one way or another. Rookie James Cook has struggled in pass protection while dropping the football too often in the passing game, and that was supposed to be his main role in Year 1. He also fumbled on his first carry. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss each have fumbles to their name and Moss has struggled enormously to find room to run.

Barkley is one of the most talented and versatile running backs in the NFL, and the New York Giants, who are unlikely to contend despite their 3-1 record, might entertain dealing him. If they think they can make the playoffs, though, they will very likely keep Barkley through the year — even if they have no plans of re-signing him in 2023. 

But if they are looking to bring aboard a new quarterback for a transition year, the Giants need to start thinking about letting Barkley go, particularly if they can get a solid haul of draft assets. The Bills might put together a nice offer, even if it’s just for a one-year rental of Barkley. It might just be a game of patience, however, to see if the Giants start to lose (like we expect them to).

Barkley now knows the Buffalo offense after starting the season under former Bills offensive coordinator and current Giants coach Brian Daboll. First-year offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey could seamlessly implement Barkley into the Bills’ offense and help usher in an era of mistake-free and explosive football for Buffalo’s rushing attack.

Free agent RT Daryl Williams

The truth is that the Bills’ lack of efficiency in rushing the football isn’t due only to their running back struggles. The three backs have made crucial mistakes (with drops and fumbles), but their lack of efficiency comes down to poor blocking on the offensive line. The Bills’ highest-graded run blockers on Pro Football Focus are tight end Dawson Knox, running back Singletary and receivers Stefon Diggs and Davis. 

Notice that none of them are offensive linemen? That’s not what you want.

The Bills aren’t making use of jumbo formations much this year, and perhaps that’s because they don’t feel like they have the personnel. What about Williams? He wouldn’t replace the team’s starting tackles, who have been the Bills’ best run-blockers. But maybe he could add another element in a jumbo formation that would bring more power to the Bills’ offense. And Williams played for Buffalo the past two years after five seasons with Carolina. Maybe he’d be willing to take a team-friendly deal.

Colts practice-squad RB Phillip Lindsay

If the Bills want to trust Singletary as their early-down back — and I think that’s perfectly justified given the offensive line’s struggles — then they still need to figure out what to do on third down. Running back Duke Johnson, who has been collecting dust on the team’s practice squad, is the most likely candidate to upgrade their running back situation. He’s also 29 years old and merely competent. If he can’t be what they need (or is already not what they need, which is why they haven’t used him yet), then the Bills should consider other options.

Lindsay is on the Colts’ practice squad. Though he has been plagued with injuries in recent years, he has been a tremendously explosive option, with versatility as a pass-catcher. Antonio Williams, more of a power runner, is on the Giants’ practice squad after spending time with the Bills. He could be an interesting depth piece who knows their offense. Patriots practice-squad running back J.J. Taylor and Ravens practice-squad player Tyler Badie are both pass-catching options, with Taylor proving useful on third down in New England in a pinch.

Buffalo could look around the NFL to see if it could maximize a depth player on another team. That’s the cheapest way to upgrade at running back. And it’s not crazy to think the Bills can pull it off, given how many talented running backs are floating around the league on veteran-minimum contracts.

Ravens free-agent CB Daryl Worley

If Xavier Rhodes didn’t work out, maybe the Bills can go to the well at cornerback one more time. Worley played under Buffalo coach Sean McDermott when he was the defensive coordinator for the Panthers. Worley knows the team’s system and is ripe for the plucking off Baltimore’s roster. He’s a good player whom Buffalo could sign for a few weeks — or the whole season — depending upon how the injuries shake out at cornerback.

Retired WR Emmanuel Sanders

We’re past training camp. Long past the point where Sanders has leverage in terms of contract negotiations. If he’s still in shape and has the slightest interest in coming back to the NFL, the Bills should give him a call. He might be willing to take a discounted deal for a short season — and the chance to win a Super Bowl. He’d instantly make an impact as a slot receiver and has already proven himself a competent option alongside Diggs.

There’s all this clamoring for Odell Beckham Jr., but he won’t be ready to practice for at least a month. And that’s only when he’ll get on the field. After his torn ACL in the Super Bowl, he might not be explosive again until next season. Just look at how Tre’Davious White’s timeline has dragged along in recovery. It happens — and it’s not something players can always control.

Sanders is the kind of band-aid addition who can help the offense right away.

Free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr.

OK, so I do like the idea of the Bills adding Beckham. But it’s not for the reasons that we’ve considered, which is that they need fill-in options to work through this rough patch of injuries.

Beckham would simply be another big signing for a team that, when healthy, has an embarrassment of riches at skill positions. Just like the Rams added Beckham at the last moment in 2021, the Bills could do the same. 

Buffalo star Von Miller, for one, has been enjoying a playful public recruiting effort of Beckham.

There are so many prohibitive factors. If Beckham needs time to reach his high level of play, then the Bills might feel foolish adding a rental with physical limitations, especially given their salary cap situation. If Davis gets healthy and enjoys the breakout season that many — myself included — expected, then what does Beckham really bring to the offense? 

The uncertain answers to those questions are the reasons for hesitation. However, Beckham is a sensational player. If he can put up an impressive workout when his recovery is complete, the Bills should absolutely consider bringing him aboard, no matter what their receiver situation looks like. 

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more