2018 NFL trade deadline: 12 trades that should happen
By Ian Wharton
Bills trade LeSean McCoy to Texans; Kyle Williams to Bengals
The Buffalo Bills should have no shame trading away any asset they can at this point. After dumping everyone they possibly could except LeSean McCoy and Kyle Williams, now is their last chance to extract value from them. With Josh Allen hurt, and playing absolutely dreadfully even when on the field, it’s just better to completely gut what’s left.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Bills want McCoy on the roster next year, but getting a mid-round pick for him should be more enticing than paying a 31-year-old back $9 million considering the state of the roster. They could get a similarly talented back with whatever they get back.
The Eagles have been linked to this deal, but Houston makes more sense. The Texans have ample cap space and a huge need for another running back. Lamar Miller still isn’t a good fit three years into his marriage with Bill O’Brien’s running scheme, and D’Onta Foreman is a complete unknown.
Moving a third-round pick for McCoy gives them a higher-caliber player to help Deshaun Watson right now. McCoy and Foreman can be a two-headed monster next year if Foreman can stay healthy as the Texans can easily afford McCoy’s salary.
The other deal with Buffalo is moving Kyle Williams, should he request it. It’s possible he doesn’t, as he’s 35 years old and has never played elsewhere. But if he wants to win, Cincinnati has a perfect role for him.
The Bengals need a third defensive tackle behind Andrew Billings. They resorted to using former Bills castoff Adolphus Washington on 41 percent of snaps last week, and Washington unsurprisingly struggled. Williams can walk into the building tomorrow and be a key role player on a loaded defensive line.
If the Bills drop their price on McCoy and take a late-rounder for Williams, they’d be armed with $7 million more to rollover, and an additional $9 million in 2019 without both deals clogging their cap.