Buffalo Rumblings
That is, unless they really want to get thick into the weeds of contract restructures
Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, plenty of rumors made their way around social media linking the Buffalo Bills with San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Following Round 1, new rumors began to swirl stating that the Bills were one of the teams in discussion to trade for Deebo Samuel.
In reality, both ideas seem unrealistic at best.
To pull off a trade with the Niners, the Bills would first have to find the right combination of draft compensation. The even larger issue comes down to the financial ramifications — for both sides.
Buffalo would need to find substantial cap space to make the trade happen prior to any necessary restructure. To gain that, they’d need to restructure several current players’ contracts. None of that happened today, at least that was made public knowledge. But how much would they really need? The Bills currently have $3.6 million available to spend.
Brandon Aiyuk has a $14 million base salary for the 2024 season. Deebo Samuel has just over $20 million in base salary this season. Additionally, the Niners would take on a massive dead-cap hit of around $26.5 million to part ways with Samuel. He remains under contract this year and next, with two void years — and Buffalo would likely need the 49ers to absorb a good deal of his salary hit.
It’s a moot point when discussing either — at least it should be.
Of the two, it’s reasonable to believe teams would favor Aiyuk more given he’s just 26 years old. Samuel is currently 28 and represents a larger financial commitment. That said, it might be more difficult coming to an amicable deal with Aiyuk who, after any trade, is likely to request a new contract before hitting the field.
Despite all the chatter, this feels like nothing more than an attempt to drum up some excitement ahead for the draft. While at best it appears unrealistic, following through could prove to be highly irresponsible — considering what just unfolded with Stefon Diggs.
The Buffalo Bills need to identify one or two receivers who appeal to them enough in this year’s draft. Then they need to go out and do whatever is reasonably necessary to draft them and develop their potential on a cost-controlled rookie contract.
