Bills trade pitch would add $13 million defender amid cornerback injury woes
The Buffalo Bills are extremely banged-up at cornerback to start the 2025 season.
Maxwell Hairston suffered a knee injury in camp that has him on injured reserve and missing at least the first four games of the season.
Veteran Tre'Davious White then came down with a groin injury prior to Week 1 and his return timeline remains unknown.
Making matters worse, nickel corner Taron Johnson is now hurt, also, and won't practice on Wednesday, head coach Sean McDermott revealed.
With the situation what it is in Buffalo, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox believes the Bills should make a trade for Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome.
The trade pitch from Knox would see Buffalo give up a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Newsome's services.
Newsome is playing on the $13.3 million fifth-year option in 2025, which means he'll be a free agent in 2026. With Cleveland unlikely to make much noise this season, trading Newsome at some point is very possible.
Newsome has posted respectable coverage numbers over his four seasons in the NFL. He has given up a completion rate of 59.8% and a passer rating of 88.3 when targeted.
Making him more intriguing is the fact that Newsome has some experience playing both inside and out, so he gives the Bills options on how to deploy him.
Buffalo's interest in a trade for a cornerback will depend upon the health of the guys already on the roster. If Buffalo expects White, Hairston and Johnson back in a reasonable amount of time, general manager Brandon Beane will hold pat.
However, if there's any concern that even one of the three is going to miss significant time, the Bills can't afford to wait it out and must make a move to rectify the situation.
Newsome would be a fine addition, but not at the price Knox is suggesting, especially with him being a free agent in 2026.
If Buffalo, however, can get for Newsome cheaper than that, it's something Beane and Co. should consider.
Lions Offensive Line Already a Clear Roadblock for Super Bowl Chances
Over the past few seasons, the Detroit Lions' offensive line has been among the top in football. Their dominating presence wore opponents down, leading to them playing worse the next week. However, entering this season, there were questions about how the unit would perform.
With center Frank Ragnow's surprising retirement, Detroit would be supporting an entirely new interior of the offensive line in 2025. Lions fans quickly realized how different the team looks without even average interior offensive line play in their Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. If the interior offensive line play doesn't shape up quickly, the Lions' chances of making a Super Bowl run drop significantly.
Lions Interior Offensive Line Was a Glaring Issue in Week 1
In Week 1, the Lions center and offensive guards allowed three sacks, two quarterback hits, four quarterback hurries, and nine quarterback pressures, according to PFF. Moreover, none of them logged above a 55.0 overall grade.
Center Graham Glasgow had the worst performance, earning himself a 43.6 overall grade. One of his worst plays of the day came on a fourth-quarter run when the Lions were backed up inside their five-yard line. On this play, Glasgow and right guard Tate Ratledge were blocking the air while Rashan Gary and Colby Wooden tackled David Montgomery at Detroit's own one-yard line.
Ratledge even admitted his debut wasn't the best. After the game, the rookie said, "Obviously, starting (with) myself, I got to go out there and be better. I did not have my best game where I needed to play (well). Did not play to this team's standard, especially not this offensive line room's standard. So, I've got to go in, go to work, and try to get better from it."
Hearing these words from a rookie should excite fans. Typically, rookies aren't this self-critical. Sure, most will tell you if they had a bad game, but also mention that they are still learning. Ratledge didn't do that and instead took full responsibility because he understands the Lions are striving for greatness.
Despite the other two linemen not speaking with the media after the game, they also likely understand that they didn't play up to standards. Be that as it may, it's paramount that everyone plays better moving forward. If they fail to do so, the offensive line will remain a clear roadblock standing between the Lions and a Super Bowl run in 2025.
