Bills' WR trade need for a guy like A.J. Brown has bad Amari Cooper precedent

There's a general consensus among Bills Mafia that what the Buffalo Bills really need is a top wide receiver.

Say, a guy like A.J. Brown, who appears discontent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Except, the Bills have tried this before.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote in a new article about how the Bills' trade last season for Amari Cooper could inform their decision making this time around ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. That Cooper deal was a flop.

"Bills fans will want GM Brandon Beane to go into the market for a star wide receiver and come away with someone like A.J. Brown, but barring something truly shocking, I'd be surprised if the Bills went that direction," Barnwell wrote this week. "Remember that Beane shipped a third-round pick to the Browns for Amari Cooper last year (that selection landed Cleveland its current starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel). Cooper had 20 catches for 297 yards in a Bills uniform before leaving and then retiring."

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Barnwell goes on to write that the Bills are much more likely to target safety and defensive tackle help.

Buffalo has been dealing with injuries in its secondary all season, and along the defensive line, Ed Oliver is now out with a torn biceps.

"The Bills could stand to add another rotational player at defensive tackle," Barnwell writes. "Landing a safety (head coach Sean) McDermott trusts would be a dream scenario, but the demand around the league there is far greater than the potential supply."

The NFL trade deadline usually has a lot more hype than it has actual big deals, but the Bills could certainly stand to make a few upgrades.

They just may not come in the form of a shiny receiver.

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