It's not quite time to hit the panic meter yet, but the Buffalo Bills' 29-26 loss to the floundering New England Patriots didn't instill much confidence. The good news is that the 2026 NFL trade deadline is still a few weeks away (November 10, between Weeks 9 and 10), so there is still time for the Bills to make a trade to improve their biggest flaw.

“The Bills could need some help in the secondary as they continue to transition to Jim Leonhard's defense,” ESPN's Dan Graziano reports in his Week 5 intel column.

Needing “some help” in the secondary is an understatement for the Bills right now. This unit is banged up, with Christian Benford, Dee Alford, Jordan Hacock, and rookie Jalon Kilgore all hurt to varying degrees. That leaves the team relying on players like rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun, Damar Hamlin, and Maxwell Hairston, who acquitted himself horribly in the Bills-Patriots game.

Additionally, Leonhard has been playing primarily zone coverage this season, which does not seem to fit with his defensive philosophy. However, CBs like Benford and Hairston are holdovers from the zone-heavy Sean McDermott era and seem incapable of playing the high-level man that Leonhard needs.

Article Continues Below

The problem for the Bills is that there doesn't seem to be a ton of secondary help on the NFL trade deadline market right now, and what help there is would have to come from a team it is hard to see the Bills trading with. Kansas City Chiefs CB Krisian Fulton and New York Jets CB Branden Stephens are two of the main names on the block heading into Week 5.

There are still a few options out there for the Bills, though, if they want to make a trade. Green Bay Packers CB Keisean Nixon, Pittsburgh Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey, and Washington Commanders CB (and former Bill) Rasul Douglas could all be options.