Bills Trade for Falcons' Cordarrelle Patterson After Nyheim Hines Injury?
The Buffalo Bills started training camp on Wednesday without running back and special-team standout Nyheim Hines after the tailback suffered an “off-site” knee injury on Monday, which will keep him out the entirety of this season.
The Bills acquired Hines from the Indianapolis Colts at the 2022 NFL trade deadline in exchange for running back Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft. In nine games with Buffalo, Hines caught five receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown while scoring two touchdowns on 19 kick returns.
Hines was slated to be the pass-catching option in Buffalo's backfield as well as its primary returner after averaging 29 yards on kick returns in last season. The Bills have to find a way to replace one of the most electrifying returners in the NFL and the tailbacks currently on their roster are not expected to fill Hines' role.
At running back, the Bills are rolling with James Cook, former Patriot Damien Harris, journeyman Latavius Murray, and recently-signed free agent Darrynton Evans. Evans is a former third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans.
Buffalo's front office could continue to look for answers via free agency, but it could also solve the problem with a trade. Could Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson be the solution?
The veteran has been a do-it-all playmaker in Arthur Smith's run-heavy offense who has also totaled 718 yards and one touchdown on 27 kick return attempts in the last two seasons.
Since signing with Atlanta in 2021, Patterson has rushed for 1,313 yards and 14 touchdowns on 297 carries while bringing in 73 passes for 670 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Adding a "Swiss army knife" like Patterson to Buffalo's offense would be a welcome addition for a team in win-now mode, and Atlanta would still have great depth at the running back position after trading away the veteran.
The Falcons selected Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and he will be paired with 2022 rookie phenom Tyler Allgeier. Robinson is expected to take an elite running game, and Atlanta's offense as a whole, to another level.
With two talented backs already on the roster, it would not hurt Buffalo to call Atlanta to at least open discussions on a possible trade for Patterson.
You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.
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