Bills urged to add former NFL interception leader to strengthen struggling defense

The Buffalo Bills need help on defense and they could find that in a former NFL interception leader.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills have a lot of work to do during their Week 7 bye. At 4-2, they're still in good shape in the standings, but they're also coming off back-to-back losses where their defense struggled to record any stops.

In Week 6, the Atlanta Falcons had their way on the ground, but Week 5 saw their secondary get torched by wide receiver Stefon Diggs. That means there are multiple issues to fix, but there's some good news for the defensive line.

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Both Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are expected to be back in Week 8 after they each served a six-game suspension. As for the secondary, they would be happy to get rookie Maxwell Hairston back to full health, but even then, they don't know what he will bring to the table.

That's why CBS Sports' Garrett Podell believes they should target Riq Woolen in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

"Adding reinforcements to the secondary is critical for the Bills, and that's why they should aim to trade for big-bodied Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen, who stands at 6-foot-4-inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. The Seahawks are deep at cornerback, as evidenced by their 20-12 Week 6 road win at the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars with Woolen sidelined with a concussion."

Riq Woolen doesn't seem to be in Seattle's long-term plans

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen celebrates intercepting a pass against the Cleveland Browns. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Ever since Seattle hired Mike Macdonald as head coach, Woolen has been on the outs. His style of play doesn't seem to mix with Macdonald's scheme, leading to trade speculation. Throw in the fact that he's a free agent after the season, and it would be smart for the Seahawks to see what they could get in a trade.

For the Bills, it would make sense to bring in a player who was tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions during his 2022 rookie season.

In all, Woolen has played in 53 games and recorded 179 tackles, 42 pass defenses, and 11 interceptions.

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