Buffalo Bills Acquire WR1 in Blockbuster Trade Proposed by NFL Insider

One of the burning questions of the offseason is whether the Buffalo Bills will find a top-tier wide receiver to help bolster a position in dire need of an upgrade.

There have been various proposals floated over the past several weeks to satisfy one of the Bills’ most pressing needs, including potential free-agent acquisitions and trades. One ESPN insider recently laid out a potential scenario that would help Buffalo take a step toward providing an answer in the passing game.

Bill Barnwell believes the Bills are a potential suitor for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who took a step back in 2025 but is an exciting prospect for Buffalo, which lacks talent at the position.

The trade

“If the [Jaguars are] still committed to giving Travis Hunter a two-way role, its wide receiver room would be very crowded,” wrote Barnwell, who added Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington are both in the mix for targets next season.

“Thomas, on the other hand, never really seemed comfortable in [Head Coach Liam] Coen’s offense,” he continued. “After a massive rookie campaign, Thomas didn’t have a single 100-yard game in Year 2 and topped 70 receiving yards three times.”

Thomas Jr. finished the 2025 campaign with 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns, which was far from his production from his rookie season in which he finished with 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Barnwell also mentioned that the Jaguars are without their 2026 first-round pick due to relinquishing it via the trade they made a season ago that landed them Hunter. He believes that, if they trade Thomas Jr., they could recoup the first-rounder they parted with as part of that deal. The exact terms of his hypothetical trade are Thomas Jr. and a 2026 fifth-round pick for Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman and a 2026 first-round selection.

“The Bills, on the other hand, desperately need an ‘X’ receiver who can separate from man coverage and make plays at all three levels,” he wrote. “Coleman might have become that player for them, but after ownership bad-mouthed the 2024 second-round pick in a news conference, it’s tough to believe that he has a long-term future in Buffalo.”

MORE: Two Superstar Free-Agent WRs Buffalo Bills Should Pursue, per NFL Analyst

New column: 11 trades that would make sense (under the right circumstances) over the next month, including deals for Maxx Crosby, Kyler Murray, and more https://t.co/Z77jJ782Sk
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) February 16, 2026

The cost

The ESPN insider added that the financials would work for the Bills despite them being up against the salary cap. Buffalo is currently about $10 million over the cap, per Spotrac.

“Thomas’ contract is a bargain for the next few years,” he wrote. “He’ll make $2.1 million in 2026 and $2.8 million in 2027 before a potential fifth-year option in 2028, affording the Bills multiple seasons of cost control. Even if Thomas only settles in somewhere between his 2024 and 2025 form, he would offer significant surplus value.”

When you look at it that way, there doesn’t seem to be many more attractive options potentially available for the Bills this offseason. In the end, it takes two teams to make a deal, but Barnwell makes a convincing case as to why both the Bills and Jaguars could be interested in a swap.