Bills can solve WR separation problem by striking pre-deadline deal with Saints

There was a host of issues to discuss following the Buffalo Bills’ 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

Turnovers were a problem, and so were penalties. The Buffalo defense faltered at times, but it was the offense’s deficiencies that were the most pronounced during the Bills’ worst performance of the season.

One of the main concerns with the Bills’ attack against New England was the failure of Buffalo's wide receivers to separate from man coverage down the field, which has been a problem for the Bills dating back to last season.

Allen finished the Week 5 defeat a reasonable 22 of 31 passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns, along with an interception and a lost fumble. With that said, far too often Allen stood in the pocket or was flushed out while waiting for his pass catchers to come open in the Patriots’ secondary. The Bills quarterback’s average time to throw vs. New England was a season-high 3.27 seconds, per Next Gen Stats, nearly a half-second longer than his average during Weeks 1 through 4 (2.84 seconds).

Entering Sunday’s game, New England had played man coverage 32.5% of the time, which was the seventh-highest rate in the league, per Sharp Football Analysis. The Patriots stuck to their guns against the Bills and, as a result, enjoyed plenty of success.

Joshua Palmer was brought in through free agency this offseason with hopes of adding much-needed separation ability at the wide receiver position. There was also hope that second-year WR Keon Coleman would improve his ability to find open space downfield in the passing game. But through four weeks of the regular season, Buffalo’s receiving corps has struggled to take the steps it was expected to this year. On throws of 20 or more yards downfield, the Bills rank 28th in average target separation, per Anthony Prohaska of Cover 1.

So, how can the Bills fix things at the wide receiver position? Perhaps taking a look at one of the team’s recent opponents is a good place to start.

The New Orleans Saints have been rumored to be shopping their veteran players as they are 1-4 on the season while sitting in salary cap hell. Two Saints players that could potentially provide an instant boost to the Bills’ pass-catching corps, if available, are wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, both of whom have been the subject of much discussion among Bills fans throughout the past several days.

Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed — Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) celebrates with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Both players offer plus speed and downfield elusiveness, particularly Shaheed, who has recorded an average of 13.1 yards per reception this season. The 27-year-old target finished this past week with four receptions for 114 yards, including an 87-yard touchdown catch and run that helped the Saints earn a 26-14 win over the New York Giants. Olave has averaged just 7.4 yards per reception this season, but during his three previous seasons, he averaged no fewer than 12.5 yards per catch.

Shaheed is particularly intriguing as a potential trade target for the Bills, as he also offers impressive ability in the return game, which is currently an area of indecision for Buffalo. With return specialist Brandon Codrington being declared inactive the past two weeks, the Bills have inserted WR Khalil Shakir on punt returns and WR Curtis Samuel on kick returns, with neither player providing much of an impact in their newfound special teams role. If Buffalo were to make a swing for Shaheed, they would be bringing in one of the league’s most explosive punt returners, who averaged 15.9 yards per return on nine opportunities a season ago.

There is no guarantee that New Orleans would make either player available for a trade. But it would be wise of General Manager Brandon Beane to do his due diligence, as the production from the Bills’ group of pass catchers has left plenty to be desired through the first four weeks of the regular season.

MORE: Josh Allen highlights harsh reality after Bills' 'bad' divisional loss

Buffalo is no stranger to making big moves before the trade deadline, doing so a season ago when the Bills acquired WR Amari Cooper in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. While Cooper didn’t make an incredible impact during his time with the Bills, perhaps Beane and company should take another kick at the can in 2025. If so, the Saints’ top two pass catchers would be a good place to start before the trade deadline, which is set for Nov. 4, which is after Week 9.

It's unclear what a potential trade for Shaheed or Olave would look like. But a move for either player would likely involve Buffalo parting ways with a few high-value draft picks, particularly if that potential move involved Olave, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Shaheed will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

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