Bills Urged to Trade Second-Round Bust for 1,000-Yard Upgrade

Keon Coleman still has the faith of the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff despite an underwhelming first two NFL seasons, but whether the front office will allow Joe Brady and Co. to put that to the test has yet to be seen.

Coleman is coming off a season in which he caught 38 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns and was a healthy scratch for four games. The majority came in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, when he had 112 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport suggested Buffalo send Coleman to the Indianapolis Colts for a receiver who's been a reliable option despite playing with 11 different starting quarterbacks since he entered the league in 2020.

Bills projected to trade for Michael Pittman Jr.

"Even if he's not the true "alpha" wideout the Buffalo Bills so badly need, he'd be a sizable upgrade to the team's passing-game weapons," Davenport wrote.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Pittman is primarily a slot receiver with an 8.17-yard average depth of target, ranking 127th out of 154 receivers with at least 100 routes run. However, he's not the kind of shifty playmaker that Khalil Shakir is.

With Pittman's stature, Brady could opt to put him on the outside more often, where he could win in contested-catch situations while still having reliable arms to make routine plays.

"Pittman hasn't been as productive the past two seasons as he was earlier in his career, but the seventh-year veteran has a pair of 1,000-yard seasons on his NFL resume," Davenport wrote.

While the Colts would benefit financially, this deal could also make sense for Buffalo in that regard.

Why else would Buffalo trade for Pittman?

"He'd also likely be amenable to an extension that would drop his cap hit in 2026," Davenport wrote.

Pittman carries a $29 million cap hit for 2026. For reference, his cap hit at the start of his three-year extension was $18 million. This structure explains how an extension could benefit Buffalo if he joins the Bills and thrives in 2026.

Pittman is coming off an 80-catch, 784-yard season with seven touchdowns. He would be more likely to break out in Buffalo with Josh Allen, who'd undoubtedly be the best quarterback Pittman would have ever played with.

Buffalo needs more help for Josh Allen to make him more comfortable and avoid another playoff letdown, and Pittman could be a venerable, dependable presence in the locker room.