Making the Case for Bills to Trade Dion Dawkins After Signing Rookie Jude Bowry

The Buffalo Bills inked their final remaining unsigned 2026 draft pick to his rookie deal and now it’s time for them to consider trading longtime veteran Dion Dawkins.

The Bills drafted Jude Bowry with the No. 102 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft and it took nearly two months for the team to come to terms with their fourth-round offensive lineman. However, on June 12, the Bills revealed that Bowry had signed his rookie deal, a four-year pact worth $5.6 million, asOnSI’s Ralph Ventre broke down previously.

With Bowry officially on board, they have several young offensive tackles in tow after the offseason departure of former swing tackle Ryan Van Demark. Van Demark signed an offer sheet with the Minnesota Vikings on Mar. 20 that eventually led to him agreeing to a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the team as a restricted free agent.

Joining the 2026 fourth-rounder are other youthful pieces such as 2025 sixth-round pick Chase Lundt and 2024 fifth-round pick Tylan Grable, who previously served as the team’s swing tackle during his rookie year before injuries thwarted his progress. Buffalo also drafted another offensive lineman this past April, Ar’maj Reed-Adams, although he is better suited inside, where is listed as a guard on the Bills’ official roster.

With that said, the Bills have three options in Bowry, Lundt and Grable who they could potentially plug in as one of their tackles of the future, while moving on from Dawkins would create additional flexibility against the salary cap as Buffalo enters a new era with first-year head coach Joe Brady at the helm.

Trading Dawkins would have significant salary cap implications

Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) returns an interceptions against the Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (73) in the second half at NRG Stadium. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

At this point of the offseason, the Bills have $10 million of salary cap space, according to Spotrac, which is ranked 25th among all 32 NFL teams. Dawkins represents a significant percentage of the team’s space against the cap, with his 2026 cap hit of $24.8 million accounting for 8.25% of the league’s imposed salary cap of $301.2 million.

Things won’t suddenly become any more favorable for the Bills in 2027, when Dawkins’ cap hit will rise slightly to $25 million, which is 7.75% of the league’s salary cap. The only reason that number will drop is because wide receiver DJ Moore has a whopping ’27 cap hit of $28.9 million [8.96%], while defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s cap hit is an astounding $28.2 million [8.76%].

Having over 25% of the cap tied up in three players not named Josh Allen would not be wise, particularly when you consider all three of those players will be 30 or older next season. It may be more prudent to bite the bullet with Dawkins before the start of the 2026 season, sending him to a team for a solid trade package in order to acquire a solid return of more cost-efficient players to alleviate some salary-cap concerns the Bills have entering the ’26 campaign and moving forward.

Dawkins is coming off a down year

All of this doesn’t mention the fact that Dawkins took an obvious step back in 2025.

After being responsible for allowing just nine sacks over his previous three seasons, Dawkins allowed seven sacks in 2026, according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, he allowed 33 quarterback hurries, which was nearly double the amount he allowed in 2025 [25] and the most he has ever allowed in a single season in his career.

His pass-blocking efficiency dropped nearly two percentage points, while his quarterback pressure rate allowed [6.85%] was the highest rate of his career.

Another element of his game that was lacking was his tendency to commit costly penalties. He led the Bills in flags thrown against him with 10, which included seven pre-snap penalties [false starts] along with three holding calls that did not go in his favor. This was after he was called for 16 penalties in 2024.

It’s been a consistent issue for Dawkins over the past two seasons, who might be slowing down as he gets a bit longer in the tooth. He has made the Pro Bowl each of the past five seasons, but the team’s left tackle will turn 33 years old next season and could be winding down what has been a successful career for the team’s 2017 second-round pick.

A proper plan for the Bills in training camp

Boston College Eagles offensive lineman Jude Bowry (71) warms up before a game against the Fordham Rams at Alumni Stadium. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The best plan for the Bills is to see what they have in their three youngsters at training camp, and if any of them stand out as capable starters, Buffalo should pull the trigger and flip Dawkins for players needed elsewhere. I was not a big fan of Bowry’s fourth-round selection when it happened, but if he proves me wrong and has a solid training camp, that should tempt the Bills to test the waters on a potential deal involving the “Shnowman.”

The Bills could use help at other positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where the team still lacks enough run-stuffing manpower to capably slow opposing teams in the upcoming season and beyond. If they can find a big-bodied nose tackle or a beefy linebacker on the trade market, throw in a veteran offensive tackle to step in and join the team’s group of neophytes, and we could have ourselves a deal.

There’s no doubt that the Bills’ offensive line has been one of the strengths of the team over the past several years. And with the loss of former starting left guard David Edwards, who agreed to a four-year, $61 million free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints on Mar. 11, the team is already searching for one replacement in its starting lineup.

Moving on from Dawkins would further dissolve that continuity. But at some point soon, the Bills are going to have to rip the Band-Aid off and seek Dawkins' heir at left tackle as they forge ahead into their future. And perhaps the future should be now.

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