Bills 'fairytale' trade proposal adds perfect replacement for injured Ed Oliver

The Buffalo Bills have a void in their defense they can't fill after the injury to Ed Oliver —) that is, unless they pull off this "fairytale" trade for an elite Tennessee Titans defender.

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As if the Buffalo Bills didn't have enough problems on defense in 2025, they now have yet another, and it's a massive one.

That comes in the form of the injury to defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who suffered a torn biceps injury in Week 8 that will end his season.

Oliver is added to the pile of injuries the Bills are dealing with along the defensive line, a list that includes DaQuan Jones, T.J. Sanders and DeWayne Carter.

In the wake of the Oliver injury, Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker proposes a "fairytale" trade for the Bills that would have them acquire Tennessee Titans star Jeffery Simmons.

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"A team like the Bills could sorely use a player like Simmons, especially in light of Ed Oliver’s season-ending biceps injury," Locker wrote. "This season, Buffalo interior defenders rank 23rd in pass-rush win rate and 15th in PFF pass-rushing grade. Considering injuries to DaQuan Jones and rookie T.J. Sanders, Buffalo’s interior is still a weak point, as no Bill has produced more than 11 pressures this year."

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills guard David Edwards (76) looks to block Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

There are few people on the planet who can fill Oliver's shoes, but Simmons is most definitely one of them, as the former first-round pick is one of the best interior defenders in the NFL.

Not only is he an elite interior edge rusher (his 91.1 PFF pass-rush grade is tops in the NFL), but he's a plus run defender, which is sorely needed for Buffalo's 31st-ranked run defense.

Making this trade more attractive is the fact that Simmons is under contract through 2027, so the Bills would have an elite duo up the middle with Oliver and Simmons for the long haul.

Unfortunately, there are several problems with this trade idea.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For starters, the Bills would have a difficult time squeezing in Simmons' massive $94 million contract, both now and in the future. In fact, it might not even be possible given Buffalo's extremely tight cap space situation the next few years.

Also, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Titans do not plan on trading their best player, even though the team would get a monster haul that could include a first-round pick.

Adding a player like Simmons would be exactly what the Bills' ailing defense needs. Sadly, it's highly unlikely to happen.

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