The Buffalo Bills could soon be grabbing a true No. 1 wide receiver for Josh Allen.
A new report from Syracuse.com suggests that the Bills may have their eye on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green and could pounce if he were to hit free agency. Green’s future in Cincinnati has been in doubt for some months now, with his name emerging as a potential trade target ahead of last season’s trade deadline.
A new report from ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler noted that Green is still likely on his way out of Cincinnati, even if he did survive the trade deadline.
“I think he wants out of Cincinnati,” an unnamed NFC executive told Fowler. “And even ‘B’ receivers are getting $14 million to $15 million.”
For their parts, both the Bengals and Green have said publicly that they are happy with each other, and Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor recently said that the team wants Green back this season. There could be even more pressure to keep Green given that the Bengals are expected to draft quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall pick and would want to surround him with as many weapons as possible.
But Green has already made it known that he would rather test free agency if the Bengals won’t give him a long-term extension, the report noted. If he does hit the market, the Bills could be among the most motivated teams to land him. The Bills reached the playoffs in 2020 on the strength of one of the league’s best defenses and despite sometimes inconsistent performances from Allen. The team’s top target this year was John Brown, who is not considered a true No. 1 by many NFL experts.
If the Bills do plan to go after Green, they would likely have some competition — including some from within the division. A previous report from The Inquisitr noted that the New England Patriots were planning to keep Tom Brady and intended to go after Green to bolster his offensive weapons.
As NESN noted, it would take some financial finagling for the Patriots to find the cap space both for Brady and a major addition like Green.
“The Patriots would need to do some salary-cap gymnastics to afford both Brady and a couple of star-studded offensive upgrades, especially if the veteran quarterback is unwilling to accept another hometown discount ahead of his age-43 season,” the report added.
The Patriots had also been pegged as one of the most likely teams to trade for Green before he ultimately stayed with the Bengals.
