Buffalo Bills linked to veteran LB ahead of NFL trade deadline

The Buffalo Bills are coming out of their Week 7 bye and will face the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.

Their goal will be to end their current two-game losing streak, which included losses to the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. During each of those losses, their defense struggled to get stops and the offense stalled at key times.

This has led to speculation about the NFL trade deadline, which will be November 4. If the Bills are serious about contending, they might need to get active again this season.

While most eyes seem to be on the wide receiver position, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the Bills should look for help at linebacker. With that in mind, he’s named them a potential suitor for Tennessee Titans’ veteran Cody Barton.

“The 28-year-old has 102 games and 50 starts on his resume, and he's been a productive starter in his last few stops—he already has 42 tackles and two interceptions this season,” Knox wrote.

“More than a few teams could use help at linebacker, whether due to injuries or flat-out poor play. Barton would be a fine addition to any struggling defense with playoff aspirations.”

What would it take for Buffalo Bills to land Cody Barton?

It can be difficult to judge exactly what a team would take to move on from a productive player, but the Titans are about to undergo a major change after firing head coach Brian Callahan.

That means they’ll be interested in adding as much draft capital as possible, which is why Knox predicts a fourth-round pick in 2026 could be the compensation for Barton.

Sending that to Tennessee wouldn’t be an issue, but the Bills would need to ensure they can afford his salary. Barton signed a three-year deal worth $21 million this offseason, so Buffalo would have to be prepared to take on the final two years of his deal.