“Bills-Saints trade proposal gives Josh Allen star weapon in stunning NFL move

March 28, 2025 | By ESPN Staff

The Buffalo Bills are one step from the Super Bowl mountain, but another postseason gut-punch—this time to their arch-rival Chiefs—has GM Brandon Beane hunting for a spark. Enter a wild trade idea from Last Word On Sports’ Tim Daniels: send draft capital to the New Orleans Saints for star wide receiver Chris Olave, a move that could arm MVP Josh Allen with the No. 1 target he’s lacked since Stefon Diggs’ 2024 exit. With Amari Cooper hitting free agency and Buffalo leaning on Khalil Shakir and sophomore Keon Coleman, the Bills’ No. 30 pick might need a hefty trade-up—think a 2025 first-rounder and a 2026 second—to snag Olave, a top-10 talent. Meanwhile, the Saints, doubling down with Derek Carr and new coach Kellen Moore, seem unlikely to budge unless the offer’s too rich to refuse.

Olave’s tape screams elite when he’s on the field—88 catches, 1,042 yards, and 5 touchdowns in 2023, averaging 11.8 yards per catch, per NFL.com. The 2022 first-rounder’s route-running wizardry—think short and intermediate mastery—torched man coverage, a Bills kryptonite in 2024 (14th in passing yards per game at 226.4, ESPN Stats & Info). Over three seasons, he’s hauled in 199 receptions for 2,765 yards and 13 TDs, but concussions sidelined him for chunks of 2024, raising red flags. Still, his 82.6 PFF grade as a rookie (PFF.com) shows why he’s a coveted WR1—when healthy, he’s a mismatch nightmare.

Landing Olave could vault Buffalo’s offense back to its Diggs-era peak, giving Allen a weapon to shred AFC foes like Kansas City, who’ve owned them in January. Bills fans lit up X: “Olave to Buffalo? Allen’s MVP encore incoming!” But the cost—premium picks and cap gymnastics with just $3.9 million free (Spotrac)—is steep, and New Orleans isn’t blinking. Carr’s restructured 2025 deal signals a Saints push, not a teardown, making Olave (139 targets in 2023) their linchpin—not Buffalo’s savior. If Beane pulls this off, it’s a league-shaker; if not, the Saints hold firm, and the Bills keep searching.