The Buffalo Bills went into the 2022 NFL trade deadline without any glaring needs. They came into the regular season as the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl and have done nothing to sway anyone’s thinking into believing that should change.
Buffalo is 6-1 on the season, tied for the second-best record in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings behind the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. They are expecting to make a deep run into the postseason, so they did make a move ahead of the deadline, shoring up their backfield.
The Bills acquired veteran Nyheim Hines from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for running back Zack Moss and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick. Hines is a hybrid player that is capable of lining up as a receiver and also returning kicks and punts, adding another dynamic weapon to what is already an explosive offense.
Running back was a position that the Bills were looking to shore up as they have been connected to multiple players in recent weeks. They landed on Hines and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact and a great first impression on his new teammates.
He took the practice field for the first time on Wednesday afternoon and immediately began turning heads. The first thing that quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs noticed was just how fast Hines actually is.
“One play, me and Stef looked at each other like, ‘Holy crap, this guy is fast,’” Allen said. “He’s smart, he’s already learning some of the plays and our system is not easy to learn. There’s still a lot of work there, but as far as what he can give this offense, it’s fun to have a piece like that.”
There is only so much that watching tape can do, as it does no justice to showcasing just how fast Hines is. He blew away his new teammates and they are excited to have him in the fold.
Hines has more receiving yards in his career than rushing yards, providing the Bills a solid complement to Devin Singletary, who has really come into his own as the early down back in Buffalo. An already difficult offense to slow down got that much tougher with the addition of Hines to the unit.
