Things have been tough on the Buffalo Bills recently. They went all the way to London in Week 5 to face off with the Jacksonville Jaguars but returned stateside with a loss on their record, dropping to 3-2.
To make matters worse, they are going to be without two of their star players on defense. Cornerback Tre’Davius White and linebacker Matt Milano both suffered season-ending injuries, as White hurt his Achilles against the Miami Dolphins and Milano injured his leg against the Jaguars.
Replacing those two certainly won’t be easy as there aren’t players readily available that can provide the same impact they can. In-house replacements, such as 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam are going to have to step up in their absence.
At the very least, the Bills have some experience having to replace White, who tore his ACL previously. Replacing Milano, however, is a different story, especially since Buffalo was already working on a replacement next to him with Tremaine Edmunds leaving in free agency for the Chicago Bears.
Bringing in a veteran to help replace Milano is a good place to start. A.J. Klein was signed this week, but coming out of retirement, he likely isn’t ready for a full-time role. That is partly why Bill Barnwell of ESPN suggested that the Bills go after veteran Jordan Hicks of the Minnesota Vikings.
“The 31-year-old Hicks has bounced around the league while starting for the Eagles, Cardinals and Vikings, giving him experience in a range of systems. He’s no match for Milano in coverage, but he is a sure tackler and an efficient run defender, something the Bills will need in their matchups within the AFC East down the stretch. Hicks is owed about $2.5 million in prorated money over the remainder of the season, but he would be a logical fit for Buffalo, given the paucity of options available.”
Given the current state of affairs for the Vikings, they should be more than willing to make a trade involving Hicks. They are going nowhere fast and while they won’t admit it publicly, probably won’t be too upset if they lose the rest of the season.
Barnwell suggested that the Bills send a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Vikings as compensation for the veteran linebacker. In five games this season, Hicks has recorded 43 tackles, one tackle for loss with one pass defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Hicks would be about as good of a replacement as the Bills can find. He is the No. 7 ranked linebacker, out of 81 qualifying players, per PFF this season with an overall grade of 80.9.
