The Buffalo Bills stand at 5-1 heading into their bye week in Week 7. After beating the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in Week 6, the team has solidified itself as one of the best teams in the league and a true Super Bowl contender. The Bills roster is incredibly solid, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make some tweaks at the NFL trade deadline on November 1. Here are three Bills trade deadline moves that the team can make to improve the team and load up for the stretch run.

3. Johnathan Abram, Las Vegas Raiders

All Bills fans know who the No. 1 trade target on this list is, and we’ll get to the superstar running back, but first let’s talk about a few other places where the Bills can improve their depth at the 2022 NFL trade deadline.

One is at safety.

With All-Pro Micah Hyde out for the season, second-year, 2021 sixth-round pick Damar Hamlin has done a good job filling in for the lost star. However, the Bills are thin at safety right now, and the fact that Jordan Poyer had to travel to the Chiefs game by van because a rib/lung injury didn’t allow him to fly is worrisome.

After a 1-4 start, the Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly shopping several former first-round picks, including safety Johnathan Abram and defensive lineman Clelin Farrell. Abram has lost out on playing time to Duron Harmon and Tre'von Moehrig under Josh McDaniels and is now expendable.

Abrams is an in-the-box banger and likely wouldn’t be the plug-and-play starter next to Poyer that Hyde was. However, he could be incredibly useful against run-heavy teams, and, at this point, any experienced player at the safety position would be a help to the Bills.

If the Raiders really want Abram out and are willing to take a late-round pick for him, this is a Bills trade target Brandon Beane should look into.

2. Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans

Dawson Knox caught the game-winning touchdown against the Chiefs and is a key piece of the Bills offense. However, behind him, there isn’t much to speak of.

The other two tight ends on the Bills depth chart are the second-year, undrafted Quintin Morris, who spent most of last year on the practice squad, and 2019 seventh-round pick Tommy Sweeney.

While Morris has shown some promise since taking over the TE2 role from Sweeney early in the season, neither one are offensive weapons. Bringing in a seasoned, pass-catching tight end would give offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey even more options and allow him to be more creative with formations and passing schemes.

The tight end that is on the block who can become a Bills trade deadline target is the Tennessee Titans’ Austin Hooper.

The TE only has 11 targets and six catches for 55 yards this season, and the Titans are shopping him. In his best seasons (2018-19), Hopper was a Pro Bowl pass-catcher who recorded 146 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns.

With Josh Allen throwing him the ball, it’s possible that Hooper regains his best form, which could take the Bills offense to an even higher level.

1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

Thanks for hanging in there while we got through the appetizer and the amuse-bouche to get to the main course. The Bills trade deadline move that everyone is talking about is for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

As the Panthers fire sale gets underway, McCaffrey has become the most intriguing player who could move at the 2022 NFL trade deadline. The 2017 No. 8 overall pick’s talent is undeniable. In his best season (2019), the Stanford product had 287 carries for 1,387 yards, 116 catches for 1,005 yards, and 19 total touchdowns.

The issue is that in the two following seasons, he played just 10 games. At just 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, McCaffrey isn’t your traditional bell cow back, and his body hasn’t held up like one either. He has stayed relatively healthy this season, but injuries will always be a concern.

With backs like Devin Singletary and Zack Moss to help shoulder the load, though, the Bills can limit McCaffrey’s usage to high-leverage situations and games and hopefully preserve his health. A healthy Christian McCaffrey with Allen and the Bills offense is an incredible thought for Bills fans and an incredibly scary one for the competition.

In addition to the health questions, the other downsides to McCaffrey are his money and what it would take to get him.

He is the highest-paid RB in the league and would cost $19.5, $19.5, and $15.4 against the cap for the next three seasons. And to bring him to Buffalo, it would likely cost a first-round pick plus, similar to the Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and A.J. Brown deals from the summer.

That’s a lot to pay and to give up, but GM Brandon Beane has hardly made a misstep in his career in Orchard Park, so if he decides to do a Bills trade deadline deal for Christian McCaffrey, Bills fans should be on board.