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The Buffalo Bill shave one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the entire NFL. Because of that, head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane had to make some tough decisions during the final round of Bills roster cuts. For the most part, when the tale of the tape was close, McDermott and Beane seemed to go with proven veterans over more promising younger players. That makes sense for a franchise like Buffalo, and it leaves the organization with some excellent Bills trade assets, like wide receiver Jamison Crowder.
Chances are, the Bills will stick with Crowder as the fourth wide receiver. However, there is a chance that the Bills feel they’re covered at the position for the season and, as the best Bills' trade asset, the team makes the veteran wide receiver available.
Here is why Crowder is the Bills' best trade asset.
Bills best trade assets
Jamison Crowder
Jamison Crowder has been a productive pass-catcher in the NFL for a long time. The former Duke Blue Devil was a fourth-round pick (No. 105 overall) for Washington in 2015.
The 5-foot-9, 177-pound wideout made a name for himself in Washington, posting four productive seasons alongside the likes of Pierre Garcon and Deshaun Jackson. In 2017, Crowder led the team in catches (66) and yards (789).
Jamison Crowder hit the free-agent market in 2019 and signed a three-year, $28.5 million deal with the New York Jets. In New Jersey, Crowder caught 188 balls for 1,979 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He was the teams leading receiver in both 2019 and 2020.
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In the 2022 offseason, at age 29, Crowder signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.
In Bills training camp, Jamison Crowder competed with Isaiah McKenzie and rookie fifth-round pick Khalil Shakir for the job as the team’s starting slot/WR3.
McKenzie, with his dynamic run-after-catch ability, won the job in camp. Shakir also showed a great deal of promise and is now listed as the No. 3 slot receiver behind McKenzie and Crowder. That’s a little deceiving, though, as the backup to Gabe Davis, Marquez Stevenson, is likely out at least four games after foot surgery.
In order to keep Crowder, Stevenson, Shakir, and Jake Kumerow, the Bills cut 2021 sixth-round pick Isaiah Hodgins. The former Oregon State Beaver has a solid preseason and seemed to have a solid chance of surviving the final Bills roster cuts.
Hodgins and WR Tanner Gentry — Josh Allen’s former teammate at Wyoming — are reportedly coming back to the Bills on the practice squad. With two pretty good deep backup options (who can also play some special teams) like Hodgins and Tanner, Buffalo could part ways with Crowder for the right price.
Crowder is the best Bills trade asset because of the price he could fetch. For a contender with a hole at slot receiver (either now or after injury before the November 1 NFL trade deadline), Crowder is an attractive option.
A team that would make Crowder the starting slot/No. 3 WR on the depth chart could give Buffalo multiple draft picks for this Bills' trade asset. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Reagor just garnered a seventh-round pick and a conditional fourth- or fifth-rounder from the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s hard to imagine that a Bills trade asset like Jamison Crowder — who is a one-year rental on his current deal — couldn’t get Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane a similar haul. If this does happen, look for Hodgins to step up and play a decent-sized role this season in Josh Allen and Ken Dorsey's offense.
