AFC East

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team expressed interest in trading for running back Christian McCaffrey but ultimately declined to make an offer to the Carolina Panthers.

“I know [rumors] started with McCaffrey,” Beane told reporters Wednesday. “Yes, that was the last draft I was there in Carolina. Know him well. When you hear he’s on the block, I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence to not look into that. ... I did speak to the Panthers GM. Never made him an offer but did stay in touch through the process. Ultimately, it [the trade price] was going to be more than we were going to be able to do.”

The Panthers traded McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round selection in 2024.

Beane said the Bills did not have any discussions with the New Orleans Saints about trading for Alvin Kamara, who wound up staying put past Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Buffalo addressed its running back position by trading Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts for Nyheim Hines. Largely used as a third-down back during his career, Hines will mix in with Devin Singletary and James Cook to give the Bills three versatile backs—albeit ones who don't pack a McCaffrey-level punch.

Hines has never rushed for more than 380 yards or carried the ball more than 89 times in a season.

A heavy Super Bowl favorite at +225 (bet $100 to win $225) at DraftKings Sportsbook, Buffalo's addition of Hines is the type of move that can help on the margins without a seismic draft-pick investment. It's likely the odds would have shot down even further in the event McCaffrey became a Bill, but Beane has already built a juggernaut offense without the help of a superstar in the backfield.

The Bills are banking on the versatility and freshness of their backs making a difference in January.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said the team will consider signing free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. when he's ready to return from a torn ACL suffered in last season's Super Bowl.

"OBJ's a heck of a talent," Beane told reporters Wednesday. " ... And you know me, if we think he can help this team, we'd be crazy not to at least look into it."

The Bills, who sit atop the AFC standings with a 6-1 record, already made one marquee midseason addition to their offense with a deal for Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

Bills linebacker Von Miller, who played alongside Beckham on the Rams' championship squad last season, has consistently stated he expects the three-time Pro Bowl selection to land in Buffalo. That includes comments on the Richard Sherman Podcast in October (via Ryan Talbot of Syracuse.com).

"But let's be real," Miller said. "He's coming to the Bills. He's coming to the Bills. It's already said and done. He's coming the Bills. We're down a couple of receivers, man."

Buffalo has two depth receivers on injured reserve, Jamison Crowder and Marquez Stevenson, and No. 2 target Gabe Davis missed a game with an ankle injury.

The Super Bowl contenders already have a lot of competition for targets when everyone is healthy, though. Stefon Diggs is locked in as the team's No. 1 receiver and Davis has firmly established himself as the other outside starter.

Crowder, Isaiah McKenzie and rookie Khalil Shakir are all options in the slot, and tight end Dawson Knox has caught a touchdown in two straight games after a slow start to the season statistically.

So the question is whether OBJ, who'll likely sign a one-year deal for the rest of 2022 with an eye toward proving his health and re-entering free agency in the offseason, would be willing to accept a medium-volume role in Buffalo.

It's something Beane referenced in his remarks Wednesday, along with the need to make sure the former New York Giants standout would fit within the salary cap.

"If we did, you have to remember there's financials, there's roles, there's all sorts of things that would all have to line up," Beane said. "But yeah, a guy of his talent, of course we would look into that."

There's also the question of when Beckham will be ready to play.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported sources to believe the star's return timeline, which has generally been sometime in November, could be pushed into December, and he's told teams he wants to "assess his options" once ready to ensure he's entering the right situation.

The Bills' championship window is wide open, and their trade for Hines shows the front office is trying to create as much lineup depth and flexibility as possible to protect against injuries that arise, especially ones that could impact the playoff run.

Signing Beckham would fall under the same umbrella, though he's more of a game-changing player when in top form. But it's not a guarantee he'll get back to that level this season.

All told, OBJ would be terrific insurance for the Bills but it's not a free-agent pursuit that's going to make-or-break the team's title chances.

The New England Patriots reportedly "aren't wavering" on their decision to keep Mac Jones as their starting quarterback over rookie Bailey Zappe.

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Wednesday the Pats have given "zero indication—publicly or behind the scenes" they are looking to replace Jones now or in the immediate future.

Jones has struggled to back up his promising rookie campaign during the first half of the 2022 season. He's completed 65.9 percent of his throws for 993 yards with just three touchdowns and seven interceptions across five starts.

That's a far cry from last year, when he recorded 22 TDs and 13 INTs while leading the Patriots to a playoff appearance with a 10-7 record.

Zappe, who's played in four games as Jones recovered from an ankle injury, has held his own with a 70.7 percent completion rate, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

It wasn't enough for the Patriots to hand him the keys to the offense as Jones returned from injury, however, and the 2021 Pro Bowler played a decent game in Sunday's win over the New York Jets, going 24 of 35 for 194 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

"I thought Mac did a nice job," head coach Bill Belichick told reporters. "We had pressure on quite a few pass plays—more than we would like, for sure—and I thought he made good decisions. He had to pull the ball down a couple and made some key runs for us. The Jets gave us some looks at the line of scrimmage that he had to deal with in the running game; I thought he handled those well. I thought he gave us a lot of good plays."

While New England is standing behind Jones for now, it'll be interesting to see whether the coaching staff's stance changes if he doesn't show signs of returning to his 2021 form in the coming weeks.

The Patriots are still in the thick of the AFC playoff race with a 4-4 record, but their margin for is limited with a difficult schedule down the stretch. It makes their new two contests, winnable home games against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets, quite crucial.

If Jones doesn't play well in those matchups, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a new round of calls to give Zappe another chance to spark the Pats' offense.

Already boasting one of the best offenses in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills have added to their group of running backs by acquiring Nyheim Hines from the Indianapolis Colts before the trade deadline.

Indianapolis will receive running back Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick in return.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the deal.

Buffalo will have Hines under contract through the 2024 season, with his salary in each of the next two years not guaranteed.

Moss has $1.71 million remaining on his deal through next season, but the money is nonguaranteed.

The Colts didn't necessarily go into sell mode at the trade deadline, but their move to bench Matt Ryan and make Sam Ehlinger the starting quarterback suggests they are looking toward the future.

Adding a potential fifth-round draft pick for their backup running back is good value for the Colts. They now have eight picks in the 2023 NFL draft, with potentially two in the fifth round.

The Bills are all-in for this season, as they should be. They currently are the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 6-1 record, rank first in the NFL scoring defense (14.0 points per game), second in scoring offense (29.0 points per game) and have the league's best point differential (105).

No other team is within 27 points of Buffalo's scoring margin (78, Philadelphia Eagles). Zack Moss fell down to third on the depth chart this season with the addition of rookie James Cook.

Devin Singletary will likely remain the No. 1 running back for the Bills. He's having a solid season with 506 yards from scrimmage on 94 touches.

Hines' primary value in Buffalo figures to be as a receiving back. The 25-year-old has 235 receptions in 72 career games with the Colts dating back to 2018. He'd been an effective running back at times, including averaging a career-high 4.9 yards per carry in 2021.

Josh Allen has targeted running backs 46 times this season. The bulk of those have gone to Singletary (30), but expect head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey to get Hines involved in the passing game.

The Miami Dolphins are acquiring running back Jeff Wilson from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Wilson effectively replaces Chase Edmonds, who was included in the outgoing package the Dolphins sent to the Denver Broncos for Bradley Chubb, per Schefter.

Wilson has run for 468 yards and two touchdowns through eight games. He did well as San Francisco's primary ball-carrier following Elijah Mitchell's MCL sprain.

Mitchell should return at some point, and the arrival of Christian McCaffrey made Wilson expendable. Still, it's somewhat surprising the Niners couldn't get more than a fifth-rounder for the 26-year-old.

In Miami, Wilson will reunite with former teammate Raheem Mostert and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who coached him for four seasons in San Francisco. That should help him adjust to his new surroundings.

As a backup to Mostert, Wilson is an upgrade over Edmonds, who was averaging 2.9 yards per carry, and that could mean a more equal split in the backfield. Mostert (101) had more than double the carries of Edmonds (42), a gulf that may not carry over to the new-look running game.

Trading for Tyreek Hill was a sign of the Dolphins' ambitions heading into the season, and that belief was well founded with the team in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt.

Dealing for Chubb and Wilson on trade deadline day represents Miami's attempt to fortify its ranks for the second half.

Zach Wilson is presumably the quarterback of the present and the future for the New York Jets.

Head coach Robert Saleh said Monday the plan is for the AFC East team to stick with the second-year quarterback even if he struggles, per Connor Hughes of SNY. Saleh also said there wasn't any consideration of benching him during Sunday's 22-17 loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium even though he played poorly.

Wilson was sidelined at the start of the season, and veteran Joe Flacco went 1-2 as a starter in his place.

The Super Bowl XLVII MVP was solid but unspectacular while completing 58.7 percent of his passes for 901 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. The one victory came against the Cleveland Browns in shocking fashion when the Jets recovered a late onside kick and scored a touchdown to prevail.

Wilson returned for a Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped lead New York to four straight victories.

Those came against presumed contenders as well, with wins over the Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. While losing to New England is never ideal in New York, especially given the recent history of the rivalry, the team is still in solid position at 5-3.

Only the 6-1 Buffalo Bills are ahead of the Jets in the AFC East standings, and they would be in the playoffs as a wild card if the season ended today.

Still, Sunday marked the 13th straight time the Jets have lost to the Patriots. Wilson threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had three interceptions and completed less than 50 percent of his passes, going 20-of-41.

On the season, the BYU product has completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,048 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions after finishing his rookie season with a 55.6 percent completion rate for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The numbers are uninspiring, but New York selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and will surely look to see if he can turn the corner as the franchise quarterback it envisioned.

ProFootballTalk's Peter King handed out his midseason awards Monday, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took home MVP ahead of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

King wrote:

"Allen, best player on the best team having his best season, beat the former MVP and Super Bowl winner (Mahomes) on his turf in week six ('Josh Allen feels impossible to play against,' the former Kansas City tackle, Mitchell Schwartz, tweeted Sunday night. Schwartz is right.)"

It's hard to argue with the selection. Allen, 26, has led the Bills to a 6-1 record, throwing for 2,198 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games and completing 65.5 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

Hurts may give him a run for his money. He's led the Eagles to a 7-0 record, throwing for 1,799 yards, 10 scores and just two picks while rushing for 303 yards and six touchdowns. The Eagles are the lone undefeated team in the NFL, and the play of Hurts has been a big reason.

Allen has looked like an MVP, though, and the Bills don't appear likely to slow down anytime soon. But a lot of football is left to be played.

The Denver Broncos are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in trade talks for linebacker Bradley Chubb.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are among the teams interested and could wind up being willing to part with a first before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Chubb is in the final year of his rookie contract and could become an unrestricted free agent at season's end if he doesn't sign an extension, and that'll be a factor in trade talks.

King noted the only way a team is likely to meet the Broncos' first-round asking price would be if they also have a "deal done with Chubb beyond this year."

The 26-year-old NC State product has been hampered by injuries during his five-year run with Denver since being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. He missed 24 games over the past three years, including 10 last year with an ankle injury.

That said, he's been an effective pass-rusher when healthy, tallying 26 sacks across 49 career regular-season appearances. He's recorded 5.5 sacks in eight games so far in 2022.

Chubb said Friday it was "cool to be in a position where the interest comes in" but explained his focus remained on helping the Broncos.

"I'm not even thinking about that, bro," Chubb told reporters. "I'm just focused on these guys right here, orange, white and blue. Be the best leader, got the 'C' on my chest for a reason. Captains don't let stuff get to them. They don't sweat under pressure."

While both the Jets and Dolphins, who are AFC East rivals, could use an edge-rushing upgrade, it's probably a bigger need for Miami.

The Dolphins have recorded a modest 15 sacks in eight games so far this season, including just one takedown of the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff on Sunday. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips leads the team with three sacks.

Miami has looked like an emerging contender when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been healthy, but making it out of a conference with top-tier QBs like the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes will require the ability to create pressure.

General manager Chris Grier, who's already shown his willingness to make a splash with a high-profile deal for wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the offseason, has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to decide whether to bolster his defense with Chubb or another edge-rusher.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen entered the 2022 season as the favorite to win NFL MVP, and he continued his march toward fulfilling that prediction in Sunday's 27-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Allen threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 49 rushing yards. He did throw two interceptions in the second half, but they were fairly insignificant with the game well in hand.

Allen and the Bills offense looked like a well-oiled machine to open the game, using explosive plays to excite the home crowd at Highmark stadium. Buffalo scored 17 points in the second quarter and took a 24-7 lead into halftime.

Allen's connection with Stefon Diggs was on full display, as the receiver finished with six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. The Bills also totaled 153 yards on the ground.

Fans online were impressed with what they saw from Allen and the Bills offense Sunday, with many proclaiming them to be the best in the NFL:

The Bills improved to 6-1 with Sunday's victory and look like the front-runners to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVII. With Allen leading the way, it appears that the sky's the limit for Buffalo.

Next Sunday will see the Bills go for their fifth straight win when they visit the New York Jets.