Image Credit: (Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Twitter: @nicholasmullick
With the many moves made during the NFL Trade deadline this year it was a very crazy time. This move that was made was a last minute trade and boy was it an interesting one. It involves RB Nyheim Hines as the Indianapolis Colts have traded him to the Buffalo Bills. The details of the trade are down below.
Trade Details
Buffalo Bills Acquire: RB Nyheim Hines Indianapolis Colts Acquire: RB Zack Moss and a 2023 6th Round Pick
Buffalo Bills Side
For this year it is Super Bowl or bust for the Buffalo Bills and they're going to need to supply Josh Allen with as many tools to succeed. One of the Bills goals during the Trade Deadline was to acquire a running back on offense. They were in the Christian McCaffery sweepstakes, but the 49ers outbid them. Cam Akers was available, but the Rams were asking for a lot. Same can be said about Kareem Hunt and the Cleveland Browns. The Bills then went to the next option and that player is of course Nyheim Hines. Hines is a nice option who will help as a pass catching threat which the Bills were lacking on offense. I don’t hate Devin Singletary, but he is not a great option at running back not only as an every down back, but as a pass catching option. This trade to me is more telling on RB James Cook who clearly has not worked out well as a second round pick and needs more time to develop. Hines has three more years left on his deal and his contract is solid for how he is italicized, so this should not hurt the Bills that much both in the short term. Maybe even long term if Hines can impress and stay healthy.
Indianapolis Colts
Ok, what are the Colts doing? Look, I get why they would trade Hines due to his durability concerns and Deon Jackson emerging as a solid weapon this season. But the Colts easily could have gotten a lot more for Hines. Hines is a nice pass catching running back and they could have gotten more value for him in a mid round pick. Even as a special teams player he is useful as well. Also great job you acquired another running back in Zack Moss. Too bad that Moss is a scrub and did next to nothing in Buffalo besides being a healthy scratch a majority of his time there. What do you expect Moss to do that Hines was not doing currently?
Also Jonathan Taylor is still hurt with his ankle injury and who knows when he will be back. Why would they not keep utilizing Hines to help the team now? Especially when jobs are at stake as I am not sure Frank Reich and maybe Chris Ballard’s jobs are safe at the end of the season. Hines is also on a decent contract with 3 years left on it and he would have been a solid part of this team if the Colts do another rebuild soon. At least they get a late round pick in the deal, besides that there is not much I like for the Colts doing this deal.
Grades for Nyheim Hines Trade
Buffalo Bills A Indianapolis Colts D
No question who wins this deal here. The answer is of course the Buffalo Bills. They get a nice pass catching running back and did not have to give up too much value to acquire him. All they gave up is a scrub running back and a late round pick that is meaningless for a team aiming for the Super Bowl. I am still lost with what the Colts are doing here and I get that they probably did not want Hines on the roster, but the return that they got is garbage. Zack Moss like I said many times is a scrub and I was shocked he was not cut this season with the Bills and a 6th round pick is probably not going to amount to much. But at least they get a pick to build the team which I would not complain about. Overall great move by Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane and intriguing move by Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard. Hopefully the deal works out for every party in the deal including Nyheim Hines and Zack Moss.