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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown.

The Buffalo Bills parted ways with their top two wide receivers last offseason, going into 2024 with an “everybody eats” approach where they instead spread the ball to a wider group of pass-catchers.

Though the approach worked as the Bills turned in one of the league’s top offenses, one insider believes the team will attempt to find a true No. 1 again this offseason. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia predicted the Bills would make a run at free-agent wide receiver Hollywood Brown, whose speed and big play ability could give the home-run threat the Bills have been missing since parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Bills Make ‘Home Run Signing’

For Buscaglia, landing Brown could be predicated on the Bills making another big move — a trade for All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett. He predicted that the Bills would seek the trade to round out their defense, making Hollywood an attractive addition to do the same for their offense.

“With an addition like Garrett to the defensive side, plus a need for a potential number-one receiver, this is an ideal situation for Brown to walk into another Super Bowl contender after playing in only two regular season games in 2024,” Buscaglia wrote. “And for the Bills, it’s an ideal cost situation to add the type of receiver with speed and separation that can help their offense dramatically if he remains healthy.”

Brown struggled with his health last season, making just nine catches for 91 yards in two regular-season games. But Buscaglia noted that he only turns 28 in June and could be attainable on a two-year, $18 million deal filled with incentives for both seasons.

Bills Could Bring Back Their Own Pro Bowler

The Bills have another big decision to make this offseason as trade-deadline acquisition Amari Cooper heads to free agency. Though Cooper was inconsistent last season — making 20 catches for 297 yards with two touchdowns in eight games — some insiders believe he could return to Buffalo on a new deal.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that the Bills saw Cooper as a good fit for their roster, and he showed a willingness to adopt a team-first approach.

“The Bills have been happy with Cooper, despite low production compared with past seasons,” Fowler wrote. “He has been a good team player in Buffalo, and the Bills are intrigued by getting him into a full offseason program with quarterback Josh Allen. Though his free agency future is uncertain, a return to Buffalo does not appear off the table.”

David De Cristofaro of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted that even if the Bills do choose to bring back Cooper on a new contract, Brown could remain a target.

“Even if all those players are back and taking the next step with the offense, however, the missing piece remains a fast, deep-threat wideout that can make big catches,” De Cristofaro wrote. “At this stage of Josh Allen’s career, a veteran like Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown at 27 years old fits the bill.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty