Insider Links Bills & Ravens To Blockbuster Trade

Buffalo Bills wide receivers Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman react during 2026 game.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler published a piece this week simulating trades for four NFL players whose situations he believes could produce deals before training camp, and the proposal that generated the most debate was his suggestion that the Baltimore Ravens send a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for wide receiver Keon Coleman.

Fowler's reasoning is that Baltimore has a receiver room that, despite drafting Ja'Kobi Lane in the third round and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth round of the 2026 draft, still lacks proven production beyond Zay Flowers, which makes adding a 6-foot-4 target with red zone capability and catch radius worth exploring at the cost of a late-round pick.

🚨🚨 Jeremy Fowler proposes a mock trade that would send #Bills WR Keon Coleman to #Ravens:

◽️ Bills receive: 2027 5th-round pick
◽️ Ravens receive: Keon Coleman pic.twitter.com/U2bVq2inZO
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) May 31, 2026

Buffalo, meanwhile, has added D.J. Moore and fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell to a receiver corps that already features Dawson Knox and Khalil Shakir, creating a depth chart where Coleman's path to more snaps has narrowed considerably.

"Buffalo seems content with keeping Coleman," Fowler wrote, "but Baltimore can jump into the fray to improve its thin receiver depth. Coleman's play style should fit with Lamar Jackson, as he's a big receiver with catch radius. This would also allow Buffalo to develop fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell for a sizable role in the offense."

Why the Idea Has Skeptics

The pushback from multiple analysts centered on the same point.

The Ravens just used two valuable draft picks at the wide receiver position.

Adding Coleman immediately limits the development opportunities for Lane and Sarratt, two players Baltimore invested in specifically because they fit the athletic profile Lamar Jackson's offense demands.

One analysis asked why Baltimore would commit $2.7 million in 2026 cap space and $3.2 million in 2027 to a player competing for snaps they intend to give to their own recent draft investments?

The Bills' angle drew equally pointed criticism.

Coleman was a second-round pick in 2024 and has eight touchdown catches across two NFL seasons.

Sending him to an AFC rival for a 2027 fifth-round selection would be a significant organizational admission that the pick was a failure, and Buffalo GM Brandon Beane said explicitly this offseason that Coleman is part of the team's plans.