TradeVerdicts records 6 trades between
Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions across 1971–2009. Historical
franchise identities are normalized to the current franchises here,
while each underlying trade keeps its own sourced date, assets,
grades, and verdict.
This page includes every public TradeVerdicts record in which both
current franchises participate. Multi-team trades remain in the
chronology when both clubs are part of the transaction.
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Complete Matchup Chronology
6 Recorded Trades
Oldest to newest
Trade 1
July 25, 1971
Detroit Lions Win
Buffalo BillsD+
Detroit LionsC+
Buffalo Bills received
conditional tenth round pick (not exercised)
Detroit Lions received
John Redebaugh / John Redebough
Buffalo agreed to receive a conditional tenth-round selection for John Redebaugh, but the condition was not exercised. That left the Bills without an actual draft return from the transaction, limiting the practical value they realized. The D+ grade reflects the absence of conveyed compensation while avoiding stronger claims about a player whose historical surname appears in more than one spelling.
Buffalo traded veteran receiver J.D. Hill to Detroit for a 1977 first-round selection and used No. 12 on defensive lineman Phil Dokes. Dokes appeared in 22 games with 10 starts across only two NFL seasons, limiting the value Buffalo realized from the premium pick. Detroit received one season of meaningful starting receiver work from Hill before his Lions tenure ended.
Buffalo sent veteran quarterback Joe Ferguson to Detroit and received a 1986 seventh-round pick that became Mark Pike. Ferguson's Lions tenure produced only eight games and one start in 1985, while Pike spent his entire 13-year NFL career in Buffalo, played 173 games and became the franchise's special-teams tackles leader. A late pick becoming that durable a contributor makes this a decisive Bills win.
Buffalo received the 207th pick in the 2004 draft and selected Dylan McFarland. Buffalo received the 207th pick in the 2004 draft and used it on Dylan McFarland. McFarland appeared in only three games for the Bills, leaving the seventh-round return with very little realized value. The draft choice was a reasonable asset to collect, but the eventual player outcome did not reward Buffalo's side of the deal. In hindsight, that result supports a D+ grade for Buffalo Bills in a deal ultimately judged as Detroit Lions Win.
2007 2nd round pick (34th overall, Paul Posluszny)
Detroit Lions received
2007 2nd round pick (43rd overall, Drew Stanton)
2007 3rd round pick (74th overall; later included in Detroit's trade for pick 61, Gerald Alexander)
Buffalo moved from No. 43 to No. 34 in the 2007 draft and selected linebacker Paul Posluszny, sending Detroit picks No. 43 and No. 74. Posluszny became a full-time Bills starter whenever healthy and started 45 games across four Buffalo seasons. Detroit selected quarterback Drew Stanton at No. 43 and later used No. 74 in another trade. Stanton offered backup value, but Buffalo received the stronger direct football return from Posluszny.
Buffalo received the 209th pick in the 2010 draft and selected Levi Brown. Buffalo received the 209th pick in the 2010 draft and used it on Levi Brown. Brown appeared only briefly for the Bills, so the seventh-round choice produced very little regular-season value. The pick gave Buffalo a chance to replenish the roster, but the actual outcome did not match the contribution Detroit received from Simpson. In hindsight, that result supports a D+ grade for Buffalo Bills in a deal ultimately judged as Detroit Lions Win.
