Buffalo Bills–Las Vegas Raiders Trade History

Buffalo obtained Boston College lineman Jim O'Brien after Oakland lost its AFL signing rights, but the Bills did not send the Raiders a first-round pick. The AFL instead awarded Oakland part of a two-pick package in the 1962 12th round covering the lost rights to O'Brien and C.J. Alexander. This row is corrected from a direct trade to a league compensation action.

Buffalo Bills received Joe Cannavino in the exchange with Oakland Raiders. Joe Cannavino gave Buffalo a short-term defensive-back return but did not turn the trade into a major long-term advantage. His value was useful rather than transformative. In hindsight, that direct outcome supports a C+ grade for Buffalo Bills. The judgment focuses on what this transaction itself produced rather than unrelated later moves.

Buffalo sent quarterback M.C. Reynolds and defensive tackle Chuck McMurtry to Oakland for Wayne Crow and the Raiders' 1963 second-round pick. Buffalo used the ninth overall AFL selection on Jim Dunaway, who became a four-time AFL All-Star and key member of the Bills' 1964 and 1965 championship defenses. Oakland received little lasting value from Reynolds and McMurtry, giving Buffalo a large advantage.

Buffalo received Hank Rivera, Pete Nicklas, and George Shirkey in the three-player package. The group did not provide lasting Bills value comparable to what Archie Matsos immediately became in Oakland. Buffalo gained multiple players and therefore more short-term options, but the package failed to yield a long-term centerpiece or a comparable level of high-end defensive production.

Buffalo Bills received LeRoy Jackson in the exchange with Oakland Raiders. LeRoy Jackson was Buffalo's return, but his value did not match the useful line play Oakland received. The Bills did not gain the more durable contributor from this exchange. In hindsight, that direct outcome supports a C grade for Buffalo Bills. The judgment focuses on what this transaction itself produced rather than unrelated later moves.

Buffalo Bills received Bo Roberson. Buffalo acquired Bo Roberson during its 1965 championship season and received immediate offensive help, including 31 catches for 483 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. Buffalo gained useful championship-season help, while Oakland's delayed return produced meaningful longer-term value, so both sides deserve strong marks. That outcome supports a B grade for Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo received cash when Flint and Keating went to Oakland to complete the earlier Bo Roberson transaction. The exact amount is not established, so the return must remain unquantified. The grade remains tied to documented value for the acquiring club, without assigning credit for unresolved or hypothetical downstream consideration.

Buffalo sent linebacker Bill Laskey to Oakland for a 1967 sixth-round pick that became No. 149, Bill Wilkerson. Laskey became part of the Raiders' linebacker group, while Buffalo chose future draft value instead of retaining him. With the separate Dave Costa transaction removed from this record, the direct player-for-pick comparison gives Oakland the clearer football return.

Oakland acquired quarterback Daryle Lamonica, Glenn Bass and Buffalo's 1967 third- and fifth-round picks for Tom Flores, Art Powell and a second-round pick. Lamonica immediately led the Raiders to a 13-1 season and Super Bowl II, later earning league MVP honors. The additional picks produced Bill Fairband and Mike Hibler, making Oakland's already superior quarterback return even more valuable.

Buffalo acquired defensive back Alvin Wyatt and the 1971 third-round pick used on Bruce Jarvis from Oakland for Bill Enyart and a 10th-round selection. Wyatt immediately became a regular Bills contributor, starting every game in 1971 and remaining useful in 1972, while Enyart appeared only once for the Raiders. Buffalo also moved up substantially in draft value, creating a clear Bills win.

Buffalo acquired Ted Koy from Oakland in September 1971 for two 1972 draft choices: sixth-round No. 131, used on Dan Medlin, and fifteenth-round No. 365, used on Charles Hester. Koy supplied several seasons of Buffalo depth, but Medlin eventually became a multi-year Raiders lineman and part of the Super Bowl XI champion, giving Oakland the stronger hindsight return.

Buffalo traded Jeff Winans to Oakland for a 1977 third-round draft choice that the Bills later moved to Houston in the Emmett Edwards deal. Bills historical material supports the third-round return, while the exact direct connection to pick No. 84 is less certain. Buffalo still converted a player with little Oakland value into useful draft currency.

Buffalo received veteran linebacker Phil Villapiano in the April 1980 swap and got several seasons of useful depth from him. That is a legitimate return and supports a C+ rather than a losing grade near the bottom of the scale. However, Bob Chandler immediately became a major receiving weapon for Oakland's championship team, creating a much larger impact.

Buffalo moved down five spots in the 1981 first round, sending No. 23 to the Raiders for No. 28 and a third-round selection. The Bills used those choices on Booker Moore and Robert Geathers, while the Raiders selected Curt Marsh at No. 23. None became a transformational NFL player, leaving the exchange without enough separation for a clear winner.

Buffalo Bills received 1987 eighth round pick (#209-Bruce Mesner) in the 1987-04-29 exchange with Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. Buffalo and the Raiders exchanged late-round 1987 draft positions, with Buffalo using No. 209 on Bruce Mesner and the Raiders receiving the tenth-round choice used on Rob Harrison. The documented result supports a C+ grade for Buffalo Bills. The overall verdict is Buffalo Bills Win, based on realized value rather than hypothetical upside.

The Raiders sent reserve quarterback Billy Joe Hobert to Buffalo for the 85th pick in the 1997 draft. Hobert appeared in only two games for the Bills, throwing for 133 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions before his Buffalo stay ended. Oakland used the pick on tackle Tim Kohn, who did not produce an NFL career, making this a modest Raiders win rather than a major success.

Buffalo Bills received 2019 5th round pick (158th overall subsequently traded, Michael Jackson) in the deal with Las Vegas Raiders. The Bills retained a meaningful fifth-round asset that remained useful in later draft movement. Turning a reserve quarterback into that level of draft capital created a strong return. That outcome supports a B+ for Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills Win verdict weighs documented games, starts, production and connected draft value.

Buffalo moved up two spots in the 2019 second round for offensive lineman Cody Ford, sending the Raiders No. 40 and No. 158. Ford started 29 games for Buffalo before being traded away. The Raiders selected cornerback Trayvon Mullen at No. 40 and used No. 158 as part of the move that produced receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Buffalo Bills traded Zay Jones to the Raiders for the 2021 fifth-round pick that became No. 161, Tommy Doyle. Doyle appeared in 12 regular-season games for Buffalo without a start, giving the Bills only modest depth value from the selection. Because Jones became a much larger contributor for the Raiders, Buffalo's return falls to a C in hindsight.

Buffalo officially traded Taron Johnson and pick No. 228 to Las Vegas on March 11, 2026 for pick No. 182. The Bills later packaged No. 182 with No. 66 to move up four spots to No. 62, where they selected Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun. Through two games, Igbinosun had seven tackles and one pass defended. Because Buffalo also spent No. 66, the rookie cannot be credited wholly to this trade, but No. 182 clearly helped fund the move.

Buffalo moved down only one spot from No. 101 to No. 102 in the 2026 fourth round and received an additional 2027 seventh-round pick. The Bills selected Boston College lineman Jude Bowry at No. 102. By accepting minimal movement on the board, Buffalo gained a future asset without materially changing its draft position, an efficient exchange whose player outcomes remain unknown.