Buffalo traded Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for the first pick…
Buffalo traded Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for the first pick of the third round, No. 65, creating valuable draft flexibility while moving on at quarterback. The Bills later packaged No. 65 with No. 22 to climb to No. 16 for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Taylor opened 2018 as Cleveland’s starter but made only three starts before Baker Mayfield took over, leaving Buffalo with the stronger long-term return.
Buffalo Bills Received
- pick 2018 3rd round pick (65th overall subsequently traded, Brandon Parker )
Cleveland Browns Received
- player Tyrod Taylor
Trade Analysis
Buffalo’s decision to trade Tyrod Taylor was part of a broader quarterback reset. The Bills had reached the playoffs with Taylor in 2017, but general manager Brandon Beane wanted enough draft capital to reshape the roster and pursue a quarterback in the 2018 draft. Cleveland, coming off an 0-16 season, wanted a credible veteran to stabilize the position while preparing to select a rookie.
The Browns sent the first pick of the third round, No. 65, for Taylor. At the time, that was meaningful compensation for a veteran Buffalo no longer viewed as its long-term starter. Cleveland named Taylor the starter and drafted Baker Mayfield first overall, setting up the expected bridge arrangement. Taylor started the first three games, but after he was injured against the Jets, Mayfield entered, led a comeback victory and never relinquished the job.
Buffalo did not ultimately make a selection at No. 65. Instead, the Bills packaged Nos. 22 and 65 to Baltimore for No. 16 and No. 154, then selected Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds became Buffalo’s starting middle linebacker as a rookie, started for five seasons and earned two Pro Bowl selections before leaving in free agency. The third-round pick from Cleveland therefore became an important component in acquiring a long-term defensive starter.
Cleveland did receive what it wanted conceptually: a professional veteran who could begin the season while Mayfield developed. The problem is that the bridge lasted only three starts. Spending the first choice of Round 3 for that limited on-field return is difficult to defend in hindsight, even though the transition to Mayfield worked.
Buffalo earns an A- because it converted a player it planned to replace into premium draft ammunition that helped land Edmunds. Cleveland gets a C: Taylor served a purpose, but the duration was too short for the price.