The Buffalo Bills gave the agent of wide receiver Mike Williams permission to pursue a trade partner, although general manager Doug Whaley says the team is "not actively shopping" any players, according to Matthew Fairburn of The Post-Standard.
Mike Williams requests trade away from Bills, per report
Mike Williams’ agent was given permission to search for a trade partner, but that might be difficult to find.
Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
The request to pursue a trade comes just one day after the receiver was a healthy scratch for a Week 6 game against the New England Patriots. Williams was phased out in Week 5 as well, with the Bills using less of the veteran and more of their younger receivers like Marquise Goodwin and Chris Hogan instead.
Whaley told reporters that the team would consider a trade involving Williams if fair compensation is offered. Finding that compensation might be difficult for Williams’ agent, though, considering the size of the fifth-year receiver’s contract. With more than $30 million remaining on a deal that runs through 2018, the initial signs are that a deal will likely be difficult to broker:
Doug Whaley: "No teams have contacted us [about Mike Williams]. We have not contacted any teams."
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) October 13, 2014 Williams, 27, was re-signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a six-year deal worth $40.25 million contract just before the 2013 season. That season was cut short, however, by a hamstring injury that plagued Williams for several weeks before eventually sending him to injured reserve. In six games, Williams caught 22 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Amidst a tumultuous offseason, Williams was traded to the Bills in April for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft that the Buccaneers used to select wide receiver Robert Herron. In five games with the Bills, Williams has tallied just eight receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown.
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