Trade Backup Guard Ben Powers to Bills
January 31, 2021: The Chargers, who a few years ago wanted wide receiver Keelan Cole so badly they offered him a contract of over $21 million, today traded backup guard Ben Powers to the Buffalo Bills for the rights to Cole. The Bills outbid the Chargers for Cole in free agency at that time.
Cole has not caught a pass for the Bills this year, making him surplus for the 3-1 team with aspirations of getting to the Super Bowl. Cole had been on the field for all of one play this season and was no better than the fourth wide receiver on Buffalo. Meanwhile, Ben Powers, who was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the seventh round two years ago with the pick acquired from the Vikings for offensive lineman Halapoulivaat Vaitai, has been stuck behind two very good players at guard in Quenton Nelson and Elgton Jenkins, and hasn't played a down from scrimmage yet this year for the Chargers.
Since Cole started playing for Buffalo, he has always been no better than fourth among the wide receiver corps, except for his first season (two years ago) in a Bills uniform, when he caught 47 passes for 808 yards and nine scores. Since that first year however, he has not caught a pass for the Bills. Last year he appeared from scrimmage on only four plays, catching no passes.
Both players would also have to fight off rookie challengers next year if the trade did not happen. The Chargers count two guards, Cesar Ruiz and Ezra Cleveland, among their incoming rookies next year. Both of whom were drafted higher than Ben Powers, who was a seventh rounder. Ruiz was drafted in the second round with the 37th overall pick, Cleveland in the 4th round with the 93rd pick. The Bills drafted wide receiver Lynn Bowden with the final pick in the fifth round, so the roster spots of Powers and Cole were by no means assured. Ergo, both players were deemed expendable by their original clubs.
For the Chargers, Cole immediately moves into their wide receiver corps as one of several wideouts who can challenge for a starting role. He also puts pressure on disappointing wideout John Ross, who needs to up his game to survive next season's cut downs.
Posted on 31 Jan 2021 by Hank-Chargers
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