Bills Trade OL Cody Ford to Cardinals; What's Next?

The Buffalo Bills are shuffling their offensive line Monday after trading veteran Cody Ford to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next April's draft. ESPN was the first to report the news.

Ford, 25, was a second-round pick made by the Bills back in 2019. He started 22 of his first 23 games over his first two seasons in the league, but he struggled in 2021 and started just seven games last season.

Ford lost his starting spot after Week 3 last season and made just four spot starts during the year.

Ford's status as a starter was up in the air during training camp, as he was competing for playing time alongside free agent acquisitions Greg Van Roten and Rodger Saffold.

Joe Marino of the Locked On Bills Podcast went to work identifying the next offensive roster members that could be sent elsewhere on a podcast earlier this month, and mentioned Ford as a potential trade target.

"Cody Ford's a talented football player - he was a top-40 pick for a reason," Marino said. "Just hasn't been very effective for the Bills and I think that there's some circumstances that have prevented him from really blossoming in Buffalo...But this could be your guy that you actually get something for."

Now, Ford gets an opportunity to compete with the Cardinals and help that team get over the hump. 

With Ford traded, the Bills roster currently sits at 81, one shy of the amount allowed before 4 p.m. Tuesday.