It isn't often you hear a general manager open up about what he plans to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline, but Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane has done just that.

Everyone knows the Buffalo Bills need more help on the defensive side of the ball after how poorly the unit has played through eight weeks.

Well, Beane has confirmed that he is indeed focused on adding to the defense, according to the Associated Press' John Wawrow, although he did not say a specific position.

Beane added that the limited cap space the Bills do have will likely be used on a defender, and he's as aggressive as ever ahead of the trade deadline.

"Bills GM Brandon Beane tells AP that he’s as aggressive as ever heading into trade deadline and more than likely targeting defense," Wawrow relayed.

"If going to use what limited cap space he has, he said he’d “probably” use it to acquire a defender," Wawrow added.

That all sounds positive, but Beane's history at the trade deadline is not good, so Bills fans are going to be very skeptical. Beane has made far more bad deadline deals than good ones, with his best likely being the deal for Rasul Douglas in 2024.

While Beane might want to be aggressive, his ability to make a big move could be hindered by the team's lack of cap space. According to Over The Cap, Buffalo sits with $3.9 million.

What do Bills need?

Could we see the Bills adding an interior defensive lineman or an edge rusher? Sure, but those are not Buffalo's biggest needs currently.

The bigger needs come behind the defensive line, where the Bills need upgrades at linebacker, cornerback and safety.

At linebacker, the Bills need an upgrade over Dorian Williams next to Terrel Bernard. Buffalo entered the season hopeing rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr might be the solution there, but he hasn't played many snaps and clearly doesn't have enough trust yet.

At cornerback, there is still a question mark opposite Christian Benford, who hasn't been all that great himself this season.

Davison Igbinosun is still finding his way and has seen both ups and downs, Maxwell Hairston has already gotten himself benched, and Dee Alford has had struggles, both with injury and in his play. Perhaps Te'Cory Couch is the solution in the slot, but we cannot say that for sure.

Tre'Davious White is on the practice squad but he has not gotten into a game yet and who knows what kind of help he'll provide when he does.

Safety is another major concern, and that was the case even before the Bills cut C.J. Gardner-Johnson, which leaves Damar Hamlin starting next to Cole Bishop and a shaky depth situation that includes an unproven rookie in Jalon Kilgore.

Beane has a lot of work to do, and while he doesn't have a lot of financial wiggle room with the salary cap, he does have ample draft capital, so that's a positive in his quest to upgrade the defense.