Bills’ Pro-Bowl Linebacker Facing ‘Make-or-Break’ Season: Insider

Tremaine Edmunds

Getty Tremaine Edmunds pressures Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills.

After the Buffalo Bills handed a big contract extension to wide receiver Stefon Diggs — one year after giving one to Josh Allen — general manager Brandon Beane warned that the team would not be able to pay every player due for a raise.

That will likely be tested next season, when former first-round pick Tremaine Edmunds reaches the end of his deal and the team will need to make a decision whether to pay up in order to keep him. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports named Edmunds to the list of players facing “make or break” seasons in 2022, which could decide whether an extension becomes a priority for the cap-strapped team.

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Edmunds Entering Key Season

As Trapasso noted, there are some very polarizing opinions on Edmunds across the Bills fanbase. While Edmunds has flashed some strong playmaking ability and physical tools that make him a strong asset, some see him for his notable lapses, especially in coverage. Both of those assessments hold some truth, Trapasso noted.

“To me, the truth lies somewhere between those schools of thought, but his size and athleticism blend undoubtedly makes him a unique asset for Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier,” he wrote.

The coming season will be fairly straightforward for Edmunds, Trapasso added. If he excels, Edmunds will get an extension. If he falls short, he’ll likely be playing elsewhere in 2023.

Bills Want More From Edmunds

Frazier has heaped praise on Edmunds, saying in a press conference earlier this month that he’s the leader of the defense and a strong playmaker. But Frazier noted that the team needs him to make more big-time and big-moment plays, like the interception he made against the Tennessee Titans.

“I think he knows this: You want more splash plays. You want those big plays in ballgames,” Frazier said. “That play he made against the Texans, the interception he came up with, that was a huge play in that ballgame. It really helped propel us along the way to a really good performance. And [we need] more plays like that. And if we get that, he’ll help take us to another level as a defense. He’s capable, he’s shown that.”

Edmunds said he’s keeping his focus on the field, not trying to worry too much about whether he’ll get an extension from the team.

“All I can control is how I come out each and every day, and just work,” Edmunds said. “All that kind of stuff, you kind of just put it on the top shelf and do the stuff that you’ve been doing this whole time. And like I said, that’s just me coming out working, me continuing to get better because there’s still a lot of stuff that I know I can get better with.”

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