Getty Tremaine Edmunds pressures quarterback Davis Mills in a game against the Houston Texans.
With Josh Allen’s huge contract extension kicking in, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it clear that the team won’t be able to keep all of their other players who have earned raises.
The first major casualty, one insider speculates, could be a young Pro Bowl linebacker who has become a polarizing figure among Bills fans.
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Tough Decisions to Make
In a recent mailbag where he took questions from fans, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News was asked what player would be on the hot seat for the upcoming season. He picked Tremaine Edmunds, the 24-year-old linebacker who is heading into the final year of his contract after the Bills picked up his fifth-year option.
Skurski speculated that there might not be enough money going around to keep Edmunds.
“After handing out big-money deals to Josh Allen and Von Miller, among others, there is no guarantee Edmunds will get an extension,” he wrote, noting that Edmunds has been polarizing for fans. “Calling him a bust would definitely be a stretch, but expecting a bit more from him – given when he was picked – is fair.”
Skurski added that the Bills have already given a four-year, $41.5 million contract to linebacker Matt Milano, and might be unlikely to put big money into two linebackers.
PFF ranks #Bills’ Matt Milano 10th best LB in NFL (and is a little harsh toward Tremaine Edmunds):
“Edmunds has a ton to prove in 2022,” Skurski wrote.
Other Bills Defenders Angling for New Deals
If Edmunds hopes to get a big new contract from the Bills, he could have some competition in convincing the team to open the increasingly limited purse strings. Safety Jordan Poyer, who is going into the final year of his contract with the Bills, has also been working on a new deal. He recently signed on with mega-agent Drew Rosenhaus, who said he has approached the team about a contract extension.
“We have approached the Bills about extending Jordan’s contract, as he would like to finish his career in Buffalo,” Rosenhaus told the Buffalo News.
Poyer has not been present as the team started OTAs, but head coach Sean McDermott did not seem too concerned about his absence. Heather Prusak of News 4 Buffalo noted that McDermott met with Poyer at Micah Hyde’s charity softball game and the two seemed to be on good terms.
“Sean McDermott says Jordan Poyer is not at OTAs,” Prusak tweeted. “He mentioned they miss having him here and he had a good conversation with Poyer at Micah Hyde’s charity softball game the other weekend. McDermott also says ‘business is business’ and they’re focused on players that are here.”
But Bills general manager Brandon Beane may have given Poyer a bad sign, one that could apply to Edmunds as well. He addressed the request from Rosenhaus for a new deal, warning that the team won’t be able to pay everyone.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s hard. There’s other guys here that want to be paid, too,” Beane said, via The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia. “I know that one is out in public, but that’s not the only agent of a player this offseason that’s on the Bills that, ‘What about my guy, what are you thinking? Is there a plan now? Is there a plan after the draft? Is there a plan at all?’ We’ve had those conversations, and that happens every year. Some do work their way into the media for whatever reason, whether it’s a player not showing or the agent discussing it.”
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