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While the Buffalo Bills have made several moves in free agency and restructured numerous contracts to free up more cap space, one of their key starters, Ed Oliver, their former ninth-overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, still wants an answer about his future.
Last spring, the Bills picked up Oliver’s fifth-year option, which earns him a guaranteed $10.753 million salary in 2023, a nice jump from the $3.177 million he earned for the 2022 NFL season. However, Oliver hinted all was not right with his contract when he posted then deleted the following message on his Instagram Stories: “Show Me The Money or Ion Wanna Talk!!!”
The defensive tackle further stirred the pot that he was unhappy with his situation in Buffalo on Wednesday, March 22, by sharing several cryptic posts on his Instagram Stories. In the first post, Oliver posted a photo of him tackling Lions quarterback Jared Goff with Future’s “Love you Better,” with the following lyrics playing, “You tellin’ me you fallin’ out of love with me. Hope you can find someone to love you better than I did.”
Oliver then posted a photo of him tackling soon-to-be former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the 2 Chainz song, “Feds Watching,” playing in the background. The lyrics state, “Tomorrow, tomorrow I’m talkin’ right now… Tomorrow, tomorrow ain’t no such thing as tomorrow… Tomorrow, tomorrow the way we livin’ today.”
Lastly, Oliver posted a video from the overtime portion of the Bills’ matchup against the Vikings, during which he sacked quarterback Kirk Cousins. He captioned the clip, “Enjoyed myself.”
Oliver Didn’t Have the Breakout Year Expected in 2022
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GettyEd Oliver #91 of the Bills arrives prior to a game against the Bengals in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023.
Oliver may be in line for a big payday after the 2023 NFL season, but it may be hard for the Houston alum to demand a massive contract extension after the performance he had during the 2022 NFL season, and with the Bills being so tight against the cap.
In 13 games, as a high-ankle sprain kept Oliver sidelined for three weeks early in the season, the starter recorded 34 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 14 quarterback hits. He earned an overall 68.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, a far cry from the 70.9 overall grade earned in 2021, during which he tallied 41 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 14 quarterback hits in 17 game starts.
While Oliver is an excellent player, expectations were high for the former first-rounder, and it’s not clear if he’s done enough to demand a monster contract extension. The Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurksi wrote earlier this month, “Right now, Oliver’s cap number ranks as the eighth highest on the Bills’ 2023 salary cap. The only way for the Bills to lower that number would be to sign Oliver to an extension, which would spread the dollars out over a longer period of time – but is that something General Manager Brandon Beane really wants to do?… If Beane decides Oliver isn’t worth the money he’s scheduled to be paid, his only way out of the contract is via a trade. That comes with its own set of problems.”
During Beane’s end-of-season press conference, he said there’s “still meat on the bone” in terms of what Oliver can do, and that they expect him to “find a little bit more” next season. Reading between the lines, it sounded like Beane wants to see what the tackle can do in 2023 before offering him the bag.
Edmunds Opened Up About His Pending Free Agency In February
GettyBills tackle Ed Oliver #91 react against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 24, 2022.
While speaking to Fox Sports‘ Henry McKenna in February, Edmunds was asked about the possibility of entering free agency at the conclusion of the 2023 NFL season, and he didn’t seem too confident about remaining in Orchard Park.
“I’m gonna let the process take shape,” Edmunds said while in Phoenix for an event for his agency, Athletes First. “You know what I mean? Like, you know, they’ve been good to me. So I definitely say thank you to the Bills for everything that they’ve done for me these last five years. But like I said, man, I’m just right now — I’m in the backseat.”
However, the 25-year-old is confident that he’ll end up on top. “I honestly like when people underestimate me, you know what I mean? Like it brings out the best in me,” Edmunds said. “That’s what keeps me going day in and day out because I always work to prove people wrong. So if somebody says I can’t do it, like I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure I prove this person wrong, because they’re gonna come back and circle back and be like, ‘You know what, I was wrong about you man.'”
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