Getty Siran Neal #33 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Highmark Stadium on January 02, 2022.
While the Buffalo Bills are pressed up against the salary cap heading into the 2022 NFL season, the team threw the budget aside in order to retain Siran Neal, who’s now one of the highest-paid, non-kicker special teams players in the league.
The 27-year-old, who was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and also serves as a backup cornerback or safety, is signing a three-year, $10.9 million contract, per by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
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The @BuffaloBills have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with CB Siran Neal.
The Jacksonville State alum has spent his entire NFL career in Buffalo, and over the last four seasons, has tallied 35 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two recovered fumbles on special teams. As a defensive back, he’s racked up 48 tackles, four tackles for a loss and one sack, per Bills Wire.
Neal is coming off a career-best season as a special teams contributor, where he recorded 12 tackles, the second-highest for the Bills in 2021. The 206-pound dual-threat was set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Bills have now locked him for the foreseeable future.
Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott Says Neal Is ‘Team First’
Sean McDermott getting some work in after practice. Ed Oliver, Siran Neal and Isaiah McKenzie “turn the cameras this way.” 😂
After securing the bag, expect the versatile special teams/defensive back to get even more playing time next season. “[He’s] team first,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said of Neal in October of 2021, per Syracuse.com. “Siran is, as you mentioned is a hungry guy. [He] comes every week [with a] kind of chip on his shoulder type approach with me against the world, which is made him who he is.”
Proving McDermott’s statement true, when starting cornerback Taron Johnson went down with a head injury on November 7, Neal was the first player called to fill in for the concussed player. However, that Week 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars turned out to be one of the most disappointing games of the regular season. After being 14-point favorites to win, the Bills lost 9-6.
There Will Be a Few Cap Casualties Heading into the 2022 NFL Season
GettyHarrison Phillips #99 of the Buffalo Bills looks on during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Bills Stadium on November 08, 2020.
The Bills will have to say goodbye to more than a few veteran players heading into next season unless they are willing to take a pay cut. According to Over The Cap, the Bills — who are currently in the red at $8.1 million over the maximum league-wide cap number — can also create approximately $37.5 million in cap space through simple contract restructures alone.
As it stands, big names that are set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason include cornerback Levi Wallace, defensive end Jerry Hughes, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie, and backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
The Bills can also save a bunch of money by waiving players such as Cole Beasley ($6 million), Mitch Morse ($7.5 million), or guard Daryl Williams ($5.3 million), per the projected savings reported by Pro Football Network, and Star Lotuelelei ($4.5 million).
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