Unless the Buffalo Bills and running back James Cook are working in stealth-like fashion, training camp will open July 22 without much contract news.
The Bills extended potential 2026 free agents in linebacker Terrel Bernard, receiver Khalil Shakir and cornerback Christian Benford during a period from Feb. 25 to April 2.
But what about players still scheduled to be free agents in March?
Currently, 27.5% of the current roster (25 of 91 players) will be unrestricted free agents.
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Bills center Connor McGovern, left, and left guard David Edwards are entering the final year of their contracts. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Who is worth keeping in general and worth locking up soon in particular? Here are three candidates:
Connor McGovern signed three-year, $22.35 million contract in March 2023 to play left guard and moved to center before last season. His salary cap hit is currently $9.385 million. Extending McGovern makes sense. He’s durable, has the trust of quarterback Josh Allen and has played two years at a high level. McGovern had only penalties in 19 regular-season/playoff games in 2024 and I booked him for allowing only 1½ sacks.
David Edwards signed a one-year deal to join the Bills in 2023 and a two-year contract before last season, when he replaced McGovern at left guard. He was called for four penalties and was booked for three sacks. Extending Edwards is a no-brainer.
A distant third candidate is edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, who is working on his second Bills contract, a two-year, $12 million deal signed in March 2024. Epenesa has played 87 regular-season/playoff games and totaled 21½ sacks (none in the postseason). The Bills signed veterans Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht and drafted Landon Jackson this offseason, but Bosa is on a one-year deal. If Epenesa gets off to a good start, might his camp approach the Bills about a reasonable extension? They should.
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Extending a veteran would create cap space that general manager Brandon Beane could use at the trade deadline.
Quick kicks
1. Top 100 rankings. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco (like myself a fellow former Jacksonville Jaguars beat writer for the Florida Times-Union) unveiled his top 100 players in the NFL last week and it crystallized the Bills’ reliance on Allen.
The Bills had three players in the top 100 – No. 4 Allen (up from sixth last year), left tackle Dion Dawkins (No. 97) and Benford (No. 100). Dawkins and Benford are new to the top 100 list.
Compare that to Philadelphia (10!), Kansas City and Baltimore (six apiece) and Cincinnati, Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers (four apiece).
The Eagles had six in the top 50, the Chiefs four and Ravens/Bengals three apiece.
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Tight end Keleki Latu signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
2. Well-traveled tight end. Bills undrafted rookie Keleki Latu played two years at California and one year apiece at Nevada and Washington. He caught 40 passes for 371 yards and one touchdown last year for Washington, and playing for the Huskies was doubly beneficial – he put production on tape and he learned a pro-style offense under coach Jedd Fisch.
When he signed with the Bills, Latu said: “I was able to flip over the (concepts) to this playbook.”
Latu had 32 catches and two touchdowns in two seasons for Cal and started the first six games of 2023 for Nevada before sustaining an injury.
After the draft, Latu said he was contacted by the Bills, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Tennessee and the Los Angeles Rams.
“I know this is a winning culture and I knew I could definitely fit in here,” said Keleki, whose older brother, Laiatu, made a pre-draft visit to the Bills in 2024 and was a first-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bills generally carry three tight ends on the 53-man roster, and Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid are locks. Jackson Hawes is a draft pick, so Latu could be competing against Zach Davidson for a practice squad spot.
3. Collusion story. Excellent reporting this week by journalist Pablo Torre in acquiring the 61-page decision regarding the NFLPA’s grievance filed in October 2022 against the NFL alleging teams and the league of colluding to prevent fully guaranteed contracts being offered to players. It stems from concern from the league office and teams about Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million contract, arguably one of the worst in sports history.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, several owners and quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson testified in the arbitration hearing in July-August 2024.
People around the league that I talked to this week agreed the union erred in helping conceal the decision. One agent’s only guess is the union withheld the document as a way of gaining leverage against the owners in future collective bargaining sessions. Oops.
4. Extra points. The Chicago Bears announced their Aug. 15 practice against the Bills will start at 11:30 a.m. ET and be open to the public. Free tickets will become available July 9 on the Bears’ website – chicagobears.com/camp. … Our weekly update on this year’s second-round draft picks signing their contracts? No update as the team-vs.-agent stare down over guaranteed money continues. As of Thursday, only two of the 32 players – Cleveland linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Houston receiver Jayden Higgins, the first two picks of the round – have signed. Second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders is only Bills pick yet to sign.
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