The Buffalo Bills’ urgency last month in awarding contract extensions to four players, not including quarterback Josh Allen, can be illustrated, explained, defended and rationalized by these figures:
Nos. 33 and 60.
Nos. 25 and 59.
Nos. 23 and 63
Nos. 30 and 61.
Nos. 54 and 86.
Since the Bills became a perennial playoff team in Allen’s second season (2019), those have been the slots of the team’s first two draft picks from 2020-24.
They pick late in the first round (or not at all) and pick late in the second round. As long as reigning MVP Allen is at the peak of his powers, the Bills will never be close to the top of the first round and will often have a long wait on Night 2. When they hit on a draft pick, they must keep him to provide the right kind of team-building flexibility.
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Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard was one of four players who bypassed a potential chance at free agency in 2026 by agreeing to contract extensions. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Can a team find blue-chip players in those slots and well afterward? Of course, and the Bills are Exhibit A in finding linebacker Terrel Bernard (No. 89), receiver Khalil Shakir (No. 148) and cornerback Christian Benford (No. 185) – all in 2022. That trio and defensive end Greg Rousseau (No. 30 in 2021) signed the aforementioned extensions.
But in a philosophical shift from previous years, when general manager Brandon Beane would get most of the extension work done later in the spring or even late summer, he agreed to terms on Feb. 25 with Shakir, March 4 with Bernard, March 8 with Rousseau and March 29 with Benford.
Like the player’s ability? No need to wait.
Respect the player’s character? Ditto.
Value the player’s future? Same.
“If you’re doing things right, you’re starting your free agent process by making sure you’re extending the players that you want to extend,” coach Sean McDermott told me. “We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to acquire and develop players that we want back.”
Good, organized teams work tirelessly to keep their good players. They don’t wait until the cusp of free agency (cough, cough, Cincinnati and Dallas) and pay a higher cost in acts of stubbornness.
Good cultures take care of their players. They don’t needlessly create roster holes and have to force things in the draft by reaching for a player or by trading up when there is a run on a certain position group. In turn, those players show a willingness to potentially accept slightly less even though it is life-changing money.
“Our job is to play and try to win today, but have an eye on tomorrow,” Beane said Sunday during a meeting with five Buffalo reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting. “We’ve had guys go all the way (to free agency) and gotten them done, but obviously the closer they get, the more attractive other opportunities could be for them.”
Although it may seem like the Bills are throwing around contract extensions like Starbucks gift cards, this wasn’t just on a whim. They believe in Benford, Bernard, Rousseau and Shakir … and should. In a salary cap world, you don’t sign players just for the sake of keeping them happy.
A middle linebacker who is a captain and the on-field quarterback. Keeping Bernard long-term creates the ideal kind of continuity – current defensive coordinator Bobby Babich was Bernard’s position coach in 2022-23. They speak in the same codes, and the Bills don’t need to waste time indoctrinating another quarterback-type player.
An edge rusher who has two eight-sack seasons in four years. Keeping Rousseau long-term – even though he needs to get to double-digit sacks to reach another level – means the Bills don’t have to find multiple pass rushers.
A cornerback who may not be a No. 1, but is currently the Bills’ No. 1. Benford has started 33 regular-season and playoff games over the last two years and has four interceptions among his 20 pass breakups. Keeping Benford long-term and pairing him with a draft-pick-to-be-determined should put the Bills in good position.
And a receiver who is ultra-reliable and tough as a cement block. Shakir led the Bills with 76 catches last year (the next-closest was 44 by tight end Dalton Kincaid) and has the complete trust of Allen. I don’t know what the Bills have at the outside spots with Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman, but I know what they have in Shakir.
All four extensions made sense to the Bills, evident by the timing of the agreements. Get the deals done to know exactly what the free-agent and draft focus needs to be. Get the deals done so the next wave of new Bills players know who to follow. These are players, while being supremely compensated, who believe in the Bills.
“When we came here years ago (in 2017), many people said it would be hard to get people to Buffalo and then keep people here,” McDermott said. “The culture and winning go hand-in-hand. For the players to want to stay in Buffalo, it speaks volumes about our culture.”
Reach Ryan at rohalloran@buffnews.com or 716-849-6133. Follow on Twitter at @ryanohalloran.
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