Buffalo Bills most team-friendly contract, according to B/R
By Avery Duncan
Who is the Buffalo Bills’ most team-friendly contract, according to Bleacher Reports Kristopher Knox?
When looking through the Buffalo Bills’ salary cap table, no bad contract sticks out like a sore thumb. From the quarterback on a rookie-scale deal to new veteran additions, general manager Brandon Beane has created a thing of beauty for his team’s cap. However, one contract may stand out as the best.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox took a gander at each NFL team’s salary cap tables to determine every team’s most team-friendly contract. As you’d expect, rookie deals reigned supreme on the article — paying Patrick Mahomes less than $4.5 million is genuinely nuts. But, for the Bills, a veteran contract takes the cake, specifically defensive end Jerry Hughes‘; as Knox notes;
"The Bills managed to sign Hughes to a two-year extension this offseason, essentially putting him on a three-year deal worth just over $10 million per season. That’s a great price for a top-tier defender and one of the most proven veterans on the roster."
The 30-year-old Hughes has been a mainstay for the Bills’ defensive line since 2013, and he’s now entering his sixth year as a starter. Though never an NFL-leading sack maestro (two double-digit seasons), Hughes is an intimidating presence for any offensive lineman. Pro Football Focus graded him as the ninth-best edge defender in the NFL.
According to PFF, Hughes is the leader in pressures for the Bills in their era (2006), and frankly, it’s not close. Since 2013, he’s tallied an incredible 352 pressures. Behind him is Mario Williams, with 221. In 2018, he had the NFL’s second-highest pass-rush grade — 90.4 — win-rate — 23.9% — and highest pressure rate — 19.7%. This is all despite having just seven sacks on the year.
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The Bills rewarded Hughes’ efforts in 2018 with a contract extension worth $21.5 million over two seasons. His cap hit in 2019 is a hair under $13 million. Considering the massive contracts given out to less-successful defensive ends and edge rushers, the Bills have a steal in Hughes; in turn, making Knox’s selection justified.