Buffalo Bills: Grading the reported signing of Mario Addison
Contract
This is the one area that skeptics will point to when discussing the addition of Mario Addison. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bills signed Addison to a three-year deal worth $30.45 million with $14 million in the first year and $15.25 million in guarantees.
A couple contract updates from deals late last night:
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 17, 2020
The #Bills signed DE Mario Addison for three years, $30.45 million with $14M in the first year and $15.25M in guarantees.
The #Eagles re-signed QB Nate Sudfeld for one year, $2M ($500K guaranteed). Another $3M in incentives.
The average salary of $10.15 million per year is similar to Jerry Hughes salary of $10.75 million but also on par with Shaq Lawson’s average salary of $10 million with the Miami Dolphins, per Spotrac. This puts them all around the 23rd or 24th highest paid defensive end in the league.
This will likely be the sticking point because fans will wonder why pay a 32-year old defensive end a similar salary, and contract length to a 25-year old defensive end coming off his best season of his career.
While Lawson will likely keep ascending and Addison will see his production slow over the next three years, Lawson’s best season was on par with Addison’s worse as a member of the Carolina Panthers. The age difference and which player the Bills should invest in is fair, Addison has been the better player and likely result in more value.
Grade: B-