The Buffalo Bills have a number of starters from last season who are free agents and should try to bring back this offseason. However, the one that is likely to have the biggest price tag is Matt Milano.
According to Matt Verderame, the outside linebacker is looking for “top dollar at his position”. This is certainly not a surprise as Milano has emerged as one of the top linebackers in the league and a key part of the Bills’ defense playing alongside Tremaine Edmunds.
The duo of Edmunds and Milano and the athleticism they bring to the position allows the Bills to use more nickel defense and not give up much sideline to sideline. Milano also is one of the top coverage linebackers in the NFL and one of the reasons why he could end up being one of the top paid outside linebackers in the NFL.
As Verderame notes, Milano has never been to a Pro Bowl or named an All-Pro but he did have a breakout season in 2019 with over 100 total tackles. This past season though he dealt with a number of injuries but did play in 13 games between the regular season and the playoffs.
He was a playmaker for this defense when he was on the field with 3.5 sacks during the regular season and 25 total tackles in three playoff games. It is also worth noting the Bills were 12-1 in games that Milano played this year.
While the Buffalo Bills would love to have Matt Milano back, the question is can they afford him? The uncertainty about the salary cap and the chance it could be as low as $175 million leaves the Bills in a tough position with little room to make a big move.
The other challenge is the outside linebacker position is one that varies greatly depending on the system. Most of the top paid outside linebackers in the NFL are pass rushing specialists who play in 3-4 defenses like Khalil Mack and Von Miller, who currently are number one and two in cap hits according to Spotrac.
While Milano won’t likely get a contract north of $20 million per year like Mack or Miller, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he could earn a deal around $12 million like Whitney Mercilius with the Houston Texans or $10 million with Demario Davis.
If the Buffalo Bills can’t reach a deal, the franchise tag is also a possibility. However, this creates a similar problem in terms of using up a majority of any cap space they might be able to create. According to Over the Cap, the franchise tag salary for a linebacker will be over $15 million which is likely higher than the average salary Milano might be able to get with a long-term deal.
While it is not officially a done deal that Matt Milano has played his final snap with the Bills, it certainly doesn’t appear likely that he will be returning next season.