Ranking the 5 worst contracts in Buffalo Bills’ franchise history
1. Marcell Dareus (6 years, $108 million)
In 2015, the Buffalo Bills were in a position where they needed to start changing the perception of the franchise. They had consistently been drafting in the Top 10 but were not able to improve their performance on the field.
One player who looked to be one of their best draft picks in recent memory was Marcell Dareus, who they drafted third overall in 2011. The Bills were in a position where they couldn’t let someone playing at his level leave Western New York.
The contract the two sides agreed upon was for six years worth up to $108 million with $60 million guaranteed. That guaranteed total was the highest ever for a non-quarterback.
Unlike Dockery, Dareus had shown he could be one of the best at his positions with back-to-back Pro Bowl nominations as well as coming off a season where he earned a first-team All-Pro selection. However, that would be the final season he earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nomination and he would spend just over two more seasons in Buffalo.
In the middle of the 2017 season, Dareus would be traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for only a sixth-round pick in 2018. This was during a time that McDermott and Beane were looking to shed salary and re-shape the roster.
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The move made sense for the Buffalo Bills to move on but the fact that he still had four seasons left, and Dareus never returned to the level he played prior to the extension, makes this the worst contract in franchise history.