Ed Oliver
Probably one of the toughest contract extension negotiations for the Buffalo Bills this offseason would be with defensive tackle Ed Oliver. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft due to having incredible athleticism for his position and the belief was that he could be a dominant pass rusher up the middle.
Over the first four years, Oliver didn’t reach that level but he has shown flashes that he can be that player. The Buffalo Bills saw enough to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason but this past year was more of the same.
One of the reasons for that though could have been due to an ankle injury he suffered in Week 1 that forced him to get off to a slow start. Now the biggest challenge is whether or not the two sides can agree on a contract that accounts for the player Ed Oliver could be while also understanding the production hasn’t been there to this point.
This season, Oliver has a cap hit over $10 million, and agreeing to a long-term deal could certainly help the Buffalo Bills free up some cap space. However, can the two sides agree on a contract that makes sense for both sides? That is a big question mark at this point.