Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane will have a huge task during training camp next month as they will have to decide who will be joining them in Week 1 as members of the Buffalo Bills. Training camp is a time for the real competition to take place where both the front office, coaching staff, and fans can watch.
While they will be focusing on this year’s roster, Beane will also have another task at looking at pending free agents for next year’s offseason to see if he wants to get an extension done early on in or even before the start of the 2025 season.
3 pending 2026 free agents Bills must prioritize to re-sign
OL David Edwards
Spoiler alert, we’ve got two offensive linemen on this list and we start with David Edwards. After spending four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Edwards joined the Bills in 2023 as what was an expected backup role but Edwards saw plenty of action as an extra lineman on the field for when Buffalo wanted to run the ball. He was impressive enough for the Bills to give him a two-year deal prior to the start of free agency in 2024.
He was a full-time starter last season and he helped keep Josh Allen clean in the pocket. A quarterback can only succeed if they have a great offensive line in front of him and Edwards was part of it. Keep the continuity and protect the franchise.
OL Connor McGovern
Connor McGovern should really be the next Bill to get an extension for the future. He moved from guard to center and he played exceptionally well. He didn’t give up a single sack last season and he was the anchor of the offensive line that only gave up 14 sacks last year. This should be a no-brainer for Brandon Beane to keep McGovern in Buffalo beyond the 2025 season.
RB James Cook
This might cause an argument, but no one can deny the fact that James Cook being in the lineup makes the Bills even scarier. He’s rushed for back-to-back 1,000 yards and was tied for the most rushing touchdowns last season. Yes, I get it that there has been a lot of drama between the Bills and Cook this offseason but the Bills don’t exactly have a lot of leverage just yet when it comes to these contract negotiations. Out of the three players on this list, Cook is probably the last one to get an extension (if at all).