As great as Brandon Beane has been with the roster (especially when he first arrived in Buffalo), he has also had some misses that affected the Bills in some shape (especially recently). Whether it’s through a trade, releasing a player, signing a player, or the draft, Beane is not perfect.
With everything that has happened in Buffalo since being eliminated from the playoffs, Beane now faces more pressure than ever to deliver. With a new head coach in Joe Brady, who replaces Sean McDermott, the Bills are in a spot where they have to show that moving on from McDermott and not Beane was the right decision.
A player that Beane missed on was offensive lineman Wyatt Teller, who is expected to be leaving the Cleveland Browns in free agency. For those who don’t know, Teller was drafted by the Bills in the 5th round out of Virginia Tech back in 2018. Teller eventually became a starter midway through the season for the Bills to end the 2018 season.
Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the Bills traded Teller and Day 3 draft pick in exchange for two Day 3 picks in the 2020 draft. While the Bills have been one of the best teams since 2019, then trading Teller was a gigantic mistake as he went on to become one of the best offensive linemen in the league for Cleveland.
He was part of a rushing attack that helped the Browns become one of the best in the league. Teller got a four-year extension from the Browns in 2021 and he continued to be one of the best guards in the entire league, while the Bills were shuffling through offensive linemen at the guard position.
Teller became a three-time Pro Bowler, while also earning Second-Team All-Pro honors. Now, he is set to hit free agency after seven seasons in Cleveland, giving the Bills the chance to correct the mistake that they made with Teller.
Bills listed as potential landing spots for Wyatt Teller
Gilberto Manzano and Matt Verderame from Sports Illustrated created a list of the NFL’s Top 50 free agents and projected both contracts and landing spots for the players. Teller is ranked at No. 45 and Verdermane is projecting Teller to get a two-year, $26 million deal; while listing the Bills and Chargers as ideal landing spots.
"Teller is in his eighth season, but the three-time Pro Bowler is still playing at a high level. In Cleveland for seven years, he’s consistently been one of the league’s best interior linemen. Teller has appeared in 109 career games with 101 starts." said Verderame.
The Bills are set to lose David Edwards in free agency, and Teller would be a very solid replacement. Per Spotrac, Teller’s market value is set at $10.2 million, while Edwards is listed at $19.9 million.
A near-$10 million difference is great news for the Bills, and Teller is still competing at a high level. With Buffalo having a tough salary cap situation, Teller at $10 million would be arguably a bargain.
Teller gets the chance to join a contender after being on a Browns team that was consistently losing, and the Bills get Edwards’ replacement. It’s a great setup for both sides.