2.) Signing Ed Oliver to a bigger-than-expected extension
It was not long ago when news broke about the Bills extending defensive tackle Ed Oliver to a four-year, $68 million contract with $45 million guaranteed. Don’t get me wrong, the Bills needed to secure a defensive tackle for after the 2023 season. Although, will the Buffalo Bills regret giving this kind of extension to Oliver, who has not exactly lived up to the ninth overall pick status?
Having only recorded 151 tackles and 14.5 sacks in four seasons, Oliver has had a shaky career in Buffalo. He is not one of the worst players, but he is not one of the best either. There is only one way for this contract to make sense: for Oliver to have a career year in 2023. If he surpasses the production that he has done so far in his career, this contract will not look as bad.
The only issue with that is that it comes down to strictly hoping that Oliver can become a dominant player for not only the Bills but also in the league. Based on his track record, Oliver will have a game here and there where his presence is known but not all the time.
This is not me saying that Oliver didn’t deserve a contract or contract extension, but did he deserve this kind of contract at this point? Only the upcoming season will tell us.