Buffalo Bills: 3 reasons to like Ed Oliver's extension, 1 reason to not

On Saturday, the Buffalo Bills reportedly signed Ed Oliver to a four-year extension that would keep him with the franchise through the 2027 season. The move was surprising as the two sides seemed to be far apart in negotations and Oliver is a player that has flashed at times but has not been consistent.

Oliver was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has been a starter the past three seasons. However, he was considered to be one of the most athletic defensive tackles coming into the NFL and he hasn't really developed the pass rush many expected.

When looking at this deal, there is more to like than not like and these are three reasons fans should be excited and one reason it should be a concern.

3 reasons to like Ed Oliver's contract extension and 1 reason to not

Potentially frees up cap space this year for the Buffalo Bills

The first reason is speculation but it would be surprising if this contract extension didn't help the Buffalo Bills salary cap this season. The Bills picked up Oliver's fifth year option last offseason and this year he was counting nearly $11 million towards the salary cap.

According to Ari Meirov, the Bills had roughly only $1.5 million in cap space which is not nearly enough to go after a player like DeAndre Hopkins, or even Dalvin Cook if he were to be released. A move like this allows the front office to now spread out the cap hit this year over the length of the contract and substantially lower that cap hit this season.

It will ultimately come down to how it is structured but if an Ed Oliver extension also means signing a player like DeAndre Hopkins, this is a fantastic move.