The Buffalo Bills have a range of skill position players set to hit free agency next month, and starting CB Rasul Douglas is an important one. The Bills made the move to trade for Douglas in mid-2023, and he's been a valuable addition.
Unfortunately for him, the roster is in flux. Numerous players will be on the move again, and a lot of decisions must be made as we build the 2025 roster. With a tumultuous offseason ahead, does Buffalo re-commit to Rasul Douglas?
Rasul Douglas' 2024 season
Rasul's lone full season with the Bills was a solid one. He was relatively consistent, communicated effectively, and made few big mistakes. In a year following the utter dismantlement of the Buffalo defense, he was pretty good. He did take the #2 role this year, with a reduction in responsibility, less one-on-one coverage, and was inoffensive upon review.
Though he was an adequate starter, with a number of nice plays on the season, he had his drawbacks. Douglas allowed four touchdowns on the year, with 12.1 yards per catch on the year and a sub-par 69.1% catch rate. Players were getting the ball against him, for significant yardage. For a player who saw every snap when healthy, it was a dropoff from his previous years. On the other side of the field, Christian Benford looked spectacular, providing unflattering contrast.
Keeping him
Per Spotrac, his projected market value is a three-year deal worth $35.7m. A whopping $11.9m average annual value seems a little excessive considering he will be 31 this season, but good cornerbacks are few and far between on the open market. This is not a particularly promising group of free agents at the position, boosting his potential payout.
If he was retained for that cost, Buffalo could fix a hole on the roster before it opens. By keeping Rasul Douglas on the roster, they enter the 2025 offseason with no need for a starting cornerback. They could draft a prospect to work on over the next two seasons, and leave the big investment at the position further down the road.
Hitting free agency
In truth, Rasul Douglas has been a great cornerback for the better part of his nine seasons in the NFL. This is now to his detriment - few cornerbacks have ever held their own for as many as ten. The lifespan of an elite cornerback is short, and Douglas has already seen a decline in performance.
His play is good enough to keep Buffalo winning, and he's far from a liability, but does committing to a new contract with him right now tie the Bills down when they need to find new talent at the position? If they hope to invest those same resources in effective players who can grow in this defense for the future, perhaps moving on is the answer.
Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane have yet to fail in putting together a solid secondary. The duo have earned the trust to find new starters at cornerback. They may have failed on the Kaiir Elam pick, but every other move at the position in their tenure has been average at worst.
From getting multiple solid seasons out of undrafted free agent Levi Wallace to using special teamers as adequate spot-starters frequently, have no doubt that a cost-effective answer will be found.
Furthermore, at the top of the depth chart, there's a bigger concern that needs addressing. The Bills' #1 cornerback, Christian Benford, is due for an extension that could set the market. Committing to multiple big-money deals for players at the same position is poor roster management, and the team has to offset the cost of Benford's impending contract with a cheaper option at CB2.
The decision
Ultimately, this is a tough decision. Rasul Douglas has brought great veteran leadership to a unit that needed it in the absence of Jordan Poyer, Tre'Davious White, and Micah Hyde. It just isn't viable for 2025. The Buffalo Bills built a contending roster on a down year and will have the chance to make big purchases again soon. They handcuff themselves with a major extension here; there are far bigger fish to fry than searching for an acceptable CB2.