Brandon Beane might not have a restful offseason.
Not only will his next 2 ½ months be consumed with the salary cap, draft and free agency, but the Buffalo Bills general manager also has to start looking toward the future. And five potential cornerstones in the coming year are set to enter free agency in 2026.
Cornerback Christian Benford, linebacker Terrel Bernard, running back James Cook, defensive end Greg Rousseau and wide receiver Khalil Shakir are all due for extensions. Given Buffalo’s perennial salary cap constraints, it’s unlikely it will be able to re-sign all five players.
So let’s see who makes the most sense.
Terrel Bernard
This isn’t so much about overall talent or physical importance to the defense. Bernard emerged as the unequivocal leader of the Bills’ defense and is clearly loved by coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich.
Bernard not only learned how to convey messages from the coaching staff through interviews with the media, but to his teammates. It’s hard to envision the Bills walking away from a player they have invested so much in on and off the field including placing him alongside Josh Allen as one of two team captains last year.
On the field, Bernard is a magnet for the ball. He’s averaged 8.9 tackles over 30 games the last two seasons. He’s got 24 ½ tackles for a loss and 7 ½ sacks in his two years as the starting middle linebacker, while also having nine takeaways.
Bernard likely won’t command the $13.666 million-per-year deal Pittsburgh gave Patrick Queen last year, but he should land in the neighborhood of $6.5-8 million per year over three years.
Greg Rousseau
Rousseau hasn’t posted a double-digit sack season, but there is no question that he’s an impact player. The 24-year-old had a career-high eight sacks last year and had 16 tackles for a loss.
Of the 16 players with 16 tackles for a loss or more, Rousseau and the Giants’ Brian Burns were the only players not to get a vote for defensive player of the year. Houston’s Will Anderson joined the duo as the only members of the group not named to the Pro Bowl.
Rousseau is likely to land somewhere in the middle of Maxx Crosby’s $23.5 million and Tennessee’s Harold Landry’s $17.5 million per year. If the Bills can lock him up in training camp, they may do so for less than $20 million per year.
Even though Rousseau’s sack production hasn’t reached what many hoped, it’s much harder to find someone to replace his production. That’s especially true when the Bills need to improve the pass rush with him already factored in.
Christian Benford
Benford is in the same position as Rousseau. He struggles occasionally in man-to-man coverage, but excels in zone defense, which the Bills play predominantly.
A year after being Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked cornerback in zone coverage, Benford was seventh this season. Benford allowed 20 receptions for 220 yards on 29 targets in zone coverage this season, establishing himself firmly in the upper echelon of the NFL.
The Bills already have a decision to make with veteran Rasul Douglas set to enter free agency. NFL teams love to pay cornerbacks and Benford could net over $90 million on a four-year extension.
The rest of the league lucked out when NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II didn’t demand to be the highest paid cornerback in the league, taking more per year over a lesser term with the Broncos.
What hurts the Bills is that Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr. is also due for an extension. Benford won’t command Stingley’s money, but the Texans star should reset the market for cornerbacks.
Although of the 31 outside cornerbacks to be named All-Pro over the last decade, only six have done it in consecutive seasons, there are 12 making more than $15 million per year. Benford is about to be one of them.
Khalil Shakir
The next two priorities may flip flop depending on the market. Receivers are making absurd money now, with 23 receivers making at least $20 million per year on average last season.
Spotrac.com places Shakir’s market value at $19.35 million. If that seems high, you aren’t alone.
There is no question that Shakir emerged as Allen’s most trusted target last season and the 24-year-old surely hasn’t played his best football yet. But he also had 76 catches for 821 yards and four touchdowns, which are good but not great numbers.
But there are a number of good receivers either set to be free agents or in need of an extension, including perhaps the game’s best receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, and the market is about to shift. Gabe Davis netted $13 million per year from the Jaguars last season, but he scored 27 touchdowns for the Bills.
This might be a contract the Bills want to extend before the season begins to get a more team-friendly deal.
James Cook
Cook tied Derrick Henry for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns (16) and tied him for second in touchdowns for scrimmage (18). So what gives? Why is he so low?
He’s a running back.
Cook appeared to claim he wanted $15 million per year, a figure only San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey surpassed. It’s almost certain to say the Bills aren’t paying him that type of money, but he’s also unlikely to get it anywhere else.
Only McCaffrey, Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley and Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor are set to make over $10 million in total cash next year. Spotrac.com places Cook’s market value at $10.209 million per year, even though that might be too rich for the Bills, who haven’t shown a desire to pay a running back under Beane.
Cook is due $5.62 million next season, the first time the Bills have paid more than $3 million to a running back since LeSean McCoy in 2018 and that was a contract they inherited from the Doug Whaley regime.
The appeal Cook may present is that he’s got just 927 touches since entering college. That’s more than 700 fewer than McCaffrey and almost 1,000 fewer than Taylor entering the final year of their rookie contracts.