Bills Contract Extensions: What Does Next Year's Salary Cap Mean for Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds?
Getting two picks among the top 16 in the 2018 NFL Draft comes with a price the Buffalo Bills are attempting to negotiate now.
Quarterback Josh Allen (No. 7 overall) and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (No. 16) both have lived up to their expectations and are key pieces of the winning culture coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have helped build.
As such, both have had their fifth-year options picked up for 2022.
But long-term security hasn't happened yet, thanks in large part to the coronavirus pandemic drastically reducing the league's revenue in 2020, leading to a 2021 salary cap figure of 182.5 million, down by $6 million from the year before.
Before the pandemic, it would have been reasonable to expect an increase of around $10 million for 2021 for a total of around $198 million.
This week's announcement by the league that the 2022 cap ceiling will be $208.2 million provides hope that it could be back on its projected growth track before the pandemic.
But it's important to note that the figure is just a ceiling. No floor has been established yet, which means nobody can even be sure if the final 2022 figure will be higher than 2021's.
Nevertheless, after what Beane was able to accomplish with, well, beans during this offseason, in which he was able to keep key players from departing in free agency and even add some significant free agents, 2022 should be a breeze.
What's more, extensions for Allen and Edmunds, who both earned Pro Bowl berths last season, could happen well before then.
Though they have the luxury of time, getting Allen locked sooner rather than later has to be their biggest priority now because of the position he plays and how much his market value will increase if he follows up last year's breakout season with a similar one in 2021. After all, that is the expectation now.
To their credit, neither player is pushing the issue. All they're concerned about is what's immediately in front of them this summer and this fall.
"I’m just trying to be the best quarterback that I can be for the Bills,” Allen said as OTAs kicked off last Tuesday. "That’s why as players, most of us, not all of us, have agents to take care of that side of things. Again, that’s the least most thing I’m worrying about right now. I’m just trying to find ways I can do better and be better for this team and help us accomplish the goal that we want to accomplish.”
Edmunds was just happy to have his 2022 option picked up.
"Yeah, I was excited," he said. "I love it out here, man. The fans and everything that Buffalo has to offer, I love it. And so, I was excited just because I know the group that we have here. I'm excited just to be back to go to war with them so we can all try to accomplish what we all here to do - and that's to win a championship. So, I was excited man, smiles from ear to ear and my family was excited because they love it here as well. I'm excited what the future brings, and I'm just looking at what we could do as a team this year."
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.
