Bills Ed Oliver Ready to 'Shut The Doubters Up' After Signing Contract Extension
Even for a former top-10 overall pick, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver possesses a larger-than-life chip on his shoulder that might just rival his own 6-1, 287-pound frame.
Oliver officially signed his four-year, $68 million contract extension on Monday, locking him in as a Bill for the next handful of seasons. The deal includes $45 million guaranteed.
He'll now have plenty of time to shut the doubters up, which is one of his many motivational reasons for the upcoming season.
“I don’t feel any pressure," Oliver said Tuesday. "I feel like I’m going to outplay the contract, to be honest. I just want to shut everybody up who said I was overpaid. Just sit back and watch me.”
Considering Oliver's former top-10 status, there was some understandable doubt when he was still looking to make a major impact by Year 4 this past season. He's certainly carved out a solid NFL career for himself, but has yet to reach the star-studded expectations that comes with being a top-10 selection. In four seasons, he's totaled 151 tackles, 14.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 11 passes defended.
But any talk of doubt is mute in eyes of Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who extended Oliver based on some unwavering faith of what he can do on the field.
“I’ve seen growth in Ed in more ways than what you see on the field," Beane said. "I think there are more plays out there Ed can make. I’ve doubled down on that. Ed and I have talked about that.”
After Oliver wrote "Show me the money or (I don't) wanna talk!" in a now-deleted Instagram post earlier this offseason, it seemed likely that he could be potentially traded. Regardless, the extension surprised many around the league, including Oliver himself.
“It’s still surreal,” he said. “Signing again, it’s kind of a blur. They presented the deal to me and I liked it, and it didn’t matter if it was now or during the season. It’s out of the way now. I can go play football and do what we’ve all come here to do: Put hardware on our fingers.”
The Bills extended Oliver with the idea of him being able to lead an elite Buffalo defense at the point of attack alongside guys like Greg Rousseau, Poona Ford and Von Miller. And with his morale at a new high, spearheading this potentially dominant group is in the cards and expectations for Oliver.
But for now, he'll continuing appreciating the position he's in before stressing about the season.
“I feel comfortable here, I love it here, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else," Oliver said.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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