Where do Bills stand after extension for Micah Hyde, new contract for Andre Smith?
Whenever we hear "contract extension," we're automatically conditioned to think a team created more salary cap space for itself.
That's understandable because it's a big part of how the NFL operates.
Only in the case of the Buffalo Bills, adding years to the contracts of linebacker Andre Smith and safety Micah Hyde didn't achieve that effect.
Actually, Smith was re-signed after his contract expired, adding to their cap liabilities, and Hyde's cap hit for 2021 remains around the same after signing a two-year extension, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Nevertheless, the Bills made some necessary moves as the NFL's new league year draws closer, signaling the start of free agency.
Hyde's extension allows the Bills to breathe easier about the immediate future of the back end of their defense.
Hyde now is locked in through 2023, and fellow safety Jordan Poyer through 2022 .
"I can't put into words how happy I am, not just for football's sake but my family and wife," Hyde said. "We have a ton of family close to Buffalo. I'm thankful that we were able to get something done and for [general manager Brandon] Beane, [coach] Sean [McDermott] and [Leslie] Frazier to trust me enough to give me some extended years. It's a blessing."
Hyde, Poyer and cornerback Tre'Davious White have been constants in the defense since the arrival of McDermott and Frazier in 2017. The Bills obviously wanted to keep that core together.
We're going to continue to work, we're going to continue to try to get better," Hyde said. "And that's kind of been my mentality this whole time too is do whatever I can to help this football team win ballgames. It's a rewarding feeling knowing that they see me as a key piece in doing that.
"I just want to finish what was started in Buffalo. We, I say we as in the guys that came in 2017, Sean, Tre'Davious, Po, myself, D. Dawk [Dion Dawkins] and a few other guys. I just want to finish what we started. I'm glad that I'm able to be a part of that and I'm just happy for the team, I'm happy to keep this thing going."
Smith has developed into a valuable special-teams player. His new contract enables the team to avoid tendering him an offer.
These moves may not get them any closer to the long-anticipated extension for quarterback Josh Allen, but they do help solidify a roster that may not be as strong as it was in 2020 because so many key players are on the verge of free agency and the Bills' have limited cap flexibility.
Could defensive end Jerry Hughes be next?
He's 32 and his sack totals have dwindled from 10.0 in each of his first two seasons with the Bills (2013 and 2014) to 4.5 in each of the previous two seasons.
But the longest tenured Bill also forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, had an interception and hit the quarterback 11 times in 2020.
But if Beane does offer him one, it would have to be with the understanding that it lowers Hughes' cap hit for 2021, listed as $9.45 by overthecap.com, considerably.
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.
