Over the weekend, numerous contracts for the Buffalo Bills changed automatically.
When NFL clubs and players negotiate contracts, leverage factors are typically included in to force teams to make a choice on a player. For example, if a roster bonus is due, the team must either release the player or pay that amount. The other mechanism at work is guaranteed money, and the more talented the player, the earlier they can secure future money.
Sometimes those decisions must be taken immediately following the Super Bowl, but more often than not, Bills general manager Brandon Beane negotiates them a few days into the new league year.
Here are the contract modifications and rewards that occurred this weekend:
Quarterback Josh Allen
$6 million roster bonus was paid.
The entire $14 million of 2025 compensation is totally guaranteed.
The roster bonus became fully guaranteed in 2021, and it was used as part of Allen’s latest contract renegotiation to defer cap hits. The Bills are unlikely to part ways with Allen anytime soon, but with the future contract guarantee in place, Allen will have a dead cap charge of more than $83 million in 2025.
WR Stefon Diggs’ 2024 contract of $18.5 million is completely guaranteed.
To move on from Diggs at this point, the Bills would need to trade him. Releasing him is no longer an option (and I never expected them to). The Bills still have the option to restructure Diggs’ deal at any time, but this would keep him to Buffalo beyond 2024. I advised against it earlier this offseason, and so far, the Bills have agreed.
DE Von Miller
Miller was set to have the remainder of his 2024 pay completely guaranteed. Instead, the Bills restructured Miller’s contracts earlier this month. Instead, the Bills gave him a $7 million roster bonus while lowering his base salary for the season. There was no indication that the Bills restructured Miller’s incentive to include many years of cap. So Miller was more concerned with what did not happen this weekend than what did.
LB Matt Milano
$10 million option bonus was paid.
This $10 million roster bonus was fully guaranteed when Milano extended his contract last year. Still, receiving a $10 million check isn’t terrible. His 2024 base salary was already fully guaranteed.
OT Dion Dawkins received a $500,000 roster bonus.
As you’re probably aware, Dion Dawkins signed a contract extension. He received a significantly larger paycheck than his $500,000 roster bonus, which was given this past weekend. He got $11 million last week.
DT Ed Oliver
The option bonus of $12.5 million has been paid, and $8.25 million of 2025 income is now fully guaranteed.
Oliver’s 2024 salary was fully guaranteed immediately after the Super Bowl, and the majority of this option bonus was already guaranteed. The option bonus was designed as a cap control approach. The remaining 2025 pay guarantees will be issued a year from now, at the start of the 2025 league year.
Dawson Knox, TE, received a $5 million roster bonus, and his remaining 2024 salary of $1.33 million is completely guaranteed.
Knox was slated to receive a $5 million roster bonus this weekend, and the remainder of his 2024 salary was guaranteed, but he revised his contract earlier in March. That roster bonus was converted into a signing bonus and prorated, thus Knox experienced no changes over the weekend.
P Sam Martin has salary guarantees of $1.55 million for 2024.
Martin’s base salary for 2024 is completely guaranteed on March 18. If Martin’s contract is guaranteed but he is later cut, Buffalo will still have to pay him. If he signs somewhere else, Buffalo’s obligation (cap and cash) will be reduced by the amount the other team pays. Buffalo signed Matt Haack earlier this month.
Leave a Reply