The One Contract Holding Back the Buffalo Bills
By Jerry Trotta
The Buffalo Bills are sitting pretty from a salary cap perspective. As of this writing, the franchise currently boasts $20 million in that department, which ranks 11th in the NFL. This doesn't really come as a surprise considering that Buffalo, outside of the Stefon Diggs trade, didn't make any significant splashes this offseason.
However, like any organization, there is one contract that sticks out among the rest in terms of holding the team back. For the Bills, that's the grossly expensive deal of defensive end Mario Addison.
Mario Addison got a taste of the #Bills last offseason in joint practice and was solid: https://t.co/T5Zoqm0u0i
— TheBillsWire (@TheBillsWire) May 4, 2020
The Bills inked Addison to a three-year, $30.45 million contract in free agency this offseason. While we acknowledge that the Troy product fits is a perfect fit in Buffalo, giving that sort of money to a 32-year-old -- he'll turn 33 in September -- well past his prime is a questionable move.
Addison is widely regarded as one of the most underrated pass rushers in the NFL. Still, as good as the contract might look in 2020, assuming he produces, it won't come off as pretty down the road. With the league's salary cap projected to take a monster hit next season due to COVID-19, the Bills could probably do without a player in his mid-30s accounting for cap hits of $10.225 million in both 2021 and 2022.
Mario Addison said he liked Buffalo from the get-go in free agency. He loved how the team was coached last year during joint practices against the Panthers. Says Buffalo’s OL will make him better and he will make the OL better.
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) May 4, 2020
Buffalo is certainly in a win-now mindset following a 10-6 finish and playoff appearance, but Addison accounting for the third-highest cap hit on a roster that flaunts a ton of talent isn't a great look. This contract is just asking to blow up in the face of GM Brandon Beane.