Ed Oliver Signs 4-Year, $68M Extension

More contract details will be posted as they become available.

This new deal makes Ed Oliver the 13th-highest paid DT in the NFL, but he won’t be there for long.

Why Now?

Now, with more big-name DT contracts coming down the pipeline, signing Ed Oliver to an extension lets the Bills control the money, and get ahead of any potential reset of the market. Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets will sign a deal soon; The impact on the market may raise the price of all DTs. Timing is everything in the NFL, and getting ahead of the market is a boon.

A year ago, the Buffalo Bills didn’t come to terms with LB Tremaine Edmunds on an extension. After playing his fifth-year option, the team either wouldn’t or couldn’t match the offers he received. He had a breakout year, and went from extremely expensive to prohibitively so. Evidently, with zero defensive tackles under contract through 2024, they didn’t feel comfortable risking it again. Oliver will be 25 to start this season, and could be a cornerstone for seasons to come.

Lastly, this deal will impact the cost of Ed Oliver’s cap hit this season. He was due to play on his $10.753M fifth-year option this season, all of which was fully guaranteed against the cap. Now, expect the Buffalo Bills to have room to work with. If they plan to add to this Super Bowl contending roster, they have the resources to.

What To Expect From Ed Oliver

It’s true, Oliver has been inconsistent over his four-year career, but there may be some changes on the horizon. He’s been paired with a trio of sizeable linemen in Jordan Phillips, DaQuan Jones, and Poona Ford. This group may finally allow him to play his game; To be the penetrating 3-tech DT that he was expected to be all along. He’s had to line up over the centre often since he was drafted, due to lack of DT play around him, but that won’t be a problem this season. Moving to the outside shoulder of the guard will only help his penetration. As Von Miller returns from injury, this could be a scary defensive line.

It may be futile to expect a leap five seasons into a player’s career, but the stars have aligned for Ed Oliver. With Sean McDermott calling the defense alone this season, we’ll likely see more of the aggressive blitz-happy scheme that he was known for. Oliver is in a position to succeed in 2023. It remains to be seen if he can follow through, living up to his pre-draft expectations. Still, it’s encouraging to see the trend of Bills draft picks staying with the team after two decades of being unable to keep our best talent.

Unfortunately, Buffalo has plenty of other candidates for extensions this offseason, such as DaQuan Jones, Gabriel Davis, and many more. With another big name tied to the team long-term, who will they have to say goodbye to?