The former first-rounder received a contract extension this offseason
The Buffalo Bills came into 2021 with questions at defensive tackle, and they were banking on a step forward from a former first-round pick. He stepped up, and it means Ed Oliver is sixth on our list of the best values for the Bills in 2021. He earned the fifth-year option as the two sides work toward a potential long-term extension.
In order to afford big contracts for their talented players, the Bills must also find some diamonds in the rough. Cheap veterans and rookies on their entry contracts have to play a major role on the Buffalo Bills and general manager Brandon Beane has found several.
In the past when we’ve done our listing, we used cap hit to reflect value, but with the cap shenanigans employed by Brandon Beane recently and the improvement of the databases, we’ve switched to yearly cash payments as our metric.
Oliver made just under $2.3 million in cash for the 2021 season, which was 48th in the NFL and third on the Bills among defensive tackles.
He finished third among defensive linemen on the Bills with 41 tackles and finished second on the roster with four sacks. He added three pass defenses, one forced fumble, and led the team with 14 QB hits.
In all, he led defensive linemen with 57.79% of the team’s defensive snaps, taking 65 more plays than the next-highest player (Jerry Hughes).
We mentioned the team picked up his fifth-year option, but that’s not until 2023, when he’ll make $10.735 million. In 2022, he will make just under $3.2 million.
Buffalo Bills 2021 Best Values
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- DT Ed Oliver
- DT Harrison Phillips
- S Jordan Poyer
- OT Spencer Brown
- RB Devin Singletary