The Buffalo Bills got lucky, and Greg Rousseau didn't. A day after signing an extension that keeps Rousseau in Buffalo through 2029 at an average annual value of $20 million, the Cleveland Browns locked in Myles Garrett at a massive contract worth twice that much.
There's no doubt that Rousseau's deal looks like even more of a value now, but it also points to the fact that contract timing matters in a huge way.
A new contract for Garrett was a surprise. After requesting a trade and making it known that he was going to hold out and would be willing to miss games if he wasn't traded, the new massive contract was announced.
Still, the top of the defensive end market being twice what Rousseau is getting paid is a pretty stark difference. It looks fantastic for the Bills, who have their top young pass rusher locked up on a deal that will only continue to look better as time goes on.
Rousseau's extension was one of three that Beane has locked up in recent weeks, also signing wide receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrell Bernard through 2029. Buffalo still has two priorities that need to be taken care of — decisions need to be made about the futures of cornerback Christian Benford and running back James Cook.
It's a big offseason for Beane and the Bills. Now it's time for attention to be turned to the free agency pool to try and continue to address positions of need, like fortifying some depth along the defensive line and in the secondary.
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