Former first-round pick just made the Bills' offseason decision on him a lot easier
A former first-round pick just made the Buffalo Bills’ decision for him this offseason easy
The Buffalo Bills are dealing with a lot of drama this week.
Earlier this week, superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs sent fans into a panic with his social media activity, which included unfollowing the Bills on Instagram and sending some cryptic tweets about "things" not being personal.
Now they're dealing with some drama from a former first-round draft pick.
Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver, a top 10 draft pick in 2019, posted a message on social media that suggested he wants to be paid.
The post has been taken down, but screenshots, as we all know by now, live forever.
Oliver is set to earn $10.7 million in 2023 (it's his fifth-year option so it's fully guaranteed).
I'm assuming that the former Houston standout is looking for an extension.
His play, however, hasn't exactly warranted a lucrative extension. In fact, he's probably going to be overpaid in 2023.
There's been some trade chatter surrounding Oliver in recent weeks. This recent social media post should make the Bills' decision on him easy — they need to trade him this offseason and go in another direction.
If Buffalo trades Oliver (he'd probably fetch a day three draft pick), they'd free up the entire $10.7 million in cap space (trading Oliver wouldn't come with a dead cap hit).
The Bills could then sign someone like defensive tackle Chris Wormley, a similar player who would probably cost around $6 million (the credit goes to Buffalo Fanatics' Kevin Siracuse for that great idea).
If Buffalo doesn't trade Oliver, they're likely heading for some sort of holdout. That's the last thing the Bills need to deal with — especially with a player they probably aren't going to pay (at least what Oliver thinks he's worth).
If the Bills want fewer headaches this offseason, they'll quickly move on from Oliver and replace him with a cheaper player who provides similar production.
