It’s easy to peg who’s the top player on the Buffalo Bills, considering the team only had one All-Pro selection in 2019. One that was a long overdue acknowledgement for cornerback Tre’Davious White.
White is currently on his rookie deal but it’s widely known that he’s entering the final year of that deal. His draft class from 2017 is one the Bills would be smart to lock up, a group which also includes linebacker Matt Milano and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins.
That man in charge of inking those deals is Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane. The GM spoke to the team’s radio station, WGR-550, on Wednesday and specifically discussed White’s signature on a contract.
“Obviously Tre’s a guy we love and want back… you do look and try and find what the value is,” Beane said. “It’s hard because it can sometimes be hard for agents, too. Because they’re trying to look at what the market is today versus what’s it going to be in two years. Do they want to play it out? Do they want security now?”
Beane also explained that the value of White’s contract could come down to deciding the exact order of where the defensive back ranks in the league. That means a lot to players.
“So that’s what it gets to. It’s up to us to figure out where we see his market value. Is he the No. 1 corner in the league? Is he the No. 2 corner in the league? Or whatever position you’re talking about,” Beane said.
“Tre’s a guy we love and definitely we want to be here in Buffalo for a long time,” Beane added.
The Bills do have one thing in their pocket at least. White is a former first-round pick, the Bills can slap a fifth-year option on him to keep him around in 2021. With White’s skill level in mind, if the two sides can’t come to a long-term deal, they’ll use that on him. For White, that would cost the Bills approximately $9 million.
But a curveball is the current collective bargaining agreement. NFL owners and NFLPA are currently trying to workout a deal to avoid a 2021 work stoppage. The headline-grabber in regard to that deal is a potential 17th regular season game. That’ll probably slow down negotiations, too. Both teams and player agents will want to see where the chips fall in the CBA before signing extensions. If that finalizes this offseason, that could help the Bills and White come to a long-term deal sooner rather than later.
The Bills also have to consider Milano and Dawkins. While White has a fifth-year option, those two don’t, so Buffalo might consider attack their extensions first.
Plenty to consider, but Beane isn’t beating around the bush: He wants White back.
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