(Update: 4:55 p.m.): The Bills re-signed Milano. Details:
Previous coverage:
Matt Milano recently appeared on a Bleacher Report list which is not a good one for the Buffalo Bills.
B/R put together a group of star free agents that are “most likely” to sign elsewhere when the market opens on March 17. Milano made the cut, and the prediction is a big figure for him.
Here’s B/R’s breakdown:
Matt Milano is likely the next linebacker to receive a monster contract on the open market because his team doesn’t want to match.
Last year, non-pass-rushers like Joe Schobert (five years, $53.8 million) and Blake Martinez (three years, $30.8 million) cashed in, and Milano should be next.
Just 26 years old, the 2017 fifth-round pick has been a key piece for a strong Bills defense, starting in 38 of 54 games while being productive on the stat sheet. For example, he recorded 101 total tackles in 2019.
Buffalo has under $5 million in cap space and has other free agents to worry about, such as offensive tackle Daryl Williams. If the market for Milano accelerates quickly, he seems almost guaranteed to land with a new team.
It’s already expected that Milano will test the market, as recent reports suggest he will. Considering the list of pending free agents for off-ball linebackers in the league like Milano is very thin, B/R’s estimation on Milano seems very accurate.
At this rate, the Bills front office is probably investing more time in finding his replacement. Perhaps Milano hits the market and circles back to the Bills… but if Buffalo does not match that deal for him, don’t be surprised to see a high 2021 draft pick of the Bills being a linebacker.
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