ESPN joined the no Matt Milano return last week.
Slating bold predictions for every NFL team this offseason, the former world-wide leader guesses Milano will leave the Bills in March via free agency. His departure has long seemed like a realistic thing Buffalo will have to deal with for quite some time now.
Here’s how ESPN lays out their thoughts on his possible departure:
The outside linebacker hits free agency this offseason and is Buffalo’s third home run from its 2017 class along with Tre’Davious White and Dion Dawkins — both of whom already have received contract extensions. The Bills can’t afford Milano, however, without shedding enough salary to make room for his projected $13.8 million-a-year salary. With a declining salary cap in 2021, Milano will be the first major homegrown player to leave Buffalo under Brandon Beane.
The prediction via ESPN came before a report over the weekend which suggests Milano will test the free agent market. However, that update was minimal because that was the likely route anyway.
Milano’s free agency just comes at a terrible time for Buffalo. General manager Brandon Beane’s team is a few million dollars over the salary cap floor, which was recently upped to $180 million in 2021. Had COVID-19 not existed, the salary cap would have continued to go up, and in 2020, the cap sat at $198.2M. Had the Bills and Beane had this space, Milano is likely still a Bill in 2021.
A tough reality the Bills will have to try and figure out with or without Milano.
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