(Update: 4:04 p.m.): The Bears have reportedly agreed to terms with Edmunds:
Previous coverage:
Tremaine Edmunds is going to get paid this week as the free agency begins. The question is, how much?
ESPN has a thought, and it’s bad news for the Buffalo Bills. Their projected answer: A lot. So much so, Edmunds might end up pushing to be the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL when it’s all said and done.
ESPN’s group of NFL insiders put together a pre-free agency “buzz” list. Edmunds was mentioned and in section via analyst Jeremy Fowler, it was questioned whether or not Edmunds could push for “$20 million annually? Some teams think he might get close.”
While the phase “highest-paid” is not dusted off, that’s what they’re getting at.
Edmunds’ fellow 2018 NFL draftee Roquan Smith, now with the Baltimore Ravens, fetched that price tag this past year: $20M per season. That is the highest for all inside linebackers in the league.
The trouble for Buffalo is that they have salary cap constraints. The Bills will get under the 2023 salary cap by Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the new league year starts, but technically, they still haven’t announced exactly how they plan to.
Most believe it’s going to happen through restructuring more contracts, which is what the Bills already did in signing linebacker Matt Milano to an extension.
Bills Wire will provide updates on how, who, and when those changes are made.
For the time being, here’s Fowler’s breakdown on Edmunds and his free agency bid:
A spotlight should be on Tremaine Edmunds, who will test the linebacker market in a big way. His age (24), impressive size (6-foot-5, 250) and Pro Bowl background prompt the question: Will he push for $20 million annually? Some teams think he might get close. Not everyone agrees. But those who are high on him are really high on him, and Buffalo is bummed that a blue-chip player it drafted and developed isn’t staying due in part to cap constraints. The consensus is Indianapolis’ Bobby Okereke is somewhere behind him, but very high on the list. And a player whose market might surprise is Philadelphia’s T.J. Edwards. He could get more money than people think. He racked up nearly 300 tackles and 12 pass deflections in two seasons with Philly.
The linebacker market is saturated with really good players, so teams that stay patient will get great value.
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