Matt Milano agrees to pay cut, 2025 becomes final year of his deal

[oldmanfan]

Love what Milano has done over the years.  I suspect everyone here does.  Time does catch up though, and Williams has shown enough to where he needs more playing time.

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

11 minutes ago, FireChans said:

Let’s say Milano has the game sealing FF and FR touchdown in the Super Bowl this year. Does he get on the wall then? 

 

Build a statue on the moon so big it is visible with the naked eye from Earth

[HappyDays]

Before anyone asks - this doesn't signal any upcoming FA additions. OTC is reporting Milano signed the revised contract on March 5 so this was done basically in secret to let the Bills make the additions they've already made.

[GASabresIUFan]

maybe this means we'll finally get a starting CB

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Sort of wonder if he didn’t do this, whether the Bills were going to cut him.

[akinko_kd]

I have a feeling he's thinking of retiring after this season, in my opinion.

[GunnerBill]

Matt's one of my favourite ever Bills. But I think this is a really sensible, pragmatic decision on both parts. 

[Process]

Makes sense

 

I selfishly hope he retires after this season. Don't want to watch him play for another team. One of my favorite Bills of this era. 

[HappyDays]

11 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

It sounds to me like Milano's betting on himself. 

 

That's the usual positive spin given by the player side, just like with Von last year. The truth though is that Beane approaches the player and their agent and says something to the effect of "we don't want to cut you, but we will have to under your current numbers" and then they try to find a compromise that works for both sides. The player knows if they get cut they're likely to make even less than the compromise number. The team knows it will be hard to find a replacement player while also paying the dead cap. So it's a give and take from both sides. If you want to phrase it harshly, the team basically tells the player "if you don't rip up your current deal and willingly take less money than we signed you for, you're on your own."

 

By the way when fans get on James Cook or other players for using hardball tactics or not "playing on the contract they signed," I hope they realize teams do this kind of thing all the time. I don't begrudge either side for it. The initial contract signed is a framework, not a lifetime guarantee. It's a brutal business with players trying to maximize a short career and teams trying to maximize a short championship window.

[BlueRed]

I’d be curious to see the incentives. Since he barely played in 2024 I think they could have the incentives set pretty low and label them “unlikely to be earned” or however that’s supposed to work for the cap relief. 

[billieve420]

12 minutes ago, GASabresIUFan said:

maybe this means we'll finally get a starting CB

 

Yeah have to wonder if they are looking to make a move with them freeing up additional money.

[BuffaloBill]

38 minutes ago, Taro Nimbus said:

This will likely be the last year we see him in a Bills uniform.  

This^^^^ I hope he has an injury free and clean season. Hard to know because the injuries he has suffered are not necessarily pointing to age nabbing him. However, the NFL tends to wear out bodies.

Just now, billieve420 said:

 

Yeah have to wonder if they are looking to make a move with them freeing up additional money.

Beane has all but said shopping will be very limited.  Hopefully the Bills are finding a path to getting a deal done with Benford.

[Mark Vader]

35 minutes ago, FireChans said:

Feels like an early retirement announcement. Love Matt but hard to play as physical as he does well into the 30s.

 

Too soon to say…. wall of fame candidate?

No

[SoonerBillsFan]

46 minutes ago, Logic said:

 

Smart move with his age and injuries.  It signals a new LB soon.

19 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

Before anyone asks - this doesn't signal any upcoming FA additions. OTC is reporting Milano signed the revised contract on March 5 so this was done basically in secret to let the Bills make the additions they've already made.

But...you can add LB to the draft list. 

35 minutes ago, Logic said:

I always appreciate when veteran players take pay cuts to help the team.

To echo others, I have to think this is likely his last year in a Bills jersey. Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard appear to be the linebacker duo of the future.

Milano's been a hell of a player for us. Here's hoping he stays healthy all season and ends his Bills career by helping to bring home a Lombardi.

Both need to add size this offseason.

Edited yesterday at 03:39 PM by SoonerBillsFan

[Logic]

3 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Smart move with his age and injuries.  It signals a new LB soon.

But...you can add LB to the draft list. 

I think they were gonna take a linebacker regardless, but this maybe moves it further up the needs list.

Post Matt Milano, they have Dorian Williams and Edefuan Ulofoshio at outside linebacker. So maybe a backup MIKE to compete with Andreesen and one more OLB. I'd bet one or both come from a low cost veteran free agent, too. They don't want ONLY young unproven guys as backups, I'm guessing.

Edited yesterday at 03:42 PM by Logic

[Johnnieo64]

I wish the bills would draft Danny Stuntsman from Oklahoma. He is a bigge, faster version of Milano and would be an instant leader on D. 
Go Bills!!!!

[Shaw66]

8 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

That's the usual positive spin given by the player side, just like with Von last year. The truth though is that Beane approaches the player and their agent and says something to the effect of "we don't want to cut you, but we will have to under your current numbers" and then they try to find a compromise that works for both sides. The player knows if they get cut they're likely to make even less than the compromise number. The team knows it will be hard to find a replacement player while also paying the dead cap. So it's a give and take from both sides. If you want to phrase it harshly, the team basically tells the player "if you don't rip up your current deal and willingly take less money than we signed you for, you're on your own."

 

By the way when fans get on James Cook or other players for using hardball tactics or not "playing on the contract they signed," I hope they realize teams do this kind of thing all the time. I don't begrudge either side for it. The initial contract signed is a framework, not a lifetime guarantee. It's a brutal business with players trying to maximize a short career and teams trying to maximize a short championship window.

I think this is the same thing they did with Miller last season.  It's kind of surprising to see players put money back on the table, but it happens.  As someone said, it's the player betting on himself to make the money back in incentives and to be able to hit the market once more while they may still have some gas in the tank. Tyrod Taylor did it with the Bills, too. He left a lot of guaranteed money on the table, but he was betting that his performance in the short term would be good enough to make him a lot of money in the market.  Turned out, he was wrong - he never made up the money that he would have been paid by the Bills. Still, I talked to a sports agent friend of mine who said that from the player's point of view, your objective is to be a free agent as often as possible, because every time you're a free agent it's another chance for a big pay day.  

[Alphadawg7]

This is great news...frees up cap this year and we are free of the contract next year without a dead cap hit.  Like most have already said, this is probably his swan song as a Bill.  Not out of the question they bring him back next year on a cheap deal, but feels unlikely now with Bernard locked up and Dorian here.  

[nosejob]

43 minutes ago, Magox said:

Shaun Dolac here we come!!

I got a gut feeling Eddy Ofo is gonna be a machine.

[Magox]

Just now, nosejob said:

I got a gut feeling Eddy Ofo is gonna be a machine.

I haven't seen enough of him to form a solid opinion about him one way or the other.

 

I do think the Bills will draft a LB with one of their picks this year to compete for a roster spot with the hopes of eventually becoming a meaningful player that contributes.

 

Dorian is fine but I don't think they will just settle with him being an entrenched starter.