Two Bills Drive

‘The deal, first reported by ESPN, is worth up to $80 million, and includes $54 million in guarantees. It’s the third contract extension given out by general manager Brandon Beane to players with one year left on their deals this offseason, following agreements with wide receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard. Negotiations with Rousseau started before the 2024 season, then picked back up after the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs by the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.’

‘Ferguson, who turns 31 this month, has been with the Bills since 2016. He’s appeared in every game for eight consecutive seasons. This season, Ferguson passed Adam Lingner for most career games by a Bills long snapper. Lingner had 140 games. Counting playoffs, Ferguson is at 145 games.’

‘DaQuan Jones is 33 years old and played OK. But he wasn’t as effective as when he was dominating in the middle early in the 2023 season. The Bills could stick with Jones and try to add a young thumper in the 2025 NFL draft. It is a deep draft for defensive tackles, and the Bills might be able to get a quality player in the third or fourth round.’

‘Picking at No. 30, the chance to find an immediate impact player is not great. The Bills have a good amount of draft capital if they want to move up, including an extra second-round pick acquired in the trade of Stefon Diggs last offseason. Whether it’s moving up, back or staying put at No. 30, the most important part is that Beane gets the pick right and finds a player who will contribute in 2025. His uneven track record in the early rounds of the draft recently has become a storyline since last season ended, and he will be under pressure to turn that around.’

‘Members of the Community Benefit Oversight Committee, the oversight entity for the CBA, have called for tangible actions on what choosing love looks like. The community would love for a transparent, accessible public application so they can apply for the community investment the Bills committed to Western New York. The small businesses, food vendors, cleaning companies, security firms, would love to learn how they can start preparing to work at the new stadium. But the Bills executives refuse to engage with the community to develop these programs.’