Buffalo Bills defender could be worthy of Patrick Mahomes contract, says NFL writer - syracuse.com

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Everyone knew Patrick Mahomes was going to break the bank on his contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, but few were ready for the 10-year contract that can reach $503 million.

At the end of the day, Mahomes’ contract will likely be an outlier in terms of money. Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson and other quarterbacks looking for big paydays can try to use Mahomes’ deal to their advantage during negotiations, but it is unlikely that any of them will surpass the money the Chiefs will give Mahomes over the next decade.

While no other player will likely surpass Mahomes’ salary in the near future, the Chiefs could have given an idea to other teams in terms of locking down young cornerstone players long-term. Looking over the Buffalo Bills’ roster, CBS Sports’ Will Brinson believes the team has a defender worthy of a Mahomes-like contract in terms of length.

Brinson recently appeared on The Bill Barnwell Show podcast and laid out the following criteria that he would use when deciding whether or not to lock up players to decade-long contracts.

Eligible for an extension
Really young
Played in league 3 years
Franchise cornerstone

After laying out the criteria, Brinson named two players he would consider based on this criteria: Joey Bosa and Tremaine Edmunds. Here is what Brinson said about the Bills linebacker.

“The other guy that I think could potentially fit and I don’t know if it’s a premium enough position, but Tremaine Edmunds just turned 22 earlier this offseason. He’s only 22. He’s played two seasons. He was a Pro Bowler last year. Fantastic year. Four quarterback hits, pick, 115 total tackles, one-and-a-half sacks, nine passes defensed. He’s an all-around guy even if he’s not… even though he only plays the linebacker position. Sort of a more versatile guy so I think that Tremaine Edmunds could possibly qualify. The next offseason he’ll be 23. You’re hoping he can play at a high level for 10 years. I just think that’s the qualifications you have to look for. Somebody who was drafted super young and has produced at a high level and that you believe can continue to produce at a high level moving forward over the next 10 years knowing it’s really probably an eight year deal.”

Edmunds’ size and athleticism is very rare and he is just scratching the surface in terms of what he can do on the field. Considering his intangibles, it is not a bad idea to consider locking down the linebacker long-term following the 2020 season if he continues his ascension among the best linebackers in the NFL.