The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with defensive tackle Ed Oliver on a four-year extension worth $68 million, including $45 million guaranteed. This deal will keep the 2019 first-round draft pick under contract through the 2027 season. Prior to reaching an agreement with Oliver, the Bills did not have a defensive tackle signed for the 2024 season or beyond. The $45 million guaranteed is tied for eighth-most among active interior defensive line contracts.
Oliver’s Career Performance
Oliver, 25, was set to play on his fifth-year option in 2023. He is coming off a mixed 2022 season that began with a right ankle injury in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Oliver went on to miss the next three games and slowly increased his participation, with the Bills general manager Brandon Beane describing that he “wasn’t himself for a while,” even after returning. He finished the season playing 13 games with 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups. Oliver was second on the team with a 41.5% run stop win rate (behind Jones). His season-best performance came in a Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions. Oliver finished the game with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a safety, six tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
Coach and Staff Comments on Oliver
Oliver has shown the ability to make splash plays over his four years in Buffalo, but coach Sean McDermott said that he would like to see him have a “real good, consistent season” and that the team had the confidence in him to do so. Senior defensive assistant/defensive line coach Eric Washington noted that Oliver’s speed of processing is one area they are working on. He also mentioned that he has seen Oliver being more vocal and confident this offseason. “When you have the kind of talent that Ed has, you gotta understand situations, that could mean the difference in separating yourself from the opponent,” said Washington. “I’ve gotta be able to process very, very quickly and, so that I can win my one-on-one, so I can play ahead of a play as opposed to playing with the sequence of that particular play. So, with where Ed is, from an experience standpoint, we need him to anticipate and play ahead as opposed to playing with the tempo of the play.”
Bills’ Defensive Tackle Situation
Prior to signing Oliver to an extension, the Bills did not have a defensive tackle signed for the 2024 season or beyond. The team has a number of veterans at the position but did not address it in the draft despite Beane saying afterward that he had hoped to do so. The team signed Poona Ford to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, including $1.5 million guaranteed, in the days after the draft. Among the returning veterans at the position are DaQuan Jones, Jordan Phillips, and Tim Settle. General manager Brandon Beane said during the team’s rookie minicamp that he would like to not end the season and be at zero defensive tackles under contract in 2024.
The Buffalo Bills have secured Ed Oliver’s position on the team by signing him to a four-year extension worth $68 million. This deal will keep Oliver under contract through the 2027 season. Oliver has shown the ability to make splash plays over his four years in Buffalo, but the Bills’ coaching staff is working on improving his consistency and speed of processing. Prior to signing Oliver to an extension, the Bills did not have a defensive tackle signed for the 2024 season or beyond. Although they have a number of veterans at the position, the team did not address it in the draft.
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