The Bills have stressed since the draft that their top offseason priority is getting a new contract done for star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. However, for now, negotiations on that extension are at a standstill, two sources tell John Wawrow of The Associated Press.
One source tells Wawrow that the Bills and Dareus’ camp haven’t exchanged offers within the last few weeks, raising concerns that the two sides won’t be able to get something done before the regular season gets underway. Buffalo’s Week 1 game isn’t viewed as a hard deadline for the contract talks, but players generally prefer to focus on football once the regular season gets underway.
Back at the end of July, Bills general manager Doug Whaley confirmed that he and Dareus’ reps had exchanged proposals, but cautioned that “these things take time.” With the 25-year-old heading into the final year of his rookie contract, I still think there’s a good chance the club locks him up within the next few weeks.
When I examined Dareus as an extension candidate, I suggested that his camp would likely push for an extension in the ballpark of J.J. Watt‘s deal, or perhaps even aim for something similar Ndamukong Suh‘s new contract. However, the team is probably seeking something closer to Gerald McCoy‘s deal with the Buccaneers.
As Over the Cap’s data shows, Suh, Watt, and McCoy are earning $19.06MM, $16.67MM, and $13.6MM per year, respectively.