The Buffalo Bills could replace one free-agent cornerback with another, but likely wouldn’t be able to go any further than that one big splash signing this offseason.
It’s one of multiple choices general manager Brandon Beane will make in the coming months as Bills Mafia yearns for any blip of hot stove news. One place Beane can start is in the secondary as starting boundary corner Rasul Douglas is set to hit the free-agent market.
The 29-year-old Douglas is projected to earn an $11.9 million average annual value according to Spotrac. To a team like Buffalo, which squeezed by the salary cap, Douglas likely doesn’t offer much value above a $7-8 million AAV.
If the price isn’t right, the Bills will let Douglas walk and fill his spot one of three ways. Using a first-round draft pick, signing a budget free agent and taking a big swing are all viable options.
San Francisco 49ers starter Charvarius Ward is arguably the top CB name on the market this year. He projects to sign a three-year contract worth around $46 million. He will be 29 years old at the start of the 2025 season.
Prior to arriving in San Francisco, Ward spent his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and was a starter for the Super Bowl LIV champions.
Ward was a Pro Bowler in 2023 as he led the NFL with 23 passes defensed. He would slot right into his he starting lineup opposite Christian Benford, but it’s unclear if Buffalo wants to commit so much salary cap space to the position, especially with Benford due for an extension after 2025.
