When Brandon Beane locked up O’Cyrus Torrence at the end of training camp, it was the latest reminder of how aggressively the Bills have leaned into their own draft-and-develop pipeline. In 2025 alone, Beane handed second contracts to Greg Rousseau, Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford, Terrel Bernard and James Cook, with Torrence now added to that list of homegrown pieces staying in Buffalo for the long haul.
That naturally raises the question: how have these extensions actually worked out? Looking across Beane’s tenure, the answer is a mix of clear wins, a few solid bets, and a couple deals that look less tidy in hindsight. If you sort them into three buckets - successful, OK, and bad - the overall picture is pretty encouraging.
Start with the obvious one. Josh Allen needs no explanation, and every long-term deal Buffalo has handed him has been money well spent. He’s worth every penny, and then some.
Verdict: Successful
Taron Johnson is another strong example. His first extension in Buffalo, a three-year, $24 million deal signed in October 2021, paid off with durable play and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2023. The more recent three-year, $30 million extension with $17.8 million guaranteed didn’t land with quite the same bang, but Beane’s original move to keep him was a smart one.
Verdict: Successful
Ed Oliver sits in a slightly different lane because the Bills had the luxury of the fifth-year option before moving on a long-term deal. After his fourth season, he signed a four-year, $68 million contract with $45 million in total guarantees.
He’s still playing on that agreement. When healthy, Oliver has become one of Buffalo’s best defenders, even if he hasn’t quite turned into a weekly game-wrecker.
Still, with $24.5 million guaranteed at signing, the deal now ranks 22nd among defensive tackles.
Verdict: Successful
Dawson Knox is tougher to sort out. Buffalo gave him a four-year, $53.6 million extension in early September 2022 after his nine-touchdown season.
His 49 catches in 2021 remain a career high. He’s become a reliable all-around tight end, a strong mentor for Dalton Kincaid, and a valuable locker-room presence.
But the original $31 million in total guarantees would be massive by today’s tight end market standards - fifth among all tight ends - had he not renegotiated after 2024. His later three-year, $20 million extension in 2026 fits his production more cleanly.
Verdict: OK / Bad
Greg Rousseau’s extension looked expensive at the time, but the market has moved fast. His four-year deal came in at $80 million, and one year later the $38.7 million fully guaranteed at signing is now 13th among edge rushers.
Buffalo has developed him well, though not into an outright superstar. Rousseau has been a quality three-down player since the Bills drafted him in 2021 after his opt-out year at Miami, but he’s still more very good than terrifying.
Spencer Brown is one of the cleaner wins on the list. In September 2024, he signed for $72 million over four new years, and while that total is still sixth among right tackles, the $19.8 million guaranteed at signing ranks 17th at the position. Brown has grown into one of the best young right tackles in the league and a core part of Buffalo’s offensive line.
Verdict: Success
James Cook’s extension might be the one the Bills are happiest about getting done when they did. Buffalo signed him in August 2025 to a four-year, $46 million deal, and the $15.2 million he received is now 17th among running backs.
That looks even better when stacked against the recent deals for Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor and Jahmyr Gibbs. And Cook backed it up by leading the NFL in rushing in 2026 while still not having reached 1,000 career touches.
Verdict: Success
Terrel Bernard’s deal is one the Bills can live with, though health keeps it from being a full slam dunk. In 2025, he signed for four years and $42 million, with $14.1 million guaranteed at signing, which ranks 24th at linebacker.
When healthy, Bernard has been the quarterback of the defense and one of the best coverage linebackers in football. But injuries have interrupted too much of his recent run.
If he stays on the field in 2026, this one could move up a notch.
Verdict: Bad
Khalil Shakir looks like another major win for Beane. The former Boise State prospect has developed into an elite YAC receiver with dependable hands, and Buffalo got him on a four-year, $60.2 million extension.
The eye-opener is the $18.1 million guaranteed at signing, which is now 43rd among receivers. That’s a huge value play.
Verdict: Successful
Christian Benford may be the most underrated bargain on the whole list. Beane moved early on a market that has since exploded, and Benford’s four-year, $69 million contract includes only $18.8 million fully guaranteed, now 31st among cornerbacks. He doesn’t have the flash of some top corners, and he didn’t come with elite draft pedigree or Power 4 polish, but the production is real: seven interceptions and 29 pass breakups in his first four regular seasons, plus the tackling to match.
Total Tally
Succesful / OK: 1
OK / Bad: 1
Bad: 1
In Other News...
Skyler Bell Is Giving Bills Fans A New Receiver Debate
Skyler Bell arrived in Buffalo with a rsum that already suggested he could force his way into the conversation. The fourth-round pick had a strong college run at UConn, capped by a 2025 season in which he led Division I Independent schools in receptions, yards and touchdowns, and he also helped himself with a solid showing of athleticism at the NFL Combine. For a Bills team always sorting out the back end of its receiver depth chart, that made him an interesting name before camp even opened.
Training camp has only sharpened the discussion. Bell has shown enough promise to make fans take notice in a crowded wide receiver room, and there is real intrigue around whether he can carve out a role early. The question hanging over him now is the same one that tends to follow young receivers in Buffalo: the talent is visible, but the drops have been a recurring issue, and those are the kinds of details that can decide whether a player becomes part of the rotation or just another camp storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Backfield Suddenly Has A New Concern Fans Will Feel
The Bills backfield absorbed another uneasy moment at practice when Ty Johnson went down with a right knee injury during a 1-on-1 drill. Johnson was running at full speed before falling in obvious pain, and training staff helped him off the field, a worrying sight for a team already dealing with a growing list of recent injuries.
If the knee issue keeps Johnson out for any length of time, Buffalos running back picture gets even thinner and a little more unsettled. It would also sharpen the competition for depth spots behind the top options, with the opportunity suddenly much more open than it looked just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Keeps A Bills Summer Tradition Going At New Highmark
The Bills annual Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium came with a fresh look this year, as the team introduced its new gray Nickel City alternate uniforms to a crowd getting its first real glimpse of the set. Josh Allen was front and center in the full gray uniform, paired with the metallic royal blue Charge helmet, keeping alive a summer habit he has made his own each time the team stages this showcase.
It was a broad uniform debut, with quarterbacks, punters and kickers wearing the gray alternates while other offensive and defensive players stayed in blue and white practice jerseys. For Buffalo, the scene was as much about the start of another seasons storylines as it was about the new threads, and Allen once again helped set the tone by turning a routine camp event into something the fan base will remember. [Read more 🡒]