The Buffalo Bills promised once the draft was over, they would re-focus themselves on getting some expiring contracts signed to long-term deals. Just three days removed from the 2016 NFL Draft, the Bills held up to their end of the bargain.
Cordy Glenn, the team's starting left tackle over the past four seasons, signed a brand new five-year deal with the Bills to keep him with the franchise for the long haul. The Bills utilized the franchise tag on Glenn -- a one-year pact worth a guaranteed $13.7 million for his position -- and Glenn quickly signed that tag.
The two sides had until July 15 to work out a long-term extension, but the deadline wasn't a necessary motivator. Glenn signed on the dotted line well in advance, and now he is no longer a question mark at the end of the 2016 season.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Glenn's new five-year contract worth $65 million, and the left tackle will also receive $26.5 million guaranteed. Glenn, 26, has missed only three starts (all in 2012, his rookie season) over the course of his career.
Joe B's Take
This is quite literally a humongous signing for the Bills, not only because of the money they gave to Cordy Glenn -- which by the way, let's wait to see how the contract breaks down before jumping to conclusions about how good or bad of a deal it is. It's also a humongous signing because now the Bills have all summer, fall, and winter to figure out how they're going to get two other players under contract.
Those players? Stephon Gilmore, and Tyrod Taylor.
Gilmore is more of a certainty at this point because he has earned his likely pricetag through years of solid play as the team's starting cornerback. Between those two, I'd expect Gilmore to be the priority, and for the Bills to continue to play wait-and-see with Taylor, how he progresses in 2016, and the oncoming negotiations once he starts to perform.
Locking up Glenn is a phenomenal job by general manager Doug Whaley, because he was not only one of the best players on the Bills in 2015, but he was one of the most efficient offensive tackles in the NFL last season. He's got the size, athleticism, length, and short memory that helps left tackles excel, and he's played at a high level every season, except the one that he played after getting his kidney removed in the 2014 offseason.
Now, the re-signing eye moves on to Gilmore, and they'll have to see if they can work something out. For now, it's a great day for Glenn, the Bills, and their fans -- because they kept one of the team's best for a long, long time.
