Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - My 2025 State of the Buffalo Bills series continues with a look at the cornerbacks:
Under contract:
- Taron Johnson
- Christian Benford
- Ja’Marcus Ingram
- Kaiir Elam
- Deaquan Hardy
- Te’Cory Couch
Pending free agents:
- Rasul Douglas
State of the position:
Like linebacker, this is a position that has most of the entire unit returning. The difference here is one main starter is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Rasul Douglas had a terrific back-end of the 2023 season after the Bills acquired the veteran at the trade deadline from the Green Bay Packers. Douglas was able to collect four interceptions in just nine games with the club.
However, despite playing 15 games last season, Douglas did not have a single pick, and there were times his play was clearly not as effective.
Douglas will be 30-years-old at the start of next season. The Bills will have to determine if they want to run it back with him and make him an offer to return, or shop elsewhere in free agency and the draft to find another cornerback opposite Christian Benford, who elevated himself into the conversation as one of the better corners in the league last season.
Benford is in the same situation as running back James Cook and defensive end Greg Rousseau. All are going into the final year of their rookie contracts.
The Bills have already extended wide receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard, who were also set to enter the final year of his deal. Now they’ll focus on the others.
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Benford will most likely be a high priority to retain, but considering the premium position he plays and his ascension to this point, he’s most likely going to get a pretty lucrative deal on his next contract.
Will the Bills be willing and able to get it done this offseason? If they don’t and he plays out the final year of his contract, the team could place the franchise tag on him next offseason, which is estimated to be about $22 million, or he’ll become a free agent.
At this point, it’s clear Kaiir Elam just hasn’t worked out, and it’s tough to see him in the team’s plans as a contributor going forward. Elam was inactive for four games last season, and only saw playing time when there was an injury to someone ahead of him.
To this point of his career, he’s also offered very little value on special teams.
Elam also has one year remaining on his rookie deal that will pay him $4.35 million, all of which will count against the salary cap and is guaranteed. So the team would have to eat all of that money in dead cap space if they were to release him.
However, if they were to find a trade partner, the Bills would save $2.6 million on the salary cap, while eating close to $1.8 million in dead cap space.
Any team that trades for Elam would only have to pay him $2.5 million.
As a first-round pick from just three years ago, could there be another team who believes Elam could have a little more success in their system and do that? I wouldn’t doubt if Bills general manager Brandon Beane, at least, checks around the league.
I’ve been writing in this space about Ja’Marcus Ingram for a couple of years now, and how much I like his potential. That started to show up a little bit more last season when he got on the field as an injury replacement, playing all 17 games, starting one, and even collecting a pair of interceptions.
He also played the third-most snaps of any player on special teams.
The 27-year-old University at Buffalo product has one year remaining on a deal that will pay him just over $1 million.
Taron Johnson was his usual solid self last season, starting 12 games at nickel cornerback and collecting a pair interceptions, including one for a touchdown on the first defensive play of the game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Johnson is still one of the best in the game at his position. He’ll be 29-years-old this summer and has three years remaining on a contract extension he signed last offseason. He’ll have a cap hit of $8 million in 2025.
Deaquan Hardy and Te’Cory Couch both impressed at times during training camp and preseason last year, showing versatility to play the boundary and inside.
Hardy may have won the punt return job until the team traded for Brandon Codrington. Both Hardy and Couch spent all season on the practice squad, and signed reserve/future deals after the season to return and compete for spots.
Codrington had an impressive rookie season as a return man. He’s a cornerback on defense, but I’ll write more on him when I examine the special teams.
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