INDIANAPOLIS -- Day 2 of the NFL Combine started with good news for the Buffalo Bills.
The team announced an agreement on a contract extension with WR Khalil Shakir shortly before GM Brandon Beane met with local & national media at the NFL Combine.
Beane detailed the timing behind Shakir's extension, his early thoughts on the draft class and how he's approaching the salary cap increase, among other topics.
"Mr. Dependable" earns another four years
Shakir's four-year extension secures him as a Bill through the 2029 season; he was set to enter next season in the final year of his rookie contract. In locking up Shakir, the Bills retain one of their most consistent offensive players and a favorite target of QB Josh Allen.
Shakir led the Bills in targets (100), receptions (76) and receiving yards (821) in 2024, all career-highs for the 2022 5th round selection. He also posted a career-high four touchdown receptions and ranked third in the league among all pass catchers in yards after catch (597).
Beane shared that the team finalized the details on the extension earlier Tuesday morning and they are excited to keep the 25-year-old receiver in Buffalo for prime years of his career.
"The guy is a true lunch pail Buffalonian. I mean, I know he's not from Buffalo but he doesn't say anything, he just shows up every single day, he's Mr. Dependable, and when the ball's thrown his way, he usually comes down with it," Beane said.
In addition to his regular season success, Shakir led the team in receiving during their 2024 postseason run, posting 18 catches for 174 yards in three games. His development from a 2022 5th round pick to a trustworthy receiver who can do anything the team asks helped solidify him as a piece the offense can build around.
"This year, year three, we kind of knew how he would fit, and Joe Brady and Josh and those guys get a lot of credit. Khalil himself gets the most. Those guys have been using his strengths to this offense and really helping us have the offensive success that we did," Beane said.
Cap & Comp
The NFL notified teams ahead of the combine of the range for the 2025 salary cap, a figure that will range from $277.5 million to $281.5 million per club. The final number has yet to be determined but will be a notable increase from last year's $255.4 million.
Beane shared that he expects the finalized cap number to be set soon and whether the total falls on the low side or the high side of the range will impact his decision making in some capacity.
"It does matter," Beane said on One Bills Live. "Maybe it's one less player you have to release or move on from. Or maybe you can structure a deal differently because it's a $3 million difference... We're operating right now like it's $277.5 million and if we get a bump, we get a bump."
With those figures in mind, neither total would be enough for the Bills to operate below the cap, meaning more moves will be required down the line whether it's through releases, restructures or extensions.
"As it stands today we would not be under the cap at where it's at so we're still working through that and again sometimes another extension could help us create more money," Beane said.
As far as compensatory picks, that's another offseason component expected to be finalized in the near future. The Bills anticipate they will be awarded with two late-round compensatory picks.
"It's not confirmed until you know, but we believe — everything that we've been told including our contact at the league — that it'll be two fifth-round picks," Beane said on One Bills Live.
If that holds true, the Bills will have 10 picks for the 2025 NFL Draft.
"We would love to keep James here long term"
While one player from the Bills 2022 Draft Class agreed to an extension Tuesday, another player on offense is hoping to secure his own this offseason. RB James Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has vocalized his desire on social media for a new deal.
Cook highlighted his third season with a second-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, along with a career-high 16 rushing touchdowns, tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for the most in the NFL.
Beane reiterated Cook's importance to the offense and their desire to keep him in Buffalo long term.
"James is a good player for us. He has the ability to be a mismatch player. He can play all three downs," Beane said. "He helped our offense do a lot of great things and we would love to keep James here long term."
Though he'd prefer to keep contract negotiations out of the public sphere, Beane said Cook's recent outspoken desires have not deterred him or the team from wanting to come to an agreement down the line.
"I love James. James speaks from the heart, he means well. I want James here, hopefully, like a lot of guys. The business is the business. Would I prefer we don't take the business outside? Yes, I think that's always the best way to handle it. But James is a grown man, and he'll handle it the way he does. It doesn't change my view of him. And just because we're not on the same page today doesn't mean we wouldn't be tomorrow, two weeks, two months, two years," Beane said.
During his One Bills Live appearance, Beane detailed what needs to happen in order for a new deal to take shape.
"When you work on deals, whether it's Cook's or someone else, we have to come to a consensus that we all feel is a fair value to get the deal. And there's plenty of guys here that we've been able to do that with," he said.
What the Bills look for in a defensive line prospect
Many early mock drafts have the Bills fortifying their defensive front in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. The Bills have three picks in the top two rounds (No. 30, No. 56 & No. 62). Beane confirmed the team is interviewing a handful of defensive line prospects at the combine, among other positions.
"You start with what are their measurables. Like, what does this guy look like? What are his features, arm length, size? What does he do best?," Beane said.
When assessing each player's measurables and how they fit in Buffalo's defense, Beane believes in building a line with multiple skill sets. If the Bills want to add to that position group via the draft, the plan so far is to look at as many different body types and skill types as possible.
"We'll definitely talk to some huge guys, and some guys are a little more undersized, but they're excellent rushers. So you want different pieces for different guys," he said. "You don't want to always just be able to have run stuffers and nobody who can get to the quarterback. And you can't just have a slew of guys that can't stop the run when it's December, it's cold, it's snowing, and guys are just going to line up in the backfield. So we want to be versatile with our skill sets and be able to attack in as many different ways as we can."
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on One Bills Live this year's defensive tackle class is "as good a class as I can remember depth-wise". Beane agreed that this class offers a variety of starting caliber players at the position.
"I would say there seems to be at this point some good depth along the D-line. There's even some tweeners. You're going — this guy I could see him on first and second down lining up as a base end and then reducing down in a nickel situation and rushing. I think ultimately there's a lot of different shapes and sizes like we always talk about with receivers in every class. And that's what we've got to dig into starting here. We've already started it, but continuing here and then on for the next couple of months."
Other offseason storylines to monitor
On Von Miller's contract situation: "We're still looking through all that. We really are. Von, last year at this time, we were working on a restructure for him and he did something unprecedented. He was guaranteed, I can't remember, 10 or 11 (million dollars) going into the year. And he took a pay cut below his actual guarantee… And I thought as the year went on, he continued to show that he could still play. As far as any decisions. We're still working through all that."
On if Beane is open to the idea of trading the team's first round pick: "Anything that's right that can help our team? Yes, I would not flinch. I say this on the golf course: I'm a lot of things, but scared ain't one of them. So yes, anything that can help our roster, that can fit and not cripple us in another way. Yes, we would definitely do it."
On outside CB depth with Rasul Douglas a pending free agent: "We look at everything. Yes, Rasul's a free agent, so we'll see what happens with him. Obviously, Christian (Benford) would be coming back and we have Kaiir (Elam) here and some other guys. We'll look in free agency, we'll look in the draft, but I would say there's other positions as well that we definitely need to look at and make decisions on, not only for this season but years to come."
