Terrel Bernard's "Horrible Contract Extension"

[Rigotz]

I'm sure many of you listen to Locked On Bills. This week, Joe was lamenting how the Bills are stuck with Terrel Bernard's contract and it's one of Beane's worst.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I read his contract:

 

2026: $5.35M Cap Hit

2027: $11.15M Cap Hit

2028: $12M Cap Hit, but he can be released and save $5.5M 

 

Yes, I understand he's often injured. However, he flashed more playmaking potential than Edmunds ($18M/yr with the Bears) ever did.

Obviously respected in the locker room to be 1 of 2 team captains and he just turned 27 years old.

$5M this year, $11M next year, and a $6.5M dead cap hit the following year if we want to cut him isn't that bad.

 

I'm sick of hearing this is a terrible contract we can't get away from.

[Victory Formation]

I like the player but I don't love the player.. I'd give him a 5/10 as far as how he stacks up against other ILBs in the NFL..

[BillMafia716ix]

Thank God for DVR. I can’t tell you over the years how many times I paused and rewinded the TV showing Bernard either out of place or getting blown up by blockers..and this was before he even got signed to extension. 
 

Idk what Beane and the coaching staff were looking at when they were evaluating him. One thing I’ll give him credit for is when he has a free lane he can shoot the gap very well. If you need him to fight through blocks, forget about it.

Edited July 9 by BillMafia716ix

[Simon]

24 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

$11M next year, and a $6.5M dead cap hit the following year if we want to cut him isn't that bad.

 

If he plays like he did last year, that's almost 9m/year in cap space for a guy that doesn't even belong on the field.

I liked him early because he played hard and fast and had a tremendous knack for turning the ball over.

Even disregarding the injuries, the guy we saw out there last year was not that same guy.

I honestly thought he looked like one of those kinds of players who got rich, got married, started a family and found that his priorities had changed and he became the kind of player that was more interested in protecting himself than in attacking opponents.

For a guy that has nearly 30million dollars left on his contract, that is definitely a problem, imo.

[GoBills808]

He's really bad

[947]

He's a McDefense guy through and through. Smart, had leadership qualities, and undersized.

 

It'll be interesting to see Leonhard views him, and how/if he uses him. Bernard did have a lot of college success running a very similar D.

[thenorthremembers]

I mean it is what it is.   If he's terrible this year, they have to eat some cap to move him off the roster in 2027 but then they save 20 million over the next two years.   Its a far cry from eating 31 million to move off of Diggs.    They wont blink twice to eat the 8.8 million in cap space if he isnt a plus starter. 

[Bookie Man]

Dude is terrible

[mushypeaches]

Good thing is we can bring back Tremaine Edmunds anytime.  

Then watch people's heads explode

Especially since he's only 24

[Urban Achievers]

10 minutes ago, mushypeaches said:

Good thing is we can bring back Tremaine Edmunds anytime.  

Then watch people's heads explode

Especially since he's only 24

We should be congratulating Tremaine for passing grade 10 this year (like Ricky)

 

[BillsFan130]

1 minute ago, Urban Achievers said:

We should be congratulating Tremaine for passing grade 10 this year (like Ricky)

 

Any trailer park boys reference is pure gold . Love it

[MJS]

He had a down year for sure, but the year before that he had a knack for making big plays. He'll be used differently in this scheme. Let's see what he can do.

[BillsPride12]

54 minutes ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Thank God for DVR. I can’t tell you over the years how many times I paused and rewinded the TV showing Bernard either out of place or getting blown up by blockers..and this was before he even got signed to extension. 
 

Idk what Beane and the coaching staff were looking at when they were evaluating him. One thing I’ll give him credit for is when he has a free lane he can shoot the gap very well. If you need him to fight through blocks, forget about it.

He had that one season where he made alot of splash plays and people fell in love with him. But once the splash plays dried up and you started really paying attention to him you realize he is not a good NFL linebacker

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I am actually kinda upbeat about Bernard. I think he had a lot of injuries that slowed him down. And didn’t he play a variation of this same defense in college and do really well in it? 
 

best case scenario is he really excels and the contract seems reasonable. Worst case scenario is we can cut him or restructure.

[NoSaint]

14 minutes ago, MJS said:

He had a down year for sure, but the year before that he had a knack for making big plays. He'll be used differently in this scheme. Let's see what he can do.

yea end of the day if he gets like 8m per over three seasons in the new deal it’s borderline top 30? 
 

Last year was rough but I’m hopefully he can play like a good LB2

Edited July 10 by NoSaint

[SCBills]

Im open to seeing what he can do in a system he thrived in at college, but he’s brittle and will likely have injury issues for the duration he’s here.  
 

If we’re going to potentially play matchups on the outside, go all the way and start KEO/Williams with Bernard as a sub package coverage LB where he can cover or blitz. 

[co_springs_billsfan]

He's making a healthy, not exorbitant, salary at a devalued position.  And his latest seasons have not been great... But, let's see how he looks in the new D!

[Victory Formation]

35 minutes ago, MJS said:

He had a down year for sure, but the year before that he had a knack for making big plays. He'll be used differently in this scheme. Let's see what he can do.

Average linebacker with big play potential....

[DCofNC]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

If he plays like he did last year, that's almost 9m/year in cap space for a guy that doesn't even belong on the field.

I liked him early because he played hard and fast and had a tremendous knack for turning the ball over.

Even disregarding the injuries, the guy we saw out there last year was not that same guy.

I honestly thought he looked like one of those kinds of players who got rich, got married, started a family and found that his priorities had changed and he became the kind of player that was more interested in protecting himself than in attacking opponents.

For a guy that has nearly 30million dollars left on his contract, that is definitely a problem, imo.

I don’t say this often or lightly, but I agree completely. 
 

This extension was unnecessary and undeserved at the time; and frankly, the guy they thought they had, hasn’t shown up since.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

"He's bad" is a short sighted statement, the problem is there is some speculation (I think from Banged up Bills) that the ankle issue could be chronic.

 

Obviously he's good when he's healthy and terrific in coverage. His contract shouldn't guarantee him a starting role, and hopefully he's playing the "clean up" WILB and Dorian/KEO is playing the more MILB role. 

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

If he plays like he did last year, that's almost 9m/year in cap space for a guy that doesn't even belong on the field.

I liked him early because he played hard and fast and had a tremendous knack for turning the ball over.

Even disregarding the injuries, the guy we saw out there last year was not that same guy.

I honestly thought he looked like one of those kinds of players who got rich, got married, started a family and found that his priorities had changed and he became the kind of player that was more interested in protecting himself than in attacking opponents.

For a guy that has nearly 30million dollars left on his contract, that is definitely a problem, imo.

He had ankle surgery for the injury, that's why he looked like a different dude last year IMO

Edited July 10 by TheyCallMeAndy