Jordan Poyer, Tremaine Edmunds, Bills Free Agents' Projected Contracts

The Buffalo Bills defense will be in focus at the start of NFL free agency.

Safety Jordan Poyer and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are two of the top free agents at their respective positions.

The pair of defenders could command large contracts on the open market, and they could be drawn away from Buffalo because of that.

The Bills enter free agency at a disadvantage because they are $17.8 million over the salary cap, per Spotrac.

Buffalo's front office can rearrange some contracts to fit within the cap to re-sign some of their top defensive players.

The Bills front office also has to consider whether or not they want to bring back Devin Singletary.

James Cook emerged as a potential No. 1 running back in 2022, and Nyheim Hines could be viewed as a No. 2 to Cook entering the draft.

If the Bills bring Singletary back on a team-friendly deal, they could attack other needs in the NFL draft.

Jordan Poyer

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KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 16: Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer (21) before an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on October 16, 2022 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Poyer has been with the Bills since 2017.

That could mean something when the two sides negotiate a potential new contract.

Poyer's market could be determined by the deal that Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Jessie Bates receive. They are the top two safeties on the free-agent market.

Gardner-Johnson and Bates could seek a contract that gets them one of the top five salaries at the position.

All of the current top five safety contract are worth more than $70 million and the top five average annual values are above $15 million, per Spotrac.

Poyer's age is going against him in the long-term free-agent market because he is 31. Gardner-Johnson and Bates are in their mid 20s.

Poyer's production dipped a bit in the past two seasons. He had three straight 100-tackle seasons from 2018-2020. He had 63 tackles in 12 games this season, but he recorded his second-best interception and passes defended total.

Buffalo might get a home-team discount in negotiations with Poyer because of his age and his fit inside the Bills defense.

If that is the case, the Bills have a much better chance of retaining the safety than they do with other free agents.

Contract Projection: Two years, $20 million

Tremaine Edmunds

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - JANUARY 22: Tremaine Edmunds #49 of the Buffalo Bills defends against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Edmunds is set to cash in on his five straight 100-tackle seasons.

The 25-year-old linebacker is one of the top free agents at his position and his contract demands should pull him away from upstate New York.

The top 10 linebacker contracts in the NFL all have an average annual value of $17 million or more, per Spotrac.

The Bills simply can't afford a deal of that magnitude, even if they restructure some deals to get inside the salary cap number.

Buffalo has at least $10 million committed to nine players already for the 2023 season. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are scheduled to make a combined $60 million if their deals aren't restructured.

Edmunds' age and high level of consistency will land him a deal that puts him within range of the five highest-paid linebackers in the NFL.

Contract Projection: Four years, $50 million

Devin Singletary

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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Matthew Judon #9 of the New England Patriots tackles Devin Singletary #26 of the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Singletary's free agency is an interesting case study for the running back position.

The fifth-year pro has not had a 1,000-yard season in the NFL, but he did put together back-to-back 800-yard campaigns for the Bills.

The Florida Atlantic product found the end zone on 12 occasions in the last two seasons, and he has three seasons with at least 38 receptions.

Singletary's production has been consistent, but he may not be regarded as a No. 1 running back by a handful of teams.

His high usage rate over the last four seasons could be concerning to potential suitors as well. He had at least 150 carries in every season and had 145 receptions on 193 targets.

Buffalo may be willing to move on from Singletary because of that usage and the presence of Cook and Hines on the roster.

Singletary certainly will not command a salary comparable to the top running backs, but he still deserves to get paid somewhere. That place may not be Buffalo because of what they see in Cook, who had 507 yards on 89 carries in his rookie season.

Contract Projection: Two years, $10 million.