ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Marcell Dareus' nine-figure contract extension will cause sticker shock, even for Buffalo Bills fans who didn't want to lose the Pro Bowl defensive tackle.
But if there was a fair deal to be had between Dareus and the Bills, this was it -- although down the road, something might have to give on Buffalo's cap-heavy defensive line.
Dareus' six-year extension -- announced Thursday by the Bills -- means he will earn $108 million in the next seven seasons, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Dareus, 25, was looking for a deal perhaps as rich as Ndamukong Suh's $19 million-per-season contract with the Miami Dolphins, while the Bills would have been more than pleased with a contract closer to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' deal with Gerald McCoy, worth $14 million annually.
Under his extension with the Bills, Dareus will earn an average of $15.4 million over the next seven seasons -- a figure much closer to McCoy's deal than Suh's -- but Dareus will also pocket $60 million in guaranteed money, which is more than the $59.955 million that Suh received.
That's the most guaranteed money given to a non-quarterback in NFL history.
But make no mistake about it: This is was a sensible compromise for both sides. The Bills could have taken a hard line with Dareus and threatened to use the franchise tag on him -- at a lesser amount than the annual average of his current deal -- next spring. Dareus also could have balked at the $15.4 million annual average and attempted to find a better deal on the open market next year.
Instead, the two sides came together and kept one of the NFL's best young defensive players in Buffalo until 2021. Dareus has a rare blend of size, strength and agility and has improved in each of his four seasons. He has been to the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons and set a career high with 10 sacks in 2014.
The Bills led the NFL in sacks last season, and keeping Dareus means the NFL's most-heralded defensive line will stay intact -- for now.
Before extending Dareus' deal, four of the Bills' highest five salary-cap hits in 2015 were defensive linemen: Dareus ($8.062 million), Mario Williams ($19.4 million), Kyle Williams ($6.95 million) and Jerry Hughes ($6.175 million). Those four cap hits total nearly $41 million, or about 28 percent of the Bills' 2015 adjusted salary cap.
It's not yet known how Dareus' 2015 cap number will change or how much he will count against the cap in 2016, but the Bills' cap hits along their defensive line will only grow next season. Mario Williams will count for $19.9 million, Kyle Williams for $8 million and Hughes for $7.575 million.
Yes, the NFL's salary cap will undoubtedly continue to grow. And yes, general manager Doug Whaley has said that he believes the Bills can afford to spend along the defensive line because the Bills aren't paying a franchise quarterback.
But there are other players at key positions whose contract situations the Bills will need to address in the coming months and into next year. Left tackle Cordy Glenn and linebacker Nigel Bradham are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next March, and top cornerback Stephon Gilmore and receiver Robert Woods will both become free agents after the 2016 season.
The NFL's salary cap is more forgiving than it was a decade ago -- teams can carry over unused cap space into future years -- but it's also not a blank check. Re-signing Dareus was rightfully a priority, yet it was also a move that could lead to the Bills tightening their belt at other positions.