The Buffalo Bills signed contract extensions with two of their key players in the past two days, media reports say. First linebacker Matt Milano agreed to a four-year $44-million deal with $24 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Then right tackle Daryl Williams got a three-year $28.2-million contract with $14 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network.

Milano was selected by the Bills in the fifth round in 2016. He has started 38 of the following 54 games for the team, accomplishing 273 tackles and five interceptions in total. Last season, he got career-high 3.5 sacks as well as nine quarterback hits.

The 26-year-old has been one of the league's best linebackers for zone defense in the past two years. The only problem is that he missed six games last season. In the three previous seasons, he only sat out four. The Bills must have strong confidence in his health having given Milano such a juicy deal.

The team also made sure that quarterback Josh Allen will have Williams protect him for the following three years. The Carolina Panthers selected Williams from the University of Oklahoma City in the fourth round in 2015. He became a full-time starter in 2018 but then only started in 12 games the following year. After that, the Panthers let him go and Williams signed a one-year $2.25 million contract with the Bills.

It turned out to be a good deal. Williams again started all 16 games for the Bills and helped the team rank No. 2 on offense, No. 3 in passing yards and No. 1 in first downs last season. For the first time since 1995, the Bills won the American Football Conference (AFC) East title and won two playoff victories before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

The 2021 NFL salary cap is $182.5 million, which dropped by about eight percent from last year. The Bills did not have to worry about that but many other teams do not share their luck. Since the league implements a hard salary cap, the teams must keep their payroll below $182.5 million at any cost, even if it means breaking up a working squad.

For example, the New Orleans Saints were looking at a surplus of more than $60 million after last season. That's why they released multiple players like cornerback Janoris Jenkins, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, linebacker Kwon Alexander and punter Thomas Morstead.

Since the above moves only cut the surplus to $44 million, the Saints also reconstructed deals with wide receiver Michael Thomas, guard Andrus Peat, safety Malcolm Jenkins, linebacker Demario Davis and defensive end Cameron Jordan. If their legendary quarterback Drew Brees decides to retire, another large stash of money will be saved.

The Dallas Cowboys, who just signed the second-largest deal in history with quarterback Dak Prescott, reached agreement with three key members of the offensive line – offensive guard Zack Martin and offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La'el Collins – to clear about $17 million.

Quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached a very complicated contract extension which enabled the team to split his $28.75-million annual salary and incentive bonus into multiple years, saving about $19 million of cap space.

The Chiefs are also negotiating with their ace QB Patrick Mahomes over turning $21.7 million of his annual salary for 2021 into bonuses, which should clear some $17 million on the payroll.

The NFL trade deadline is March 17. That's how long teams have to lower their total salaries to below $182.5 million.