BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills re-signed linebacker Matt Milano to a four-year contract on Thursday, less than a week before the starter was eligible to become a free agent.

The signing comes a day after the Bills freed up more than $14.4 million in space under the salary cap by releasing receiver John Brown and defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.

Milano had been preparing to test free agency, which opens Wednesday, after believing the Bills wouldn’t be able to match the offers he anticipated attracting on the open market.

The 26-year-old Milano has been a starter since the second half of his rookie season in 2017. Drafted in the fifth round out of Boston College, he has developed into a key contributor when healthy. Milano’s versatility at the outside linebacker position to defend against the run and pass made him a valuable three-down player in Buffalo’s defensive system.