The Buffalo Bills entered the 2024 NFL offseason with one of the worst salary cap situations in the league. Having leveraged themselves to the hilt, the Bills knew they’d have several tough decisions to make before the start of free agency.
The pink slips began being handed out on Wednesday, when Buffalo released several players to begin its march toward cap compliance. Who did the Bills cut today, and what does their cap space situation look like?
Bills Cap Space Update After Wednesday’s Cuts
The Bills took a red pen to their depth chart on Wednesday, parting ways with a series of veterans who were integral to the club’s success over the past several seasons.
Standout defenders Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer, part of a top-end Buffalo secondary that also included pending free agent Micah Hyde, were let go.
White was designated a post-June 1 release, so the Bills won’t realize his $10.2 million in cap savings for three months. Cutting Poyer saved Buffalo $5.72 million in cap space.
The Bills also agreed to a renegotiated contract with pass rusher Von Miller, which will save them $8.645 million in cap space, per ESPN. Miller’s new deal has a base value of $8.855 million, while he could collect up to $20 million via incentives.
Buffalo made moves on the offensive side of the ball, too. Center Mitch Morse ($8.5 million savings) and wide receiver Deonte Harty ($4.3 million) were released on Wednesday, while running back Nyheim Hines (4.66 million) was cut on Sunday.
Add in a few other transactions — a Ryan Bates trade, a David Edwards extension, a Siran Neal release, and a Rasul Douglas restructure — and where does the Bills’ cap space stand?
Buffalo is still roughly $6.427 million over the cap. They have the seventh-least room in the NFL, ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Ravens, according to Over the Cap.
Like every NFL team, the Bills have to get under the salary cap before the start of the new league year on March 13. Buffalo has no obvious cut candidates remaining on its roster, so general manager Brandon Beane will have to use restructures to get his team in order before next week.
Contract restructures typically involve clubs converting base salaries into proratable signing bonuses, allowing teams to push money into the future. The Bills still have several significant contracts that could be reworked in the coming days.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agents by Position
Buffalo could clear enough space in one fell swoop by restructuring QB Josh Allen’s deal. By converting his base salary and roster bonus into a signing bonus, the Bills would create nearly $23 million in space and put themselves into the black.
Restructures are a slippery slope and can tie teams to older players for longer than they’d like. That’s not a concern with a franchise quarterback like Allen, but Buffalo won’t want to touch Stefon Diggs’ contract this offseason.
Instead, the Bills could restructure the deals of LT Dion Dawkins, TE Dawson Knox, LB Matt Milano, or CB Taron Johnson if they want to create more cap room for potential free-agent additions.
Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!