INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL’s salary cap is set at $255.4 million per team, significantly higher than projections that put it slightly north of $240 million.
What does that mean for the Bills, who had been expected to be about $50 million over the cap while dealing with 22 pending free agents?
I’m not expecting them to suddenly be in a position to make any splash moves. However, it’s reasonable to think they might be able to find enough wiggle room to retain a couple of key players.
For the Bills, that could prove to be the best possible outcome, even if it isn’t as exciting for fans as the addition of recognizable name from another team. Just as last year, when it was widely expected that Jordan Poyer would bolt in the open market before the Bills and the safety figured out a way to keep him, the team could be in position to hang onto one or more of the following: defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, defensive ends Leonard Floyd and A.J. Epenesa, and receiver Gabe Davis.
All still might fall into the long-shot category, but with the bigger cap number and some creative math by Beane and his sharp-minded cap experts, I wouldn’t be shocked if one or two of those players ends up sticking around.
“We’re hopeful, but I think, like anything, they’re on the eve of free agency (March 13),” Beane said during our one-on-one interview for WGRZ-TV. “And so, like anything, I’m sure their reps are going to kind of see where we are, where they are, where can their market go. Their rep’s job is to maximize their value, and we understand that. And we want to get a deal with the guys that we can get back that fits them and fits us. So, we’re hopeful, but we also know they'll have options as well.”
Last season, Jones quickly established himself as one of the Bills’ better interior D-linemen before suffering a torn pectoral muscle that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the regular season. In his first seven games, he had 2.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and two tackles for loss. His age (32) and injury could limit his attractiveness in the open market and enhance the Bills’ chances of keeping him.
Floyd likely will be more of a challenge to retain. He was arguably the Bills’ best pass-rusher last season, filling a void created by Von Miller’s minimal impact due to the lingering effects of a major knee injury he suffered in 2022. Despite playing a little more than half of the defensive snaps, Floyd finished the year with 10.5 sacks and 19 QB hits. By being able to sign him last June, the Bills got a virtual steal, something that isn’t going to happen this time around. Floyd’s age (he’ll turn 32 in September) and the fact he only had one sack through the final seven games could work to the Bills’ advantage.
There’s an outside chance the Bills could end up keeping Epenesa, who is entering his fifth season and has had career-best 6.5 sacks in each of the last two years. His youth (he turns 26 in September) could make him attractive in the open market, but he isn’t the kind of guy who does anything spectacular. Epenesa is a steady, consistent presence who fits well in the Bills’ defensive structure.
Davis probably is the longest shot for re-signing. He could cash in mightily in the open market with receiver-needy teams willing to prioritize him among available pass-catchers. One club on whose radar Davis will likely be prominent is the New York Giants because of the familiarity their coach and former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Giants GM and former Buffalo assistant GM Joe Schoen have with Davis. He has had dynamic moments as the No. 2 receiver behind Stefon Diggs and could very well end up in the top spot on another roster.
Regardless of what happens with the Bills in free agency, Beane recognizes that the surprisingly higher cap number, bolstered by the NFL’s revenue from enormous rights fees paid by streaming services such as Amazon and Peacock, Beane recognizes that the team is in a far better place than it was earlier in the offseason.
“We’ve been working with our own numbers more conservative than that, so definitely happy,” Beane said. “The first thing you’re trying to do is, ‘How are we going to get under the cap, be compliant, by March 13?’ And we kind of have a plan for that. Now it’s, ‘What can we do?’ And you’re looking at everything from just a straight restructure, like we with (guard) Connor McGovern. Are you trying to alter people's contracts? Do you extend someone?
“There are just various ways to create space, so we’re looking at everything. Some conversations are way down the road, some are just getting going, even this week. So, we’ll continue to work towards getting under the cap and then, next, seeing how much (cap room) we can create.”
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