Which players can the Bills cut to save cap space in 2024?
The Buffalo Bills are $51 million over the 2024 NFL salary cap, the second-worst figure in the league. We’ve talked about some possible restructures the Bills could do to push cap commitments into future years, thus clearing up 2024 cap space. We also talked about some contract extensions that could actually lower some veterans’ cap hits.
Those are peachy keen and easy to do, but the Bills will also look at cut candidates. That’s a much thornier issue.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane has frequently offered reworked contracts instead of straight cutting folks. Essentially, the Bills lower the base salary on a contract and add incentives to the contract so the player can earn back the money by hitting certain goals. By making them Not Likely To Be Earned incentives, the cap hit comes off the books until the following season and only if they reach the incentive. (A Likely To Be Earned incentive means that player hit the milestone the previous season. Those must be accounted for in the current cap year.)
Which players could be on the potential cut list to save cap space? I listed them in order of how much cap space would be created:
OC Mitch Morse
$11.47 million cap hit
$8.47 million cap savings
I have Morse on my extensions list, but they could choose to move on from the veteran if they want to get younger. They have Ryan Bates waiting in the wings to stabilize the position and it would be a significant cap savings. I don’t think his contract is going to stay the same, as they will rework something to lower that cap number be it void years, an extension, or a pay cut. He did take a pay cut during his first contract in Buffalo.
CB Tre’Davious White
$16.44 million cap hit
$6 million cap savings
This one is really tricky. White has had two major leg injuries in the last three seasons and played just 21 games in those three years. He has a $1.5 million roster bonus due on March 18 but his salary won’t guarantee until he’s on the opening-day roster. Do they think he will return to form from this latest injury? Of all the players on the list, this one could be the hardest decision.
S Jordan Poyer
$7.5 million cap hit
$5.5 million cap savings
This is probably unlikely with the uncertainty surrounding Micah Hyde and Tre’Davious White, but the Bills could save some money and cap space by releasing Poyer.
RB Nyheim Hines
$5.48 million cap hit
$4.98 million cap savings
Hines is set to make $4 million in base salary in 2024. That’s a big jump from $2.56 million last year. It may come down to what his expected role will be on the team, but with only a $500,000 roster bonus to worry about between now and the end of training camp, the Bills can see how he comes back from injury and how Joe Brady can integrate him before committing to him.
OT Dion Dawkins
$16.6 million cap hit
$4.8 million cap savings
Let’s be clear, I do not expect this to happen. I have Dawkins on my contract extensions list. Cutting him would only save them $4.8 million in cap space and create a massive hole. He’s scheduled to make $9.3 million in base salary, so I guess it’s possible.
WR Deonte Harty
$5.57 million cap hit
$4.195 million cap savings
Harty definitely underperformed his contract in 2023. They had escalators built into his contract if he had a decent season, and he failed to even get halfway to any of the receiving goals (though he did get $250k for his punt return average). His base salary is set to be $2.875 million and he has a $500k roster bonus due in March.
S Siran Neal
$3.4 million cap hit
$2.88 million cap savings
The Bills obviously value him and he played 80% of the team’s special teams snaps in 2023. Especially with Tyler Matakevich hitting free agency, you have to think they are going to keep him.
OL Connor McGovern
$7.9 million cap hit
$1.9 million cap savings
I don’t think this cap savings is worth creating the hole in the middle of the offensive line, but there is the number for you to consider.
OL Ryan Bates
$5.44 million cap hit
$1.433 million cap savings
Like McGovern, I think the juice isn’t worth the squeeze here. He’s said he wants to be a starter, so if the Bills try to shake him down, he can just say “cut me” and try to find a starting spot elsewhere.
P Sam Martin
$2.05 million cap hit
$1.25 million
This barely counts as cap savings, because they’d probably spend the amount they saved on his replacement. I am adding him to the list because it needs to happen before 3/18/24 — when his contract becomes fully guaranteed.
A few people not on the list:
- TE Dawson Knox: Most of Knox’s 2024 compensation is already fully guaranteed, to the tune of $8.5 million.
- K Tyler Bass: Yeah Bass has a $2.8 million base salary plus a $500k roster bonus, but it’s all guaranteed already.
- WR Stefon Diggs & EDGE Von Miller: Cutting either of these players would add cap commitments, not free up space.
- CB Taron Johnson: I almost put him on the list just for information purposes because they could save $7.7 million by releasing him. But that’s not going to happen.
- CB Rasul Douglas: The Bills didn’t trade a Day 2 pick for Douglas to cut him a year later. He’s on a reasonable deal, but the Bills could save $9 million by releasing him.
- CB Kaiir Elam: As a first-round pick, Elam’s entire rookie contract is fully guaranteed. The only way he’s not here is if they trade him.