Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘By releasing the edge rusher, the Bills free up about $8.4 million in salary cap space. In combination with the contract extensions for wide receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard and edge rusher Greg Rousseau – all of which lowered their cap numbers for 2025 – it is believed that the Bills are now under the $279.2 NFL-mandated cap ceiling.’

‘The report is that it’s a four-year, $80 million deal with a whopping $54 million guaranteed. Still, even with the high guarantee, this is actually a pretty good contract for both sides given that there was speculation Rousseau could approach a $25 million annual average value.’

‘It’s a strategy they would like to continue with two other 2022 draft picks whose rookie contracts expire after the 2025 season, cornerback Christian Benford and running back James Cook.’

‘The Bills are coming off a 2024 season where they set a new franchise record for most points scored with 525, and the bulk of that unit is returning in 2025, and there’s also a good chance that they’ll be able to re-sign three key backups in Hollins, Johnson and Gilliam. If they bring back those three, and Beane can add a receiver in free agency or the draft, that unit is in good shape.’

‘In 2024, his net average was a mundane 39.8 yards which ranked 24th in the league, and his 25 punts downed inside the 20 ranked tied for 16th. He also did not excel in the area of hang time as his average of 4.23 seconds tied for 27th.’

‘WR Joshua Palmer.’

‘But if they don’t get Cooper back, Hollins should be a priority if he’ll accept a one-year contract for maybe $3 million which is slightly more than he made in 2024.’

‘Buffalo has very clear needs at defensive tackle, edge rusher, cornerback and wide receiver, and depending on how the board gets built between now and the start of the draft on April 24, there will be several viable candidates at all of those positions.’

‘While that was noble, the Bills need to be better at edge rusher and Miller is nothing more than a way-too-expensive situational pass rusher at this point. Cutting him now will save $8.3 million on the 2025 cap though they’ll have to absorb a $15.4 million dead cap hit.’

‘“Do I think (a lack of speed) cost us winning the Super Bowl? No,” Beane said. “Could we improve it? Yes. We’re always looking to add speed, but they’ve got to be football players, too. So I’m never going to turn down speed. I promise you, I’m not. You want speed at as many positions as you can. But football, as we know, is not played on a track, and so it’s the whole thing. We are evaluating the football player first, and then, ‘What else do they bring to the equation?’”’

‘For the second year in a row, Buffalo’s AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins, finished No. 1 and the Arizona Cardinals ranked last.’

‘“We got that finalized today,” general manage Brandon Beane confirmed when he spoke with reporters at the scouting combine. “I would say the last day or two, you felt like it was trending in the right direction and we’re excited to keep Khalil here for an additional four years beyond the one year he had remaining.”’

‘“To me there’s always been an injury risk with that play and I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years or so when it really started to come into play the way it’s been used, especially a year ago,” McDermott said when he met with reporters at the NFL scouting combine. “I just feel like player safety, and the health and safety of our players, has to be at the top of our game, which it is.”’

‘The numbers showed that during the 2024 regular season, there were 332 more kickoff returns than 2023 when only 21.8% of kickoffs were returned, easily the lowest mark in league history. In 2024, kickoffs were returned 32.8% of the time which certainly isn’t great, but it is undoubtedly better.’

‘“We’ll look at everything,” Beane said. “I believe we have some good players and pieces and it’s how do we add around those guys to complement who they are and what they do already as we look into the free agency period and the draft as well.”’