Salary Cap Casualties

[Owen]

Every year players are cut because of the salary cap like it or not. This year will be no different. I expect to see the Bills cut WR Brad Smith, DE Mark Anderson and Kicker Lindell. I also expect to see Mario Williams contract be changed to give the Bills more Cap Room... Bills need to sign FS Byrd along with Woods This year... Spillers contract is also on the horizon and it would be nice to see him also signed to a longer term contract. Can't have everything right away however but the Bills will set themselves up to let them improve the team. A quality OG could also be signed if one becomes available but you have to have the cap room to do it... So I do see some cuts coming and soon... What do you think?:

[uncle flap]

They have plenty of room this year.

 

Next year is when we can expect to see cuts and restructuring. I think if any of those guys are cut this year, it will be more of a reflection of their ability to contribute than of their impact on the cap.

 

Here's the article the OP didn't link: http://sports.yahoo....-174406789.html

Edited July 7, 2013 by uncle flap

[simpleman]

They have plenty of room this year.

 

Next year is when we can expect to see cuts and restructuring. I think if any of those guys are cut this year, it will be more of a reflection of their ability to contribute than of their impact on the cap.

 

Here's the article the OP didn't link: http://sports.yahoo....-174406789.html

 

I agree completely. Next year will be a very tough year for the Bills cap wise. There will be either cap cuts or restructuring of a number of deals. It makes no sense for either party to redo Spiller's contract this year. Either his worth will rise astronomically next year, or plummet. Both sides should wait to see what happens this year to see what his real worth is, this the year he either shines or is exposed. I remember saying the same thing before the Bill's prematurely gave our departed QB his big contract that we will still be paying for next year. We have plenty of cap for Woods and Byrd this year, the question is how much of your future are you willing to sacrifice to give an oppressive contract to a few players and restrict your teams future, and how much are they REALLY worth. As much as I have always thought Byrd was a highly skilled player, I would not mortgage the future to keep him. He is no must sign player like a Manning or Brady were at the same points in their career as he is right now.

Edited July 7, 2013 by simpleman

[San Jose Bills Fan]

They have plenty of room this year.

 

Next year is when we can expect to see cuts and restructuring. I think if any of those guys are cut this year, it will be more of a reflection of their ability to contribute than of their impact on the cap.

 

Here's the article the OP didn't link: http://sports.yahoo....-174406789.html

 

Great job fortifying the topic.

 

I agree that there will be "surprise cuts" this year but I also agree that they won't necessarily be cap-driven.

[Max997]

You make it sound like the Bills have cap issues when in fact they are currently around 20 mil under it

 

Plenty of cap room so any cuts will simply be that, cuts

Edited July 8, 2013 by Max997

[Kirby Jackson]

Can we please stop referring to Eric Wood as "Woods"? It was just annoying in the past but now we actually have a guy named Woods on the roster so it may confuse some people.

[NoSaint]

 

 

Great job fortifying the topic.

 

I agree that there will be "surprise cuts" this year but I also agree that they won't necessarily be cap-driven.

 

Yup - I see some potential guys being cut based on fit to changing schemes. Maybe even a few poor value contracts shed, but those won't be "cap cuts" by the true sense of the term

[BillsVet]

In the 3 off-seasons Nix was solely GM (2010-12) I count 17 players receiving extensions or signed in UFA by the Bills.

 

NFL careers are relatively short, but when a team signs a player it means they're confident the player can help them for the duration of the contract. If, and it's an if, Anderson, Lindell, and Smith are released that's more than two thirds of Nix's signings who no longer play for Buffalo.

 

Buffalo will need to be better with personnel decisions under Whaley, especially considering that Byrd and Wood will need contract extensions.

 

UFA / Re-signed players not with team

Dwan Edwards: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 18M contract March 2010 (cut September 2012)

Cornell Green: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 9M contract March 2010 (cut November 2010)

Chris Kelsay: Re-signed to a 5 year 28.2M contract extension September 2010 (retired February 2013)

George Wilson: Re-signed to a 3 year 7M contract March 2011 (cut February 2013)

Drayton Florence: Re-signed to a 3 year 15M contract July 2011 (cut May 2012)

Tyler Thigpen: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 11M contract July 2011 (cut March 2013)

Nick Barnett: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 12M contract July 2011 (cut February 2013)

Ryan Fitzpatrick: Re-signed to a 6 year 59M contract October 2011 (cut March 2013)

Vince Young: Signed as an UFA to a 1 year 2M contract May 2012 (cut August 2012)

 

UFA / Re-signings

Kyle Williams: Re-signed to a 6 year 33.6M contract extension July 2011 (2013 starter)

Brad Smith: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 15M contract July 2011 (potential cut 2013)

Rian Lindell: Re-signed to a 4 year 10M contract extension February 2012 (potential cut 2013)

Steve Johnson: Re-signed to a 5 year 36.25M contract extension March 2012 (2013 starter)

Mario Williams: Signed as an UFA to a 6 year 96M contract March 2012 (potential re-structuring 2014)

Mark Anderson: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 20M contract March 2012 (potential cut 2013)

Fred Jackson: Re-signed to a 3 year 10.8M contract extension May 2012 (2013 primary backup)

Kraig Urbik: Re-signed to a 4 year 13.3M contract extension December 2012 (2013 starter)

Edited July 8, 2013 by BillsVet

[NoSaint]

Would that number be wildly different than many teams? Not even taking into account changing scheme 4 times on defense.

[Dorkington]

I don't think we'll have any cuts purely because of cap reasons. If so, they would have happened already. I do think, though, salary will be something that is considered in some of the camp battles. If two players look about equal, obviously choose the cheaper one.

 

In the 3 off-seasons Nix was solely GM (2010-12) I count 17 players receiving extensions or signed in UFA by the Bills.

 

NFL careers are relatively short, but when a team signs a player it means they're confident the player can help them for the duration of the contract. If, and it's an if, Anderson, Lindell, and Smith are released that's more than two thirds of Nix's signings who no longer play for Buffalo.

 

Buffalo will need to be better with personnel decisions under Whaley, especially considering that Byrd and Wood will need contract extensions.

 

UFA / Re-signed players not with team

Dwan Edwards: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 18M contract March 2010 (cut September 2012)

Cornell Green: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 9M contract March 2010 (cut November 2010)

Chris Kelsay: Re-signed to a 5 year 28.2M contract extension September 2010 (retired February 2013)

George Wilson: Re-signed to a 3 year 7M contract March 2011 (cut February 2013)

Drayton Florence: Re-signed to a 3 year 15M contract July 2011 (cut May 2012)

Tyler Thigpen: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 11M contract July 2011 (cut March 2013)

Nick Barnett: Signed as an UFA to a 3 year 12M contract July 2011 (cut February 2013)

Ryan Fitzpatrick: Re-signed to a 6 year 59M contract October 2011 (cut March 2013)

Vince Young: Signed as an UFA to a 1 year 2M contract May 2012 (cut August 2012)

 

UFA / Re-signings

Kyle Williams: Re-signed to a 6 year 33.6M contract extension July 2011 (2013 starter)

Brad Smith: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 15M contract July 2011 (potential cut 2013)

Rian Lindell: Re-signed to a 4 year 10M contract extension February 2012 (potential cut 2013)

Steve Johnson: Re-signed to a 5 year 36.25M contract extension March 2012 (2013 starter)

Mario Williams: Signed as an UFA to a 6 year 96M contract March 2012 (potential re-structuring 2014)

Mark Anderson: Signed as an UFA to a 4 year 20M contract March 2012 (potential cut 2013)

Fred Jackson: Re-signed to a 3 year 10.8M contract extension May 2012 (2013 primary backup)

Kraig Urbik: Re-signed to a 4 year 13.3M contract extension December 2012 (2013 starter)

 

Where are you getting the restructuring info from?

[BillsVet]

Where are you getting the restructuring info from?

 

OP suggests it because the link discusses Williams' cap hit for 2014 being in excess of 18M.

[Steve O]

Can we please stop referring to Eric Wood as "Woods"? It was just annoying in the past but now we actually have a guy named Woods on the roster so it may confuse some people.

Guilty, I was sure all the draft picks were signed but had to double-check Woods.

[Niagara Bill]

Every year players are cut because of the salary cap like it or not. This year will be no different. I expect to see the Bills cut WR Brad Smith, DE Mark Anderson and Kicker Lindell. I also expect to see Mario Williams contract be changed to give the Bills more Cap Room... Bills need to sign FS Byrd along with Woods This year... Spillers contract is also on the horizon and it would be nice to see him also signed to a longer term contract. Can't have everything right away however but the Bills will set themselves up to let them improve the team. A quality OG could also be signed if one becomes available but you have to have the cap room to do it... So I do see some cuts coming and soon... What do you think?:

Why do the Bills have to sign Byrd? He needs to sit for the season. I don't see him in the top category of safeties.

.

[CSBill]

There will be surprise cuts, although I don't see Smith and Lindell cuts as surprises ... the team will probably have better options then those two.

 

As for cap space, I see no need to go out of the way to keep Byrd. Maybe I'm wrong, this year will tell. And as others have said, they are well under the cap right now.