NFL informs clubs 2022 salary cap projected to be $208.2 million

[SCBills]

I might keep Morse and then focus on bolstering both Guard spots. 

 

Hughes, Addison and Williams alone free up a good bit of money.  Williams could be a trade chip.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 minute ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Maaaybe we get a pick for Moss and Epenesa but I am not sure. Epenesa's snap counts are up from last year but he hardly makes impactful plays. Maybe he is kept around for one more season to not rock the DE room too much (if Hughes is also gone)

 

Epenesa was a 2nd round pick 2 years ago.  I'd hate to move him for literally a pick - at a position thats already being thinned out by free agency.

Just now, SCBills said:

I might keep Morse and then focus on bolstering both Guard spots. 

 

Hughes, Addison and Williams alone free up a good bit of money.  Williams could be a trade chip.  

 

Morse is the largest cap savings.  Feliciano could be moved to starting center (or swing guard if we draft or replace the center).

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Hughes, Star, Addison gone. Hughes is already on his last year so wouldn't that already be factored into cap space ?

Restructure Morse again.

Trade Edmunds

Reworking Dawkins and White by converting salary to bonus money will fre up more cap space.

Williams will be a really interesting decision. 

 

This is all good but how will Beane spend it?  Hopefully not spending significant money on special teams scrubs and on real players. Any UDFA can do what Matakevich and Jones do for far less cost.

[Mr. WEO]

old news.  This story broke last May

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 minute ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Hughes, Star, Addison gone. Hughes is already on his last year so wouldn't that already be factored into cap space ?

Restructure Morse again.

Trade Edmunds

Reworking Dawkins and White by converting salary to bonus money will fre up more cap space.

Williams will be a really interesting decision. 

 

This is all good but how will Beane spend it?  Hopefully not spending significant money on special teams scrubs and on real players. Any UDFA can do what Matakevich and Jones do for far less cost.

 

Trade Edmunds for what?  to whom?  Who's starting? Klein?  

[Blank Stare]

10 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Addison is gone, same with Hughes.  You can bring one back if you deem it necessary for depth.

Star's cap savings with a release are only 4.25m which might not even be enough to find a suitable replacement.  

Wallace to me is good as gone unless his market craters and we can get him cheap again.  When they extended johnson it kinda became writing on the wall to me.

Bease isn't easily replaced with the 6M savings you would get. With a lowered cap a year ago 6M got you in the Sanders, Green, Cole, Watkins tier - either guys as old as bease, or injury prone.  While Bease has missed 0 time with the team and actually played through some injuries here.  Do we have a target to replace him?  

They were interested in Jamison Crowder at one point. Same year they grabbed Bease I think. I think he’s a FA after this season.  Will be 29 and coming off a depressed year with the Jets. He may be an option that won’t cost ridiculous $. 

[DCOrange]

7 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I might keep Morse and then focus on bolstering both Guard spots. 

 

Hughes, Addison and Williams alone free up a good bit of money.  Williams could be a trade chip.  

Hughes and Addison are already factored into us having $10 mil in cap space.

 

There are a lot of levers we can pull to free up room though; some that are relatively painless (cutting Darryl Williams) and some that would be a bit more painful (cutting Beasley).

 

Just messing around with Spotrac's Manage Roster feature, some money saving moves (including some that probably aren't ideal or necessary):

• Restructure Diggs - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Tre - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Dawkins - $5.3 mil
• Restructure Star - $3.4 mil (can cut him and save a little bit more but it's not a big difference)
• Restructure Milano - $4.8 mil
• Release Morse - $7.5 mil
• Release Darryl - $5.3 mil
• Release Beasley - $6.1 mil
• Release Poyer - $6.7 mil
• Trade Edmunds - $12.7 mil

Add up all of that and we're at $76.6 mil in cap space.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

Epenesa was a 2nd round pick 2 years ago.  I'd hate to move him for literally a pick - at a position thats already being thinned out by free agency.

 

Morse is the largest cap savings.  Feliciano could be moved to starting center (or swing guard if we draft or replace the center).

 

Yea, I wouldn't be upset if we moved off Morse.  I just think he's solid, and would be much better with two talented Guards next to him.  

 

I'd be more inclined to cut/trade Williams and cut Feliciano. 

 

Then take a machete to the DL with Addison/Butler gone and Hughes cut or back on a reduced salary.  

[BuffaloBillyG]

2 hours ago, Canadian Bills Fan said:

bye bye Morse and Star

 

There is $20M in cap space right there

IIRC, there would also be about $9M in dead cap from cutting those 2. I could see them restructuring both these guys again.

 

I do think Beasley could be a cap causality and well as AJ Klein. Those 2 would clear about $13M with a dead cap of less than $2M The Bills have quite a few contracts they could restructure as well (Tre White, Perhaps Diggs, Dawkins.)

 

In any event there are tons of options for the Bills to clear some big bucks for shiny new toys. 

 

My biggest hopes for FA are (if they hit the market) G Connor Williams and C Bradley Bozeman. 

4 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Hughes and Addison are already factored into us having $10 mil in cap space.

 

There are a lot of levers we can pull to free up room though; some that are relatively painless (cutting Darryl Williams) and some that would be a bit more painful (cutting Beasley).

 

Just messing around with Spotrac's Manage Roster feature, some money saving moves (including some that probably aren't ideal or necessary):

• Restructure Diggs - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Tre - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Dawkins - $5.3 mil
• Restructure Star - $3.4 mil (can cut him and save a little bit more but it's not a big difference)
• Restructure Milano - $4.8 mil
• Release Morse - $7.5 mil
• Release Darryl - $5.3 mil
• Release Beasley - $6.1 mil
• Release Poyer - $6.7 mil
• Trade Edmunds - $12.7 mil

Add up all of that and we're at $76.6 mil in cap space.

I'd rather keep Poyer and pay the 6.7M we don't really have anyone to replace him with and he is still playing at an extremely high level.

Edited December 15, 2021 by No Place To Hyde

[947]

7 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

• Release Poyer - $6.7 mil

Whoah! That's just crazy talk.

[hondo in seattle]

21 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Hughes and Addison are already factored into us having $10 mil in cap space.

 

There are a lot of levers we can pull to free up room though; some that are relatively painless (cutting Darryl Williams) and some that would be a bit more painful (cutting Beasley).

 

Just messing around with Spotrac's Manage Roster feature, some money saving moves (including some that probably aren't ideal or necessary):

• Restructure Diggs - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Tre - $7.1 mil
• Restructure Dawkins - $5.3 mil
• Restructure Star - $3.4 mil (can cut him and save a little bit more but it's not a big difference)
• Restructure Milano - $4.8 mil
• Release Morse - $7.5 mil
• Release Darryl - $5.3 mil
• Release Beasley - $6.1 mil
• Release Poyer - $6.7 mil
• Trade Edmunds - $12.7 mil

Add up all of that and we're at $76.6 mil in cap space.

 

 

None of the players on the 'restructure' list are obligated to restructure.  You don't know what they - or their agents - will demand.  This is pure speculation.

 

Releasing Poyer and Beasley would leave huge gaps in our starting lineups.    Gaps not easily filled unless you spend heavily in free agency meaning there's no net savings.

 

Trading Edmunds for what?  A draft pick?   Or a FA with a contract of their own?  If you are betting on a rookie to equal Edmunds' contribution - that's a long bet.   If you are trading Edmunds for a FA, you're just swapping contracts so the savings isn't real.

 

[DCOrange]

7 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

IIRC, there would also be about $9M in dead cap from cutting those 2. I could see them restructuring both these guys again.

 

I do think Beasley could be a cap causality and well as AJ Klein. Those 2 would clear about $13M with a dead cap of less than $2M The Bills have quite a few contracts they could restructure as well (Tre White, Perhaps Diggs, Dawkins.)

 

In any event there are tons of options for the Bills to clear some big bucks for shiny new toys. 

 

My biggest hopes for FA are (if they hit the market) G Connor Williams and C Bradley Bozeman. 

I'd rather keep Poyer and pay the 6.7M we don't really have anyone to replace him with and he is still playing at an extremely high level.

 

1 minute ago, 947 said:

Whoah! That's just crazy talk.

 

That's why I mentioned some of the moves I had listed were probably not ideal or necessary. Just showing the different options at our disposal.

 

Cutting Poyer definitely falls into the unnecessary category. If I had to make an argument for it, it would be that we spend more on safeties than any team in the league and it's arguably just not that valuable of a position. But our safeties are also one of the top 5-10 pairs in the league without a doubt and they're two of our biggest playmakers.

 

As I showed though, we have plenty of other moves we can make to create cap space if we wish to and most of them wouldn't hurt our team all that much; certainly nowhere near as much as losing Poyer would.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

OL heavy in free agency. We need to sign 3 starters. 

Give me Brandon Scherff please....

[BuffaloBillyG]

1 minute ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

 

None of the players on the 'restructure' list are obligated to restructure.  You don't know what they - or their agents - will demand.  This is pure speculation.

 

Releasing Poyer and Beasley would leave huge gaps in our starting lineups.    Gaps not easily filled unless you spend heavily in free agency meaning there's no net savings.

 

Trading Edmunds for what?  A draft pick?   Or a FA with a contract of their own?  If you are betting on a rookie to equal Edmunds' contribution - that's a long bet.   If you are trading Edmunds for a FA, you're just swapping contracts so the savings isn't real.

 

Most player contracts have built in language that makes it so the teams can restructure without player permission. That usually extends to converting money into signing bonus where players don't lose anything. I do believe they have to gain approval drom the player to extend voidable years and such.

 

I agree releasing Poyer would be a huge gap. Not sure I agree that Beasley would be a huge net loss. Yes, he is amazing at getting open...however this is 2 years in a row he's played through (and been hampered by) injuries. At his cost I would rather that his money and combine with money we get from Sanders expiring contract and get a new (younger) WR. A guy like DJ Chark with his speed or Gallup would be really nice. Increase Gabe Davis's role and I don't think the drop off is too bad.

[hondo in seattle]

3 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/2022/

 

😂  Don’t get too excited.  The Bills currently have 39 players under contract for next season plus about $10M projected in available cap space.  They will (have to) create more space - and there’s various places for them to do that - but there won’t be a big spending spree.  There’s lots of work to be done.  

 

In order to build a better OL, we may have to accept some player losses elsewhere to create the cap funds.  

 

As fans, we're not going to get everything we want.  As leaders of organization, neither will Beane and McDermott.  

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

 

None of the players on the 'restructure' list are obligated to restructure.  You don't know what they - or their agents - will demand.  This is pure speculation.

 

Releasing Poyer and Beasley would leave huge gaps in our starting lineups.    Gaps not easily filled unless you spend heavily in free agency meaning there's no net savings.

 

Trading Edmunds for what?  A draft pick?   Or a FA with a contract of their own?  If you are betting on a rookie to equal Edmunds' contribution - that's a long bet.   If you are trading Edmunds for a FA, you're just swapping contracts so the savings isn't real.

 

 

If a couple high level IOL hit Free Agency, and Beasley is the difference between completely revamping our OL, I'm cutting Beasley and drafting a WR early.  

 

Josh behind top of the line OL throwing to Diggs, Davis, Knox and say... Jameson Williams 6'2 burner from Bama is worth salivating over.  

[Buffalo_Stampede]

4 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Give me Brandon Scherff please....

I doubt he'll reach free agency. A lot of teams will keep their best players.

[DCOrange]

15 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

 

None of the players on the 'restructure' list are obligated to restructure.  You don't know what they - or their agents - will demand.  This is pure speculation.

 

Releasing Poyer and Beasley would leave huge gaps in our starting lineups.    Gaps not easily filled unless you spend heavily in free agency meaning there's no net savings.

 

Trading Edmunds for what?  A draft pick?   Or a FA with a contract of their own?  If you are betting on a rookie to equal Edmunds' contribution - that's a long bet.   If you are trading Edmunds for a FA, you're just swapping contracts so the savings isn't real.

 

Players will almost always agree to this form of restructure as it locks in more money for them long-term. I suppose it isn't a guarantee that they will but it would be shocking if any of them refused.

 

I think releasing Poyer is the worst of the moves that I've listed and don't think it's necessary. This was more an exercise of listing out the options. But the argument in favor is that we spend more on our safeties than any team in the league (granted we have one of the top 5-10 safety pairings in the league) as well. As far as replacing him, most starting safeties make less than the $6.7 million that would be saved by cutting him, so it's very possible to find a starting caliber safety with that money. Again though, not a necessary move for us to make and why create a hole where we don't need to?

 

I think Beasley is probably one that we should consider, though again, it may fall into the unnecessary category. He'll be 33 next season and has taken a step back this season. It's possible he just falls off the cliff so to speak next year and he's paid like a #1 WR when he simply isn't that.

 

And yes, you'd need to just trade Edmunds for a draft pick to net the full $12.7 million. You can certainly net better players than Edmunds with that money unless next season is finally the year his potential turns into reality. I think trading him is probably very unlikely, partially because I think McBeane like him a lot and also partially because I think it'll be difficult to get good picks for him at that figure.

Edited December 15, 2021 by DCOrange

[hondo in seattle]

10 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

Most player contracts have built in language that makes it so the teams can restructure without player permission. That usually extends to converting money into signing bonus where players don't lose anything. I do believe they have to gain approval drom the player to extend voidable years and such.

 

I agree releasing Poyer would be a huge gap. Not sure I agree that Beasley would be a huge net loss. Yes, he is amazing at getting open...however this is 2 years in a row he's played through (and been hampered by) injuries. At his cost I would rather that his money and combine with money we get from Sanders expiring contract and get a new (younger) WR. A guy like DJ Chark with his speed or Gallup would be really nice. Increase Gabe Davis's role and I don't think the drop off is too bad.

 

I didn't know teams could restructure contracts at will.  Stupid me.  

 

I get what you're saying about Beas BUT when you have a QB like Allen, you really want to make sure he has quality guys to throw to.  I'd hate to lose Beasley.  

 

But I also know we need to make trade-offs.  If releasing Beasley allowed us to sign a Pro Bowl guard, I'd do cartwheels in the street.   Open receivers don't mean a lot to Allen when he's getting smacked to the turf.  

Edited December 15, 2021 by hondo in seattle

[BuffaloBillyG]

6 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I didn't know teams could restructure contracts at will.  Stupid me.  

 

I get what you're saying about Beas BUT when you have a QB like Allen, you really want to make sure he has quality guys to throw to.  I'd hate to lose Beasley.  

 

But I also know we need to make trade-offs.  If releasing Beasley allowed us to sign a Pro Bowl guard, I'd do cartwheels in the street.   Open receivers don't mean a lot to Allen when he's getting smacked to the turf.  

Not stupid at all. I only learned that this last offseason when Tyreek Hill refused to allow the Chiefs to restructure him. The articles I read all mentioned that he and his agent had that removed from his deal and it wasn't typical. 

 

The major thing I think about with Beasley is that while he has been great, Allen would still have capable weapons. Diggs will still do Diggs things. Knox has made a jump and continues to be a bigger weapon as the season goes on. Davis is really under used...and if we can improve that line not only would it keeps Allen upright as you said....but it just may help bring a bit of a run game back and take even more pressure off Josh Allen to be excellent every game.  Even if they keep Beasley next season he really isn't part of the long term at his age and the way injuries have and may continue to pile.