The 2021 NFL offseason will come with a lot of headaches for NFL general managers. The salary cap is expected to drop about $ 30 million from initial projections of around $ 210 million because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Teams with little or no salary limits will have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to free agency and even players in their own lineups.
The limit is expected to reach around $ 181 million, which is a decrease of almost $ 20 million from the $ 198 million limit in 2020. According to Spotrac.com (all figures below are from this site), Bills’ current limit is $ 182,029,068 for its 51 major contracts in 2021. That number would put them just over a million dollars above the predicted maximum limit.
That means General Manager Brandon Beane will have to stick to his words and make some tough choices when it comes to his squad this offseason.
Here are five moves that the Bills can make to open a few dollars, while trying to improve their squad in hopes of improving the end of this season with a defeat in the AFC Championship game.
1. Release the John Brown wide receiver
Salary limit reached in 2021: $ 9.531 million
This is probably the most difficult decision Beane faces when it comes to his current squad and hired players. Bill’s passing attack was one of the best in the league and Brown’s presence – when he was healthy – made Bill’s “Big 3” with Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley almost unstoppable.
The problem with Brown, 30, was the lack of availability. He was injured most of the season and when he came back in the last games and playoffs, he just wasn’t that impactful. In three playoff games, Brown had just 10 receptions for 86 yards and was kept only two for 24 yards in the AFC title game.
Buffalo cast Gabriel Davis in the fourth round of last year’s draft and Isaiah Hodgins in the sixth. With Diggs and Beasley commanding most of the targets, Buffalo can look to the free agent market for a quick receiver to replace Brown and a much lower cost during a money-shortage season. One option that may be appropriate is former first-round pick John Ross, who underperformed in Cincinnati and could be hired for a modest deal.
Savings after launch: $ 7.931 million
2. Restructure the Mitch Morse center contract
Salary limit reached in 2021: $ 10.343 million | Limit reached after restructuring: $ 5.343 million
It was a strange season for Morse, which brought stability to an offensive line that was lacking in that department before his arrival as a free agency in 2019. But when he suffered the fifth documented concussion of his career against the New England Patriots on November 1, the status of the 29-year-old man with the organization seemed to be questioned.
Morse lost the next two games, but it was a healthy scrape against the Arizona Cardinals, despite being released to play. Beane revealed last month that the team just wanted to be cautious with Morse, whose history of head injuries has always been a concern.
The Bills could save $ 4.8 million if they simply eliminated Morse this season, but then they would be left without a Pro Bowl player in the middle of their offensive line. Jon Feliciano is a free agent and can potentially slip into being the new full-time center, but Beane’s comments seem to indicate that there is a belief in continuing with Morse.
“Mitch is never going to be the guy who will cut his nose three meters in the field,” said Beane when discussing how Morse might not be used much when it came to his strengths, especially in the racing game. “But at the end of the day, I thought he played well overall this season and, especially in the second half of the season, I thought he played.”
The restructuring of Morse’s contract will not take any money from him. What would likely happen if Bills approached its franchise center and tried to convert part of its $ 10 + million limit reached in 2021 into a subscription bonus that it would receive immediately and the impact of the limit would be spread over the last year of its business . Indeed, the bills would be kicking the way, but that makes a lot of sense, considering that next year’s ceiling is set to rise again.
Savings after restructuring: $ 5 million
3. Release the Quinton Jefferson defensive equipment
Salary limit reached in 2021: $ 8 million
Jefferson is a versatile defensive striker who was expected to be a significant addition to the Bills in 2020. The thought after he signed after four seasons in Seattle was that he would have a bigger role in a Buffalo defense that lost a ton in the d – line of 2019. Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson and Star Lotutlelei (opt out) are gone and it was up to Jefferson and other new pieces in the line to compensate.
Jefferson, 27, played fewer snaps in 2020 with the Bills than in any of his final two seasons in Seattle. It just wasn’t effective and ended up with three bags in the year. Bringing him back and having him for a second season on the system would make sense in most years. But with the limit economy and the lack of playing time over time, it makes sense to move on.
Savings after launch: $ 6.5 million
4. Restructure Mario Addison’s contract on the defensive side
Salary limit reached in 2021: $ 10.162 million | Limit reached after restructuring: $ 5,162 million
When considering for the first time what accounts should do with Addison, it is easy to see the savings from simply cutting it ($ 6.1 million) and thinking that this may be the easiest way. But with a $ 4 million dead limit and the role that Addison played in the locker room in his first season in Buffalo, that thought starts to become less than ideal.
Addison has two years left in his business. After posting just five bags in the first year of a three-year deal that is paying him about $ 10 million a season, pushing some of that money into the next season might be the best move for Beane if he wants to keep Addison in mix for the next season. He will be 34 before the next season.
Savings after launch: $ 5 million
5. Release the Vernon Butler defensive equipment
Salary limit reached in 2021: $ 7.818 million
There is only one scenario where it makes sense for Bills to move from Butler: if they can find an upgrade. The Carolina Panthers launched Kawann Short this week and, although he is considerably older than Butler, he becomes an immediate update on an important position in the defense of Sean McDermott.
Butler, 26, shone a few times last season, but it was mostly a disappointing addition. To be fair, Bills’ entire internal defensive line was forced to try to make up for Lotulelei’s loss. Butler, Justin Zimmer and Ed Oliver all played a little out of position at times when they were asked to line up in the center.
Short is 32 and has played just five games in the past two seasons. But his best seasons were with McDermott and playing alongside Lotulelei. He could probably be bought for a modest price from inactivity and would be a perfect mentor for Oliver.
Savings after launch: $ 6.818 million
The large savings total from these five changes would result in about $ 30 million in cap space. That money could be used to try to bring in a great free agent like the defensive side JJ Watt or even rehearse one of the Bills themselves as linebacker Matt Milano.
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