So as we all know the salary cap projection is just that, a projection. I have heard it will not dip all the way down, to the $178 million but that is the figure I will be working off in this article.
The way it stands right now, without resigning anyone we would be only $2 million under the cap. Now to re-sign players like Daryl Williams, John Feliciano, and Matt MIlano that is not going to work. I am going to outline some moves that will save the Bills quite a bit of cap and hopefully allow us to resign the above mentioned players.
Cut Mario Addison: To be honest when this signing first happened I hated it and I still hate it to this day. We are going to chalk this signing up to Beane bringing in his own for culture but this one didn’t work out. He only recorded 5 sacks this season, which is his lowest since his 3rd year in the league, and by the time the 2021 season starts he will be 34. That is the wrong side of his career to think his production will pop back up. It is always good to release a player 1 year too early than 1 year too late. By releasing Addison the Bills would have a net savings of $6 million toward the cap. In this scenario we are keeping Jerry Hughes, Epenesa, D. Johnson, and add talent from other resources, whether that is the draft, free agency, or a player like Mike Love. Eventually this defensive line has to start getting younger and if I can save some money doing it then I will.
Cut Quinton Jefferson: Let’s be honest we did not know whether he was on the field or not and he was active every game. He is young but the price is not worth the production. Last year he had 3 sacks, which is his career average. When he is making $8 million and the Bills can save $6 million by cutting him, I think it is a no brainer. Epenesa can play the tweener role of jumping inside or outside if need be.
Cut Vernon Butler: By releasing Butler the Bills save another $6 million. With Starr coming back and Zimmer playing at a high level. Paired with Oliver and the continued growth of Harrison Phillips, I do not see him remaining on the team when you can cut him and have essentially no dead cap. This is another player along with Jefferson who was active and his presence was not felt on the field.
Did you know the Bills had the highest paid defensive line in the NFL? For it being the highest paid line I did not see the production, so that is the reason for the purge at that position. Minimal sacks and can not stop the run. By releasing the above 3 defensive linemen alone we would save $19 million.
I would also cut ties with AJ Klein, I think for obvious reasons, but in case you didn’t watch much of the Bills in 202 Klein is just too slow now. Finally I would cut EJ Gaines and Lee Smith, bringing our total cap savings now to $24 million, making our available cap space $27 million. With the growth of Dane Jackson and hopefully the returned health of Tommy Sweeney, Gaines and Smith’s loss would be minimal. With now $27 million in cap I think we could swing at least signing 1-2 out of the 3 mentioned above (Milano, Feliciano, and D. Williams). I personally would try my hardest at bringing back Feliciano and Williams, to keep the line intact and help protect Josh Allen. If you read my previous article; Why the Bills Shouldn’t Overpay for Milano, then you would know my thoughts on how easy it would be to replace a player like Milano.
One player that is an honorable mention of being released is Mitch Morse. I know it sounds crazy, however with a cap savings of $7 million if released after 6/1/21, it becomes more realistic. This release would be hinged on resigning Feliciano. Then your starting line would be, from left to right, Dawkins, Ford, Feliciano, Boetteger, Williams. With the play of Boetteger stepping up and when Feliciano played center there seemed to be a seamless transition.
-Andrew Miller
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