Getty Former Niners defensive tackle Arik Armstead at Levi's Stadium on January 14, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills are active in free agency after cutting a slew of veterans and restructuring several contracts. However, Bills general manager Brandon Beane still has some work to do to be cap-compliant.
According to OvertheCap.com, the Bills are approximately $2.2 million over the $255.4 million cap limit. Therefore, when a new report linked the Bills to former San Francisco 49ers star Arik Armstead, analysts did a double-take.
After the Niners officially released Armstead on Wednesday, March 13, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows posted on X, “Keep an eye on Buffalo as a possible landing spot.”
Cover 1 host Greg Tompsett posted, “I mean, he’s a F’ing monster, I just didn’t think we could afford him (still really don’t).”
Based on the Bills’ current financial state, it’s unclear what kind of competitive offer they could make. The former first-round pick from the 2015 NFL draft still had one year left on the five-year, $85 million extension he signed in 2020. However, Armstead, San Francisco’s longest-tenured player, is only available because he refused to take a pay cut.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco posted on March 10, “The 49ers approached Arik Armstead about accepting a significant pay cut from his scheduled salary of $17.41 million. He declined, so the 49ers are set to release him and he will become a free agent.”
With a post-June 1 release, the 49ers save $18 million in cap space for 2024 while eating $10.31 million in dead money. As for the multiple void years remaining on Armstead’s contract, “The team will eat $15.4 million over the next three years,” Niners Nation reported. But they will save $26 million in cap space.
Bills News: Arik Armstead’s Injury History Is Worrisome
Sources to @BleacherReport: #49ers star DL Arik Armstead has decided to become a free agent and will be released.
Armstead comes off a 6 tackle, 1-sack performance in the Super Bowl, and ranks 4th in playoff sacks among all active players.
His 8 playoff sacks rank second…
It would be a huge splash for the Bills to land the 6-foot-7, 290-pound interior lineman. Armstead’s six tackles and 1 sack against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl is likely an attractive stat to Beane. In 12 regular season games last season, he recorded 27 total tackles, 13 quarterback hits, and 5 sacks.
Cover 1 host Anthony Prohaska posted, “The idea of Arik Armstead playing in a rotation with Ed Oliver & DaQuan Jones is wild. And we know how much [Bills head coach Sean] McDermott & Beane believe in building through the D-Line.”
However, the 30-year-old’s injury history may give Beane pause from banking the bank for him. Over the past two seasons, he’s missed 13 games. In 2022, he missed multiple games due to a foot fracture and plantar fasciitis, per SI. Foot injuries again plagued the Oregon alum this season.
However, several teams are interested in landing Armstead, including the Tennessee Titans, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini. Barrows also noted the Los Angeles Chargers could be in the mix.
The Bills’ Defense Will Look Very Different Next Season
After cutting Tre’Davious White, Siran Neal, and Jordan Poyer, the Bills said goodbye to Leonard Floyd and Dane Jackson.
The jury’s still out on All-Pro safety Micah Hyde, who is mulling over retirement. However, the Bills move to re-sign defensive end A.J. Epenesa and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
Spectrum News 1’s Brian Campbell wrote, “Jones’ return also brings a veteran presence to a defensive front that stands to lose several players to free agency, including Linval Joseph and Tim Settle, and with Jordan Phillips contemplating retirement.”