Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to have a major salary cap crunch for the coming season, but one insider predicts the team could help alleviate the situation by making a big move on quarterback Josh Allen.
As SI.com’s Matt Verderame reported, the Bills head into the 2024 season with a significant chunk of their salary cap locked into big contracts for 10 veteran players. Allen is entering the fourth year of his eight-year contract, set to earn $30 million in cash against a $47 million cap hit.
But that could change with one move, an insider wrote.
Bills Can Free Up Chunk of Cap Space
Sportrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicted that the Bills could take a big chunk out of Allen’s salary cap hit with an offseason move.
“Buffalo frees up $22.7M of cap space by converting most of Josh Allen’s 2024 base salary + a $6M roster bonus into signing bonus,” Ginnitti wrote.
Josh Allen after leading the NFL in TDs and not making the pro bowl with a game against the dolphins Sunday
Ginnitti noted that the Bills may need some of their money to find a new backup for Allen.
“The Bills need to address their QB2 again next March, as Kyle Allen was signed to a 1 year veteran minimum contract this past offseason,” Ginnitti wrote.
The Bills already made one in-season move to give themselves some breathing room. Back in October, the team restructured the contract of left tackle Dion Dawkins to convert his base salary into a signing bonus and create $3.9 million of cap space.
NewYorkUpstate.com’s Ryan Talbot speculated that the Bills could use the space to make a run at a player like Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins ahead of the trade deadline, but the Bills ultimately chose to address their defense. They landed cornerback Rasul Douglas in a trade-deadline deal with the Green Bay Packers, and signed free agent defensive lineman Linval Joseph.
Bills Predicted to Make Other Cap Moves
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia predicted in June 2023 that the Bills may need to cut loose some veteran players to save cap space in 2024. He pegged safety Jordan Poyer as a strong candidate, noting that he was not expected to return to Buffalo for the 2023 season but the team was able to bring him back on a two-year deal.
“At 32 years old, Poyer must prove he can remain a high-level starter within the Bills’ scheme,” Buscaglia wrote. “Otherwise, the substantial $5.5 million in cap savings could go a long way to secure a younger safety to replace him in 2024, or if they draft one, toward a starter at a different position.”
Releasing Poyer would bring $2.88 million in cap savings, and Buscaglia noted that the team could free up another $8.5 million by parting ways with veteran center Mitch Morse.
“Morse, 31, has settled in as the best offensive lineman on the team and a leader in the locker room. If Morse wants to play in 2024, he should remain the team’s starting center regardless of the cap savings,” Buscaglia wrote. “Things could change if his performance dips a lot, but he showed no signs of slowing down in 2022.”